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2019 saw a year of change on multiple fronts for the San Francisco Giants. Farhan Zaidi stepped in at the helm of the organization and is slowly putting together his masterpiece. Long time Giants stables, Bruce Bochy and Madison Bumgarner are no longer a part of the organization and in steps Gabe Kapler as the one to fill the shoes left by 3 time World Series Champion Bochy. The rotation will see some changes, no major free agents were signed to fill the rotation spot left by Bumgarner. Johnny Cueto should be back to full health from Tommy John surgery, but at opening day he will be 34 years old and Jeff Samardzija will be 35, neither of which are getting any younger. The Giants are coming off of a mediocre, yet disappointing 77-85 season, expect to see more youthful prospects contributing as I expect the Giants to continue taking a step back in the NL West the next couple years.

The farm system has been built with a solid foundation without having to trade prized stars for prospect assets which brings hope to what the future holds. The major talk around Giants camp was Bumgarner would be dealt for a group of prospects to help build this foundation in which we saw neither Bumgarner nor Buster Posey traded during the 2019 season. Zaidi has been able to improve the health of the organization by drafting high quality college performers as well as a few interesting high school prospects that will develop over time and potentially help the big league club. The most important part to this rebuild however has been their commitment to international prospects. The Giants will see several prospects coming through their system to help the big league club as the year draws on but the most intriguing prospects are these international players who are still a few years away from making a major impact.



Prospects1500 Tiers:

Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years

Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor

Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor

Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)

Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster.



Tier 1:

1. Joey Bart, C (Midseason #1)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: AA

Bart started 2019 as the clear cut #1 prospect in the system but as the season wore on more questions arrived rather than answers. Coming out of the gates hot, Bart had his season brought to an abrupt halt as he missed the next 43 games. Promoted to Richmond, AA in early August, Bart proved his worth in a short 22 games with the club. Strikeouts prompted some questions to what I believe Bart will provide long term for the Giants as he had 71 in 79 games last year. Bart went on to play in the AFL this past fall and was selected to the All-Star game but was unable to play due to a fractured wrist. Injuries piled up this past year and the gap between Luciano and Bart closed.

2. Marco Luciano, SS (Midseason #3)

Age: 18

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Marco is starting to garner national attention as a 5-tool asset at SS for the Giants. Part of a focused international attempt, Luciano has closed in on being the top prospect in the farm system. I would not be shocked to sit here in June and see his name tossed around with the Top 10 prospects in the game. Excitement levels are very high with this uber talent. In 38 games as a 17 year old in the AZL, Marco laced 10 HR with a triple slash of .322/.438/.616 adding in 8 SB’s and a whopping 1.055 OPS. Quick promotion to A- in early August, hoping we see more of this as he continues his climb.

17-year-old Marco Luciano, the #SFGiants’ No. 3 prospect, with a no-doubter out to left. pic.twitter.com/z8LYkm6QRw — William Boor (@wboor) June 22, 2019

Tier 2:

3. Heliot Ramos, OF (Midseason #2)

Age: 20

Highest 2019 Level: AA

There is still a lot to like about Ramos, as he is only 20 years old and saw a brief 20 games in AA Richmond to end 2019 and he earned it. Showing he belonged in A+ San Jose, Ramos adjusted his plate discipline and was able to improve his walk rate from 35 in 124 games in 2018 in A Augusta to 32 in 77 games in 2019. Expect to see Ramos continue to make adjustments as he matures but I still have concern about his K rate and his 10 CS in 18 attempts.



Tier 3:

4. Hunter Bishop, OF (Midseason #4)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: -A

Bishop was chosen in the 1st round of this past year’s 2019 MLB Draft and there is a lot to like about him. Brother of Braden Bishop, Hunter is expected to play a major role in the Giants organization in the near future. Slugging 22 HR in 57 games for Arizona State in 2019, Bishop was able to carry over that hot stick and add another 5 in 32 games. Plate discipline was a concern of mine after the Giants drafted him, initial results brings optimism as he walked almost as much as he struck out, 38 BB/39 SO in 32 games. 2020 should be an interesting year for Hunter as it will be his first full season in pro-ball. If he comes out the gates hot, we should see him make a couple promotions as the year wears on.

