Down on the Farm: Sacramento River Cats 2019 Season Review

Before we dig into some of the meatier offseason topics here, let's finish up the minor league season reviews.   Most organizations have effectively taken their AAA affiliates out of the player development ladder and use them as an extended bench for the MLB club.  Farhan Zaidi did just that with the Sacramento River Cats.  That approach paid off for Sacramento with a PCL and AAA championship.  The PCL has always been an extreme hitter's league with multiple ballparks at higher elevations or arid climates or both.  2019 was even more of a feast for hitters as AAA used the MLB baseball which produced HR's at approximately 1.5 times any previous season.

By my count, and I could be off here so don't get your tails all in a knot if I'm off by 1 or 2, the River Cats had a total of 83 players compile a recordable statistic, 36 position players, 47 pitchers.  27 of those players also made appearances in a SF Giants uniform at some point during the season, 17 position players and 20 pitchers.  13 players who suited up for the River Cats ended the season out of the organization entirely.  Paradoxically, accumulating counting stats for the River Cats was probably not a goal anyone wanted to achieve because it meant you either were not good enough for a call up to SF or you did get called up and got sent back down in short order.

OF Mike Gerber(.308/368/.569, 41 2B, 26 HR) and IF Abiatal Avelino(.283/.315/.444, 24 2B, 12 HR, 17 SB) were the team mainstays with 464 and 473 AB's respectively.  Both got callups to SF and both failed to impress at the higher level.  Position players who spent less time in Sacramento but went on to make an impact in SF included OF Mike Yastrzemski(.316/.414/.676, 11 2B, 12 HR 136 AB), OF Austin Slater(.308/.368/.529, 17 2B, 12 HR, 240 AB), OF Joey Rickard(.372/.431/.587, 15 2B, 6 HR, 172 AB), IF Mauricio Dubon(.323/.391/.485, 99 AB.

On the pitching side, RHP Tyler Beede(2-2, 2.34, 34.2 IP, 14 BB, 49 K) and RHP Logan Webb(1-0, 1.29, 7 IP, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's) were the top SP prospects to get called up.  They both have a chance to stick with the Giants longterm.  RHP Shaun Anderson(2-1, 3.76, 38.1 IP, 13 BB, 41 K),  RHP Dereck Rodriguez(3-0, 3.64, 29.2 IP, 10 BB, 28 K) and LHP Conner Menez(3-1, 4.84, 61.1 IP, 30 BB, 84 K's) had more mixed results in SF with uncertain futures.  Among relievers, RHP Tyler Rogers(4-1, 4.21, 62 IP, 28 BB, 58 K) took his submaweenie style to SF and thrived.  RHP Enderson Franco(6-5, 5.97, 113 IP, 36 BB, 98 K) spun his wheels as a SP but picked up several MPH on the FB and was lights out in the PCL playoffs which earned him a late look in SF which he made the most of and put himself in the conversation for a MLB roster spot in 2020.  RHP Jandel Gustave(2-2, 6.15, 26.1 IP, 12 BB, 25 K's) took his high-90's FB to SF with inconsistent results).

If I forgot to mention someone significant please post in Comments.  There were a lot of players to sift through here.  Team Leaders:

2B:  Gerber- 41, Avelino- 24, Henry Ramos- 21, Aramis Garcia- 20.

3B:  Avelino- 8, Levi Michael- 4, Cristhian Adames/Aramis Garcia/Joey Rickard- 2.

HR:  Gerber- 26, Zach Green- 25, Chris Shaw- 21.

Wins:  Steven Okert- 8, Andrew Suarez- 7, Franco/Yoanys Quiala/Pat Venditte- 6.

K's:  Franco 98, Yoanys Quiala- 91, Menez- 84.

Saves:  Fernando Abad- 13, Gustave- 7, Rogers- 5.

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