Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2013 (28) | 2012 (21) | 2011 (24) | 2010 (29) | 2009 (8)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [76-86] NL West
AAA: [68-75] Pacific Coast League – Fresno
AA: [70-72] Eastern League – Richmond
A+: [83-57] California League – San Jose
A: [82-55] South Atlantic League – Augusta
A(ss): [47-29] Northwest League — Salem-Keiser
Arizona Fall League Players — Scottsdale Scorpions
Kyle Crick (RHP); Cody Hall (RHP); Derek Law (RHP); Alberto Mejia (LHP); Andrew Susac (C); Angel Villalona (1B); Jarrett Parker (OF)
Graduated Prospect
Jean Machi (RHP)
The Run Down
When considering the San Francisco farm system from a fantasy perspective, one must always keep in mind the ballpark in which these prospects will eventually spend their days playing. In most places you look, AT&T Park grades out as the most pitcher-friendly venue in the game. That means that if you’re building your dynasty roster, it’s never a bad idea to take some chances with Giants pitching prospects. Conversely, it’s extremely risky to take on any of their offensive prospects (not that there are any). Overall, this is a rather thin system, featuring high-impact potential only in Kyle Crick and Clayton Blackburn. Crick, in particular, is quite awesome.
Top Ten Fantasy Prospects
1. Kyle Crick, RHP: A little more than a month ago I wrote an entire Kyle Crick fantasy. Do read it if you’re into elite-level pitching prospects. ETA: 2015
2. Clayton Blackburn, RHP: The Giants feature a slew of arms that should be reaching the upper levels in 2014 — Crick, included — and it’ll be interesting to see how they sort out the MiLB rotations to begin the season. After spending a full-season at High-A San Jose, though, Blackburn is pretty much a sure-thing to step up to Double-A next spring. The 20-year-old features a three-pitch arsenal (FB, CH, CB), all of which have plus potential at the highest level. Expect bigger production from him in 2014, as he segues out of the notoriously hitter-friendly California League, where he still managed a pretty damn good line: 3.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.3 K/9. ETA: 2015
3. Chris Stratton, RHP: The 20th overall pick in 2012 spent his first year of full-season baseball at Low-A Augusta where he made 22 starts, posting solid numbers along the way: 3.27 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.4 K/9. A plus fastball and a plus slider are Stratton’s best weapons, but he mixes in a change and curve effectively. At 23 years old, he’s already a bit long in the tooth for the low minors, and I expect San Francisco is start him at Double-A in 2014. ETA: 2015
4. Mac Williamson, OF: The top hitter in this San Fran system is coming off an enormous year in the Calli League: .292/.375/.504, with 58 XBH (25 HR) in 597 PA. At this point, it’s tough to gauge whether or not that line is a legitimate product of Williamson’s considerable tools, or if it’s simply a California League mirage. Somewhere in-between is the most likely scenario, of course. In any case, we’ll get a better feel for the the 23-year-old’s outlook when he steps up to Double-A next spring. ETA: 2015
5. Martin Agosta, RHP: A second round pick in 2012, Agosta made is full-season debut in 2013, and was quite good. The 22-year-old posted a 2.06 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a K/9 at 10.7 in 18 starts at Low-A Augusta. As is the case with most of the remaining arms on this list, Agosta doesn’t feature overpowering stuff. Rather, he relies on sequencing and plus command to keep hitters off balance and draw whiffs. Like Stratton, it’s possible that the Giants will skip him over the dangerous California league in favor of starting him at Double-A next spring. ETA: 2015
6. Edwin Escobar, LHP: Escobar posted a breakout year in 2013, finishing with a sub-3 ERA and a K/9 north of 10 in 24 starts between High-A and Double-A. The 21-year-old features a superb fastball/changeup combo, mixing in a curve to round out his repertoire. Command and pitchability are by far his best assets, and if he can bring his breaking ball a step forward in 2014, he’ll be MLB-ready by year’s end. ETA: Late 2014
7. Ty Blach, LHP: In his first year of pro ball, Blach posted a 2.90 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a K/9 at 8.1 in the hitter-friendly environment of the California League. The 23-year-old features advanced command, and a fastball/changeup combo that should suffice to carry him to the bigs as a starter. He’ll begin 2014 at Double-A Richmond. ETA: 2015
8. Gary Brown, OF: There was a stretch back in June during which Gary Brown was pounding baseballs, and it looked very much as if he’d be the replacement in center for an injured Angel Pagan. It didn’t go that way. No, the Giants decided Brown wasn’t ready, and boy were they right. The 25-year-old finished a full year at Triple-A with 13 homers, 17 stolen bases, and a .231/.286/.375 slash line. There was once legit 20-20 potential here — Brown hit 14 homers and stole 53 bases in 2011. Alas, those days are long behind us. This prospect business is volatile. ETA: 2014
9. Andrew Susac, C: Above average receiving skills will allow Susac to push through to the majors where he’ll eventually settle in as a regular. The 23-year-old isn’t quite a high-impact offensive talent — he’s a sub-.250 hitter over two years in the minors — but he brings enough power potential to hit 15-20 HR over a full season. Pair that with good on-base skills, and there’s enough here to be fantasy relevant. ETA: 2015
10. Heath Hembree, RHP: Hembree logged some big league innings in 2013, making 9 scoreless appearances after being called-up in September. A big fastball and a wipeout slider give him significant upside in the whiff department, but the 21-year-old is firmly entrenched in the San Francisco ‘pen at this point, so the fantasy value is limited unless he earns a late-innings gig. ETA: 2014