Hunter Bishop is settling in nicely with @SKVolcanoes. The #SFGiants first-round #MLBDraft pick has his second homer of the month for the Volcanoes, and when he's not hitting dingers … he's walking (27 in 23 games since promotion).@SFGiants Top 30: https://t.co/mwOOiepvnq pic.twitter.com/hk1JbHodzT — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 17, 2019

5. Logan Webb, RHP (Midseason #7)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Webb started 2019 looking like an absolute ace until he was suspended for PED use in early May. Providing quality numbers before the suspension, the Giants gave him an opportunity to prove his true worth in a late season promotion to San Francisco. In 8 starts Webb provided mixed results as evident of his 5.22 ERA allowing 23 ER in 39.2 IP. Webb was able to post a solid 8.4 K/9 in those brief starts however proving his ability to sit down MLB hitters. Expect to see Webb prove his worth again in 2020 as the rotation will need some assistance with the loss of Bumgarner and aging veterans.

6. Alexander Canario, OF (Midseason #5)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: A-

In 2019, Canario proved 2017 and 2018 weren’t a fluke. Providing solid results all around, Canario was able to make the necessary adjustments and start the climb to San Francisco. I consider Canario in a special group of prospects within the organization I’ll highlight in a future article. I love everything Canario brings to the table for the Giants especially his power. This will be the driving factor for him in the future, if he can continue making necessary adjustments as the competition gets better, look out. If there is one thing I am afraid of with Alexander is his plate discipline. I’ve made this an important note for other prospects and it is not any different here. In 49 games with A- Salem, Canario raked up an awful 71:18 K:BB ratio.

7. Seth Corry, LHP (Midseason #10)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A

Corry started 2019 in Augusta and saw the year close in Augusta. Corry may move slower than some others but he may have the most potential out all the arms in the system. Corry impressed in 2019 to a tune of 1.73 ERA in 27 starts for Augusta and was able to rack up 172 K’s in only 122.2 IP bringing in an impressive 12.6 SO9. The system lacks true starting pitching and its possible Corry will be able to shine light in the rotation once he’s fully developed. Keep an eye on him in 2020 as he attempts to prove 2019 wasn’t an anomaly.

8. Luis Matos, OF (Midseason #26)

Age: 18

Highest 2019 Level: Rookie (AZL)

Matos signed with the Giants along with Luciano and Pomares during the 2018 International Signing period. Grouped with 2 other potential stars in the organization, Matos has a chance to be a standout. In his first season with the Giants, Matos tore up the DSL to a tune of .362/.430/.570/1.000 in 55 games along with an impressive 7 HR and 47 RBI. Matos was promoted stateside to the AZL to finish up a strong 2019 campaign. The power is impressive however if he’s able to add 20+ SB’s yearly, look out. Expect to see him start in the AZL in 2020 and move along the same line as Luciano.

Giants CF Luis Matos, the largest IFA signing behind Luciano and Pomares ($725k), hitting his 7th HR. The Venezuelan has been one of the best players in the DSL this year with some eye popping stats in 51G: .995 OPS | .217 ISO | 168 wRC+

18 SB | 31 XBH | 11.2% K#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/T0h16WqLyR — tyler j. spicer (@tylerjspicer) August 13, 2019

9. Sean Hjelle, RHP (Midseason #6)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: AA

Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 draft, Hjelle showed promise in his first full season with the Giants. Working across 3 levels, Hjelle finished the year with AA Richmond. AA proved to be a tough task for Hjelle compared to the lower levels as he showed he could be a dominate force which prompted the promotion. In 118.1 IP between A- and A+ Hjelle posted 118 K’s and only 28 BB’s along with a solid 2.74 ERA. While he was able to keep the ball in the ballpark, 5 HR allowed, Hjelle allowed a .253 BA and a .332 BAbip raising some concern for the future. Still leaning towards back of the rotation but might be better fit long term in the bullpen. Hjelle still has time to make adjustments and hopefully we will see them initially in 2020.

