Our review of the 2014 Top 50 Prospects list did not include the 2014 draftees for obvious reasons. Let's catch up with how the newest Giants fared in their professional debuts. We will only include the draftees who signed contracts. We will list them by draft round and overall draft position:
1-14: Tyler Beede, RHP. Rookie AZL- 0-1, 3.12, 8.2 IP, 4 BB, 11 K. Short Season: 0-0, 2.70, 6.2 IP, 3 BB, 7 K's. Young Beedah signed late due to pitching in the College WS. Giants gave him a few brief looks probably mostly for evaluation purposes going into instructionals. I would project him to start next season in the San Jose rotation. Bad sign if he starts the season in Augusta.
2-52: Aramis Garcia, C. Rookie AZL- .219/.324/.313, 13.2 BB%, 15.8 K%, 38 PA. Short Season- .229/.289/.357, 2 HR, 6.6 BB%, 25 K%, 76 PA. The transition from college catcher to pro catcher is rough because they have to learn to call pitches on their own rather than relay signs from the dugout. That sometimes impacts offense. I would project Garcia to start next season in Augusta, although SJ is a possibility. I would project Ty Ross to move up to SJ.
3-87: Dylan Davis, OF. Rookie AZL- .297/.341/.486, 7 2B, 7.3 BB%, 29.3 K%, 41 PA. Short Season- .200/.269/.341, 4 HR, 7.5 BB%, 24.7 K%, 93 PA. The power is there, but can he make enough contact? Threw out several runners with his cannon arm. Could move to the mound if the contact does not improve. 2015 projection: Augusta vs San Jose.
4-118: Logan Webb, RHP. Rookie AZL- 0-0, 2.25, 4 IP, 3 BB, 5 K's. Pop-up HS prospect. successful cameo appearance at end of season. 2015 projection: Maybe Augusta?
5-148: Sam Coonrod, RHP. Rookie AZL- 1-0, 3.90, 27.2 IP, 6 BB, 25 K. Low walk rate is a pleasant surprise, even at a low level for this hard throwing RHP who may profile more as a reliever. 2015 projection: Augusta?
6-178: Skyler Ewing, 1B. Rookie AZL- .237/.318/.421, 4 2B, 1 HR, 9.1 BB%, 20.5 K%, 44 PA. Short Season- .291/.417/.473, 9 2B, 8 HR, 15.8 BB%, 12.3 K%, 228 PA. Those are fantastic numbers combining power and plate discipline, even for Salem-Keizer. 2015 Projection: All the Way to San Jose!
7-208: Seth Harrison, OF. Rookie AZL- .067/.227/.200, 16.7 BB%, 33.3 K%, 18 PA. Short Season- .266/.298/.354, 10 2B, 2 3B, 11 SB, 4.6 BB%, 24.3 K%, 173 PA. Harrison showed some speed with doubles power, but atrocious K/BB. 2015 Projection: Augusta?
8-238: Austin Slater, OF. Rookie AZL- .333/.333/.556, 3B, 0.0 BB%, 22.2 K%, 9 PA. Short Season- .347/.417/.449, 2 HR, 7 SB, 7.6 BB%, 12.9 K%, 132 PA. A lot to like here, high average, low K's, a bit of pop, speed. I think there is some power projection here. Major college program. 2015 projection: San Jose, baby!
9- 268: Stetson Woods, RHP. Rookie AZL- 5-1, 2.25, 16 IP, 4 BB, 20 K. Very nice debut for the big kid from the Central Valley. 2015 projection: Augusta.
10-298: Matthew Gage, LHP. Rookie AZL- 2-0, 1.89, 33.8 IP, 8 BB, 32 K. These numbers would be great if they were at Salem-Keizer. 2015 projection: Augusta?
11-328: Greg Brody, RHP. Rookie AZL- 1-1, 0.63, 14.1 IP, 3 BB, 27 K, 2 Saves. College reliever. Needs to do this at higher levels. 2015 projection: Augusta?
12- 358: Jameson Henning, SS. Signed. DNP. Interesting size for a SS at 6'4".
13- 388: Luis Lacen, OF. Rookie AZL- .250/.321/.271, 3 SB, 9.4 BB%, 37.7 K%, 53 PA. Raw kid with tools. Mixed success in pro debut. 2015 projection: Back in Arizona vs Salem-Keizer.
