DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #42 Garrett Frechette

Garrett Frechette 1B.  DOB:  12/31/2000.  B-L, T-L.  6'3", 200 lbs.

Rookie(AZL):  .290/.364/.366, 7 2B, 2 3B, SB, 6.7 BB%, 21.2 K%, GB/FB= 2.48, 165 PA.

You have to go to the videos to see Garrett Frechette's most outstanding quality as a baseball prospect:  the swing!  Yes, he has a sweet swing!  And talk about loud contact?  Look up the hitting video from PG National.  I've heard contact described as sounding like a rifle shot.  Admittedly, he's hitting in an empty stadium but yeah, the sound of the ball off his bat literally sounds like a rifle shot, echoes and re-echoes and all!  So how did the Giants land him in round 5 of the 2019 draft?  Well, he battled an injury and was weakened by an illness(reportedly mono) his HS senior season.  He was able to make up for that with impressive performances on the summer showcase circuit before the draft, but I read one predraft scouting report that complained he was selling out for power in the showcases.  The Giants reportedly worked him out at the Oracle before the draft and were impressed when he deposited several balls in McCovey Cove and hit the top of the RF foul pole with another.

His pro debut campaign went well enough.  The GB rate is ugly but that's a project for the Giants army of player development coaches.  Despite his size, he still has a young frame that has room to add at least 20 lbs.  That and adding loft to his swing give him huge power potential.  He's probably a 1B but has enough speed(6.9 60) to play corner OF.  He seems to have no shortage of self confidence as he says he likes to track balls in the OF and thinks he has enough quickness to play CF.  He could make his full season debut in Augusta this spring, or the Giants may hold him back in camp to work on getting more balls in the air.  Offseason rest, workouts and maturity should add significant strength to his game.