10. Will Wilson, SS/2B (Midseason NR – Angels)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: Rookie

Wilson was selected 15th in the 2019 draft by the Los Angeles Angels and had his first taste of pro ball in Orem in the Pioneer League. Posting solid numbers, Wilson projects as an up the middle IF with the chance to stick as a starter. Lack of speed and offensive profile, Wilson grades out as average across the board. Traded along with Zack Cozart for Garrett Williams in December in what was considered a salary dump for the Angels to later sign Anthony Rendon. The Giants are thrilled to add another young promising middle IF to the fold of the future. It’ll be interesting to see where he begins in 2020 and how many games he splits between the IF, my initial belief is Wilson will transition to 2B predominantly as the year unfolds.

11. Luis Toribio, 3B (Midseason #15)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Toribio posted strong numbers in the DSL in 2018 and prompted a 2019 year stateside. Initially starting the year in the AZL, Toribio finished 2019 in A- Salem along side several other promising prospects. Toribio power was not as prominent in 2019 as it was in the DSL, hitting only 3 HR across 54 games compared to the 10 he hit in 64 games in 2018. Impressively, Luis was able to carry over his strong plate discipline while posting a 47:59 BB:K ratio. He wasn’t quite able to improve defensively as evident of .829 FLD% in 2018 to .848% in 2019 while having less chances (111 to 92). There is still a lot to like about Toribio in the future but he will need to show more power in 2020 and continue to work on his defense as he moves up the organization.

12. Heath Quinn, OF (Midseason #8)

Age: 24

Highest 2019 Level: AA

Quinn started 2019 with his first taste of AA in his young career and struggled throughout the first 32 games. An injury pulled the season to a stop for a month before he was able to get back on the field. Quinn finished the year in A+ San Jose where he was able to post modest numbers. Continued health in the off-season with the chance to begin 2020 in AA, hoping for a solid bounce back season for Quinn. At 24 all is not lost but the shine is dimming on Quinn’s star.

13. Mauricio Dubon, SS/2B (Midseason #2 – Brewers)

Age: 25

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Traded from the Brewers to the Giants before last year’s trade deadline, Dubon proved he could be a solid contributor offensively and defensively for the Giants down the stretch run. Moving forward, Dubon potentially will be apart of the rebuild as he fills the roll at 2B and in a pinch at SS. While hit 4 HR in the brief 28 games his other counting stats were a tad light, I would expect Dubon to contribute at a higher rate in 2020. Finishing 2019 with 24 HR Dubon finally appears to have tapped into his power, look for him to prove this isn’t a fluke.

14. Gregory Santos, RHP (Midseason #13)

Age: 20

Highest 2019 Level: A

Santos appeared in 8 games in 2019 throwing 34.2 IP while the Giants eased his workload around an injury riddled year. Since his debut in 2016, Santos has thrown 174.1 IP and proved he has the stuff to get hitters out. Santos is only 20 years old and will be for the majority of the 2020 season, time is still on his side as he continues to develop and maintain health for a full workload. If injuries continue to riddle Santos, I would not be surprised if he eventually transitions into the back end of the bullpen.

15. Logan Wyatt, 1B (Midseason #12)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A

Wyatt was selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft by the Giants out of Louisville where he proved to be patient hitter with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. In 2019, Wyatt played in 3 levels before season’s end and finished the year in Augusta. Hitting only 3 HR in 44 games, the Giants will want Wyatt to eventually add a little more power as he develops. During those 44 games, Wyatt compiled a nice 26:29 BB:K ratio while adding 30 RBI’s. 2020 will be an interesting year as far as development goes for Wyatt, I’m hopeful he’s able to add 10 HR power while not sacrificing his plate discipline.

16. Melvin Adon, RHP (Midseason #16)

Age: 25

Highest 2019 Level: AAA

Melvin and his triple digit FB are getting closer to San Francisco each year with the hope this year is the year he’ll be getting MLB hitters out. 2019 saw Adon begin in AA Richmond for 36 appearances where he faced 189 batters and posted 59 K’s. Closing out 2019, Melvin was able to taste AAA for the first time and it was rough unfortunately. It was a step in the right direction and with the necessary adjustments, Adon should be able to cleanup his issues and move forward. His SO9 improved from 11.8 in AA to 15.7 in AAA, proving he was able to eventually put hitters away.