14-418: Kevin Rivera, 2B. Rookie AZL- .228/.281/.296, 6.7 BB%, 21.1 K%, 180 PA. Maybe a bit more advanced than Lacen, but a lower ceiling. 2015 projection: Hard to see him succeeding at Augusta already. Maybe Salem-Keizer?
17- 508: Caleb Smith, LHP. Rookie AZL- 1-0, 4.35, 10.1 IP, 13 BB, 12 K. Not particularly impressive. 2015 projection: Salem-Keizer.
19- 568: Richard Amion, OF. Rookie AZL- .267/.379/.385, 2 HR, 8 SB, 13.5 BB%, 22.1 K%, 163 PA. Some speed and ability to take a walk. 2015 projection: Augusta.
22-658: Mark Reyes, LHP. Rookie AZL- 1-1, 3.00, 12 IP, 3 BB, 14 K. JC draftee. 2015 projection: Probably Salem-Keizer vs Augusta.
23-688: Jordan Johnson, RHP. Rookie AZL- 0-0, 0.00, 2.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 K's. Tiny sample size. 2015 projection: S-K vs Augusta.
25- 748: Byron Murray, OF. Rookie AZL- .279/347/.412, 8 BB%, 20.0 K%, 75 PA. Encouraging numbers for HS flyer who signed. 2015 projection: Not sure. Could be back in Arizona or up to S-K or even Augusta.
26-778: Hunter Cole, 3B. Rookie AZL- .444/.444/.556, 9 PA. Short Season- .239/.311/.424, 4 HR, 7.7 BB%, 19.2 K%, 104 PA. I'll take the power. BA should be better with those K and BB numbers.
27-808: Conner Kaden, RHP. Rookie AZL- 1-0, 2.79, 9.2 IP, 4 BB, 16 K. Low A- 0-1, 3.60, 10 IP, 3 BB, 7 K. Highest level reached for pitching draftees. 2015 projection: Augusta vs San Jose.
28- 838: Nick Sabo, LHP. Rookie AZL- 1-0, 6.75, 2.2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K. Big dude at 6'8" out of Long Beach State. Tiny pro debut didn't go so well. 2015 projection: Salem-Keizer vs Augusta.
33- 988: Jared "Deac" Deacon, C. Short Season- .219/.311/.234, 10.4 BB%, 11.7 K%, 77 PA. High A- .217/.280/.304, 7.7 BB%, 19.2 K%, 26 PA. Highest level reached for 2014 draftees. May already be seen as an organizational player. 2015 projection: San Jose?
As Young Beedah goes, so goes the draft. He's the guy to watch. Could be a fast mover if the Giants can help him with command. He has elite stuff. Ewing and Slater wowed in their pro debuts and could also move fast. I'm excited by the HS kids, but they will require patience.
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Aramis Garcia, Sam Coonrad, Stetson Woods & Matthew Gage each take commanding leads over the rest of the system, in the tally for "Best Baseball Names". Mark my words, those bunch right there are going to excel behind the power of their names, with Stetson Woods currently in the unfortunate lead for "Best Name for an Underdog Flameout". Sorry guy, that's the happs..
ReplyDeleteGoodluck kids!!!! ;)
Stetson Woods would be a great name in the adult film industry just in case this baseball thing doesnt work out. Lol
DeleteMore like Madison Bumgarner and Stetson Woods in Country Hardballs II.
DeleteFor. The. Win!
DeleteNicely played sir.
NWGiantsFan
DtF!!!
Austin Slater seems to be of the same mold of Joe Panik and Matt Duffy with a very low K/BB. Only 10 K's in 132 PA's! He seems to have a decent amount of pop and speed. I am expecting good things from this kid. San Jose all the way.
ReplyDeletePanik's line from S-K the summer he was drafted is almost identical to Slater's: .341/.401/.467, 6 HR, 13 SB, 9.2 BB%, 8.2 K%, 304 PA's. Panik had a little more than twice as many PA's at S-K than Slater.
DeleteYou probably want more pop than Panik gives you from an OF, but Slater has some size and probably has more power potential.
It's important we have a constant supply of good, young players, even if they are AAAA players at best.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they put up good numbers, you can always get buyers when they are still in low/high A or even at AA.
The real gems, of course, we keep and Sabean is pretty good at that.
