DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #13 Reggie Crawford

13.  Reggie Crawford LHP/1B.  DOB:  12/4/2000.  B-L, T-L.  6'4", 235 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2025.

2023(A):  .250/.278/.563, HR, 

2023(A):  0-0, 4.09, 11 IP, 4 BB, 18 K.  

2023(A+):  0-0, 2.25, 8 IP, 6 BB, 14 K.

2023(AFL):  .138/.282/.276, 2 HR, 12 BB, 30 K, 71 PA. 

Reggie Crawford might be the highest variance Giants prospect in history.  The problem is in debating whether to develop him as a pitcher or hitter, the Giants seem to have opted for neither so far!  In two pro seasons Crawford has a grand total of 40 PA and 19 IP.  Oh, and with 58 PA's in the AFL, still less than 100 PA's if you count them.  

Crawford is obviously a tremendous athlete with a big, strong muscular frame which enables him to reach triple digits on his FB and hit light towers with batted balls.  But he's seems to be quite raw with both tools and needs reps on both sides of the ball to progress.  Maybe he's get that chance in 2024?  Will it be back in Eugene(A+) or in Richmond(AA)? 

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #14 Tyler Fitzgerald

14.  Tyler Fitzgerald IF/OF.  DOB:  9/15/1997.  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 205 lbs.  

2023(AA):  .324/.410/.588, 2 HR, 3 SB, 11.5 BB%, 28.2 K%, 78 PA.

2023(AAA):  .287/.358/.499, 20 HR, 29 SB, 9.7 BB%, 23.8 K%, 466 PA.

2023(MLB):  .219/.265/.469, 2 HR, 2 SB, 5.9 BB%, 29.4 K%, 34 PA.

Tyler Fitzgerald just might end up being the best position player out of the Giants troubled 2019 draft class.  He has always had a nice power/speed combination and had a 20/20 AA season in 2022 but batted just .219.  He obviously made the adjustment over the offseason and quickly earned a promotion to AAA where he put up another 20/20 and got a late callup to the majors.  He continued to show power and speed but again hit .219.  Can he make the adjustment again? He was able to able to expand his defensive skills to include CF where he impressed enough to FZ to suggest he might be the best defensive CF in the organization....at least before they signed Jung Hoo Lee.  Fitz will come to camp looking to snag a 26'th man utility role on Opening Day.  If not, he has 3 minor league options and can ride the Sacramento-SF shuttle.

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #15 Wade Meckler

Wade Meckler OF.   DOB:  4/21/2000.  B-L, T-R.  5'10", 178 lbs.  2 Milb Options.

2023(A+):  .456/.494/.633, 2 HR, 2 SB, 6.9 BB%, 10.3 K%, 87 PA.

2023(AA):  .336/.431/.450, 2 HR, 4 SB, 14.4 BB%, 16.7 K%, 174 PA.

2023(AAA):  .354/.465/.500, 2 HR, 7 SB, 17.6 BB%, 19.6 K%, 102 PA.

2023(MLB):  .232/.328/.250, 9.4 BB%, 39.1 K%, 64 PA.

Wow!  What a season for Wade Meckler!   He absolutely rocketed through the top 3 levels of the farm system but as we have seen from several other similar career trajectories, didn't seem quite ready to face big league pitching.  It didn't help his optics that he appeared physically small, almost tiny compared to other players, especially pitchers.  So how do you comp someone like that to, say, Aeverson Arteaga or Grant McCray who I think have higher ceilings but are much farther away from the major leagues?  I ranked Meck a bit higher based on his proximity to a MLB career.  FWIW, projection systems have him performing much better in 2024, though still not great.  Will he get the chance?  

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #16 Erik Miller

16.  Erik Miller LHP.  DOB:  2/13/1998.  6'5", 240 lbs.  

2023(AA):  1-0, 0.87, 10.1 IP, 13.06 K/9, 3.48 BB/9, 1 Save.

2023(AAA):  2-1, 2.77, 53 IP,  12.63 K/9, 7.10 BB/9, GB/FB=1.26, 14 Saves.

Miller was acquired form the Phillies before last season for Yunior Marte RHP.  He's a big lefty out of Stanford who has a solid 3-pitch mix but questionable command.  He got great results on the Closer track last year despite his walk rate ballooning in Sacramento.  I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to the squeezed automated K-zone that plagues other PCL pitchers.  He as added to the 40-man roster in December to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.  There is a great chance we will see him pitch in Oracle Park this year.  He has his full complement of minor league options.

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #17 Carson Seymour

17.  Carson Seymour RHP.  DOB:  12/16/1998.  6'6", 260 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible.

2023(AA):  5-3, 3.99, 112.2 IP, 9.11 K/9, 3.43 BB/9, GB/FB= 2.00, FIP= 3.45, xFIP= 3.63.

Seymour was part of the Giants haul for Darin Ruf and may end up as the longterm centerpiece of the trade.  He's got tremendous size that is well-proportioned on his frame.  Scouting reports say his FB sits 93-95 in starts but can get up to 95-97 in shorter stints.  BA says he has the potential for a 4-pitch mix.  In a video sequence I watched I say a tailing FB, a tight slider and a diving splitter.  I mean, that's a MLB starter's mix right there!

I think there is a good possibility we see him pitch in Oracle Park this season.  I could also see FZ flipping him in a trade to try to amplify the return on the Ruf trade.

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #18 Landen Roupp

18.  Landen Roupp RHP.  DOB:  9/10/1998.  6'2", 205 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2024.

2023(AA):  0-0, 1.74, 31 IP, 12.19 K/9, 2.61 BB/9, GB/FB= 1.58.  

Landen Roupp is an unusual pitching prospect in that his top pitch is a curveball which Fangraphs grades as a 70 and which he throws approximately 50% of the time.  He also throws a slider which Fangraphs grades as a 50.  The FB is a low 90's sinker rated as a 45 but but comes out of the same release point as the curve and gets good run and downward action.  The big question for Roupp is can a pitcher who relies that heavily on a curveball, even the grade 70 one, succeed at higher levels or will more advanced hitters be able to recognize it out of his hand?  He was a unicorn, but Hey!  I remember when Bert Blyleven forged a HOF career with a similar pitch mix.  The other concern is he was shut down on July 4 with what BA reports was a back injury, but he was well enough to participate in the fall instructional league.  Note that Roupp averaged just 3 IP in 10 starts before his injury so the Giants may be developing him as a middle-inning guy.  I would like to see him get a chance as a classic SP and see if he can be the next Bert Blyleven.  

DrB's 2024 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #19 Aeverson Arteaga

19.  Aeverson Arteaga SS.  DOB:  3/16/2003.  B-R, T-R.  6'1", 170 lbs.  Rule 5 Eligible

2023(A+):  .235/.299/.410, 17 HR, 8 SB, 7.3 BB%, 24.2 K%, 546 PA.

Much like Grant McCray, Arteaga's first half numbers dragged down his overall line but he got stronger as the season progressed which for a young prospect is way better than the other way around.  Arteaga batted just .208 over the first 3 months of the season, but then hit .265 over the last 3 including a line of .278/.330/.556 in July and .273/.296/.436 in August.  He hit 9 of his 17 HR's in July and August.   He should get a promotion to AA for his age 21 season and finds himself in a similar situation as Luis Matos who struggled in A+ after a great season in SJ but then recovered after starting the next season in AA and made it all the way to the majors by the end of the season.  I'm still bullish on Arteaga see him as a potential Giants SS of the future.