17. Jairo Pomares, OF (Midseason #17)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Pomares comes to the Giants via Cuba and the 2018 International Signing period along with Luciano and Matos, as mentioned earlier. Pomares had a strong start to the 2019 campaign as he began in the AZL and posted solid numbers throughout the 37 games before being promoted to A- to finish the year. In Salem we saw some minor issues become obvious, mainly his ability to drive the ball to all fields and his plate discipline. In 14 games, Pomares posted a dismal 17:1 K:BB ratio with only 3 extra base hits out of 12 hits, all doubles. Still very young and needing time to develop, the Giants like his ability to stick in CF and will give him time to develop. He likely will take the longest out of Luciano and Matos to reach San Francisco.

18. Jake Wong, RHP (Midseason #9)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Wong has the potential to be a mid-rotation SP in the near future and he’s shown promise throughout the last two seasons. Drafted in 2018 out of Grand Canyon, the Giants started the young RHP in Augusta in 2019 where he breezed through the competition and was promoted to A+ San Jose to end the year. Wong took a slight step back in San Jose but still proved he was able to get hitters out and showed promise. I expect Wong to begin the year in San Jose again before being promoted to AA near the end of the year. Continued refinement of his CB and CH will allow him to have success in 2020.

19. Diego Rincones, OF (Midseason #14)

Age: 20

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Rincones continues to be overlooked in prospect circles and he continues to provide solid results with 2019 showing no different. Starting in Augusta, Rincones hit .295/.346/.415 in 105 games while providing solid defense split between LF and RF. Waiting for the power to develop, Rincones has the profile fit of a LF in San Francisco.



Tier 4:

20. Conner Menez, LHP (Midseason #23)

Age: 24

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Menez was called up to San Francisco in July after tearing through the minors in 2019 while posting a solid 154 K in 121 IP across AA and AAA. Using deception with his delivery, Menez is not a guy who will blow by an entire lineup and he will need to use all 4 pitches in order to keep hitters off balance at the next level. Backend of the rotation, I would expect to see Menez provide 50-100 IP in SF in 2020.

21. Franklin Labour, OF (Midseason #25)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A

Labour was signed back in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic and slowly moved along until last season. Spending his first two years in the DSL and making his stateside debut in 2018, Labour took off in 2019. Providing big time power, Labour posted 15 HR in 2019 which blew by the previous 7 he had in the 3 years prior. Keep an eye on Labour in 2020 and moving forward because if the power continues, he could post 25-30 HR seasons in the near future.

22. Tristan Beck, RHP (Midseason #28 – Braves)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Acquired in the Mark Melancon deal at the trade deadline, the Giants decided to keep Beck in A+ to finish 2019. The Braves started working on a delivery change with Beck before he was dealt and the Giants continued with it to finish the year. Beck admitted he felt more comfortable as the year wore on which likely aided in improved results. Health will be a concern for Beck until he provides consistent innings but there is some intrigue moving forward as a potential rotation piece.

#SFGiants prospect Tristan Beck picked up seven strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings of work in the @MLBazFallLeague tonight, keeping batters guessing en route to his first win of the season. pic.twitter.com/dOkITOi23q — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 16, 2019

23. Ricardo Genoves, C (Midseason #29)

Age: 20

Highest 2019 Level: A

Genoves signed with the Giants in the same class as Labour back in 2015 and was brought along slowly. In 2019 Genoves started to tap into his power by hitting 9 HR in 51 games besting his previous career high of 4 in 3 years. Solid defensively, Ricardo is known for his accurate arm and receiving skills which aided in his promotion stateside in 2018.

24. Abiatal Avelino, 2B/SS/3B (Midseason #18)

Age: 25

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Avelino got a small cup of coffee in 2019 appearing in 4 games. In 121 games in AAA, Avelino provided solid numbers again with 12 HR, 17 SB’s, slashing .283/.315/.444 while scoring 70 runs and spending most of the season as the starting SS. It’ll be interesting to see if in 2020 we will see Avelino in SF for more than just a handful of games.