For the strategy to work, the kids must produce numbers the baseball media can hype though, and not spending time working on less visible aspects of the game, neglecting to make them attractive (superficially) to potential customers.
Successfully implemented, we can afford one blockbuster trade (at least) a year.
One blockbuster trade per year involving prospects might be a bit on the optimistic site.
DeleteBy the way, we love our GM, Sabean, even if we have been called members of the Lunatic Fringe before by him, but he should stop being so up-front (though that's why we really appreciate him, talk about being greedy) and don't stay more stuff about Headley, unless it's complimentary.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there have been several times this offseason where Sabean's comments have impeded his chances of accomplishing his goals.
Delete1. Announcing a moratorium on all trade and FA activity until first Sandoval then Lester make their decisions.
2. The "not head over heels" comment about Headley.
Sometimes GM's say stuff to get other teams off of our scent.
DeleteI would say it's better to just not say anything than the above comments. Plus, in the Sandoval and Lester cases, it is now fairly evident that indeed Sabes did not have anything else going on.
DeleteAgreed, I'm pretty surprised Sabes would be so blunt as to use the term "not head over heels about him" towards a guy we are CLEARLY pursuing. Seriously, Baer is good with words, he needs to hold a clinic over in the SF headquarters...
DeleteDavis is heading to the mound.Slater is one to watch.
ReplyDeleteI like that the Giants seemed to have gotten a good group of college bats led by Garcia, Davis, Ewing, Slater. They got the last two winners of the Cape Cod League Home run derby in Dylan Davis and Skyler Ewing.. They drafted a good young catching prospect in Garcia as well as a good starting pitching prospect in Beede.. The Giants farm system has done a good job producing players to help the big club position player wise, hopefully Beede develops quickly since it seems like the system has run a little dry of starting pitchers with big arms that can help the big club which is surprising, the last being Madbum in 2010.. Its been said here that John Barr came to the Giants since he emphasizes drafting more position players.. I'm wondering if part of the reason why the starting pitching pipeline has run dry is that they've drafted more position players then starting pitchers in the early rounds.. They've drafted Wheeler, Crick, Stratton, Agosta, and Beede in the early rounds the past 6 drafts but is that enough? Hoping that Blackburn will be ready by midseason to help the big club..
ReplyDeleteLG
I would not give up on the pitching side of things just yet. Last year at this time, the pitching looked much stronger than the hitting. Several hitters stepped up, but none of the pitchers did. There are still a lot of young arms with upside in the system though.
DeleteWheeler could have kept the well going but with Posey going down they felt Carlos Beltran was the right move. Without that trade and the continued help of Dick Tidrow he might have turned out a tad better and maybe a fixture at the end if our rotation. But it wasnt meant to be. If Crick can keep his BB/9 at a respectable rate he might turn out to be something special. He is only 22. But any trade scenario probably starts with him. Blackburn is very special in my opinion. I think he could be the next Cliff Lee. Very similar stats and control. Stratton so far seems to be a bust. Beede is the wild card. Too small of a sample size so far to know what to expect.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we have to remember is the Giants really had an extraordinary run with Cain, Lincecum and Bumgarner. Tidrow was in charge for years prior to Matt Cain. How many first round draft pick pitchers did the Giants trade away back then and how many of them ever amounted to much? Things go in cycles. I do think Barr is more of a hitting scout than pitching, though.
DeleteNot giving up on the young pitching, you never know who will step up.. That's what makes the minor leagues interesting to follow.. Its ironic to me that Timmy and Madbum were drafted a couple of years before John Barr took over.. I thought at the time that Barr would continue the trend of using high draft picks to take starting pitching, but can't complain about the results starting with Barr's 1st draft pick was Buster Posey in 2008. Agreed that these things do go in cycles, and drafting is a tuff business for sure.. They traded a bunch of 1st round pitchers back then to help the big club.. Jerome Williams, David Aardsma come to mind as pitchers who turned out to be not great, but had nice long careers in baseball, While Jessie Foppert and Kurt Ainsworth flamed out due to injuries I think... Especially disappointed about Foppert because wasn't he a top 5 prospect in all of baseball at the time.. Since many of these young pitchers end up not amounting to much, maybe the Giants need to find ways to acquire more young pitching such as asking for a young pitcher as part of any trades they make..
ReplyDeleteLG