25. Sandro Fabian, OF (Midseason #19)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Injured to begin 2019, Fabian was only able to finish with 228 PA in 54 games. With the small sample size, its hard to tell the full development for Fabian. Expected to be healthy to begin 2020, hopefully we will see him get his career back on track and continue his climb up the organization.

26. Jacob Gonzalez, 1B/3B (Midseason #20)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A

Gonzalez repeated A ball in 2019 after providing mediocre numbers in 2018 to only put up very similar numbers in 2019. Gonzalez hasn’t quite put together the tools many raved about when the Giants first selected him in 2017. Still only 21 years old he has plenty of time to develop his tools and become a consistent professional.

27. Grant McCray, OF (Midseason #39)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: AZL

McCray was drafted in the 3rd round and provided some excitement around the rookie class. Son of Rodney McCray, Grant is working towards making a name for himself and in his first taste of pro ball, McCray showed off his raw tools while providing fine defense in CF. He will need to learn how to steal bases more effectively as he matures, he was caught 11 times in 28 attempts. Plate discipline was mixed in my opinion, while he walked 30 times in 48 games, he added 54 K’s. Still very young and very raw, I am excited to see McCray in 2020.

28. Chris Shaw, OF (Midseason #11)

Age: 26

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Once considered a top prospect for the Giants, Shaw has seen his light dim over the last few years. Shaw showed considerable improvement in plate discipline in 2019 while hitting .294/.360/.559 between AA and AAA. I would expect the Giants to continue giving Shaw a chance to contribute in SF while they rebuild but it would be hard to trust as a fantasy asset moving forward until consistency shows up at the big league level. Shaw did hit 28 HR in 2019 which was a career best.

29. Camilo Doval, RHP (Midseason #24)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Doval continues to move slowly through the organization and he continues to look like an impact arm at the back of the bullpen. A future pairing with Adon has me excited about the future of the Giants in a couple years. Doval topped his 78 K’s in 2018 by 2 in 2019 with facing 16 more hitters. Unfortunately he added more walks in 2019 also but drastically limited his wild pitches by 9. As you can tell, Doval is still a work in progress from a control standpoint as well as a consistency standpoint. Patience.

30. Zach Green, 3B/1B (Midseason #27)

Age: 25

Highest 2019 Level: MLB

Appearing in 8 games in San Francisco in late July/early August, the Giants felt Green deserved to taste MLB for the first time. Green would finish the 2019 season in AAA where he set a career high HR with 25 in a mere 72 games. Defensively he’s capable enough to play both corner IF spots, likely spending a majority of his time at 3B. Expect Green to make another appearance in SF in 2020.

31. David Villar, 3B (Midseason #30)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Villar spent 2019 entirely at A+ San Jose while playing most of his games at 3B where he profiles the best at the current moment. A potential move across the diamond is always possible but not at this currently. Villar struggled slightly in the power department in San Jose by matching his 2018 HR total while playing in 51 more games.

32. Matt Frisbee, RHP (Midseason #31)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: A+

Frisbee, still, has a great last name for a pitcher. In 2019 Matt went across 2 levels starting a majority of those games in A+ San Jose where he was able to collect the San Jose Giants Pitcher of the Year award. In 132.1 IP, Matt racked up a solid 10.5 SO9 with a solid 154:28 K:BB ratio. Expect 2020 to have some bumps but I’m excited to see if he’ll continue along this path as a potential rotational starter.

Congrats Matt Frisbee on being name #SJGiants Pitcher of the Year! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/cnqO3fG0L8 — San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) September 2, 2019

33. Esmerlin Vinicio, LHP (Midseason #34)

Age: 17

Highest 2019 Level: N/A

Signing in last year’s J2 International period, Vinicio is very raw and extremely young. Turns 17 at the end of January, expect the Giants to move very slowly with him as he develops and matures. Reports are hard to gain on the young lefty but initial reads are exciting.

34. Tyler Fitzgerald, SS (Midseason #41)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A

Fitzgerald was drafted in the 4th round of the 2019 draft and the Giants were thrilled to get him. While he doesn’t provide power as a SS, he does provide quality defense at a key position. The Giants will allow Fitzgerald to develop up the middle in hopes his contact oriented approach will drive him up the organization.

35. Trevor McDonald, RHP (Midseason #32)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: AZL

McDonald made his debut in the AZL in middle of August and only appeared in 3 games. Drafted in the 11th round in 2019, the Giants will take their time developing this tall RHP. McDonald was given the 3rd highest signing bonus in the draft class. Clearly the Giants liked him a lot and hopefully in 2020 we will start to see why.



Tier 5:

36. Blake Rivera, RHP (Midseason #33)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A

Blake spent a majority of 2019 in Augusta and continues to flash his potential as a SP in the future. He will need to continue refining his pitch repertoire and his command if he wants to take the next step.

37. Aeverson Arteaga, SS (Midseason #36)

Age: 16

Highest 2019 Level: N/A

An exciting SS signed along with Vinicio in the 2019 J2 International period. Looking forward to potentially seeing him for the first time in 2020.

38. Connor Cannon, 1B (Midseason NR)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Cannon was drafted in the 17th round of the 2019 draft out of University of California, Riverside. During his 3 years at UC Riverside Cannon slugged 36 HR which includes 18 he hit in 2019. Cannon didn’t miss a beat during his first stint in pro ball, in 37 games with the Giants, Cannon added another 13 HR bringing his 2019 total between UC Riverside and the Giants to 31. With a solid approach and plate discipline the initial results seem promising for Cannon heading into 2020.

39. Sean Roby, 3B (Midseason #40)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A

While playing in only 56 games in 2019, Roby continued to show little power. Having a strong ability to make contact however continues to help aid in the development process. Looking for 2020 to be a defining season for Sean with the hopes he can reach 15 HR in a full season.

40. Jacob Heyward, OF (Midseason #42)

Age: 24

Highest 2019 Level: AAA

Jacob had a rough statistical season in 2019 while playing exclusively in AA Richmond. Heyward hit a lowly .209/.357/.339/.697 in 476 plate appearances. Walking a career best 80 times, Heyward added another career high in 147 K’s. It was a mixed bag as he showed some ability to produce counting stats with 20 2B’s, 10 HR and 10 SB’s. Still only 24, look for Jacob to find some consistency at the plate in 2020.

41. Victor Coronil, C (Midseason #46)

Age: 17

Highest 2019 Level: N/A

Signed in the 2019 J2 International period, expect Coronil to move slowly through the system with 2020 being the first season playing for the Giants.

42. Pat Ruotolo, RHP (Midseason #49)

Age: 25

Highest 2019 Level: A+

2019 was a short year for Pat as he was slowed by injuries to begin the year. He was able to finish the season on a high note while posting strong numbers across two stops. In 19 innings, Ruotolo allowed only 2 ER and striking out 24. Keep an eye out to see how 2020 treats Pat, in 135.2 IP he has only allowed 24 ER.

43. Armani Smith, OF (Midseason NR)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Drafted in the 7th round out of UC Santa Barbara, Smith enjoyed his first stint in pro ball for the Giants. In 48 games Smith hit .297/.366/.440/.805 with 14 extra base hits. Defensively, Smith spent a majority of his time in LF with the ability to slide over to RF if needed.

44. Jalen Miller, 2B (Midseason #47)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: AA

Jalen has slid down my rankings since my preseason Giants Top 50 last January. Spending all of 2019 in AA Richmond, Miller reached a milestone with a career best 27 SB for the Flying Squirrels. His next highest was 11 as he did that 2015-2016 and again in 2018. Miller was able to cut down on the K’s and improve his walk rate while playing in 12 more games than he did in 2018. Still only 23 for the whole 2020 season, Jalen will need more consistency before he can fully make the leap back up the rankings.

45. Caleb Kilian, RHP (Midseason NR)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: A-

Kilian was drafted in the 8th round in the 2019 draft out of Texas Tech, where he served as the staff Ace. Kilian threw 16 innings in 2019 for the Giants allowing only 1 ER while posting a solid 17:2 K:BB ratio.

46. Harrison Freed, OF (Midseason NR)

Age: 21

Highest 2019 Level: A-

In 2018 Freed was a star for La Crosse in the Northwoods League while setting a franchise record in RBI and it didn’t slow down in 2019. Freed set a school record for hits for University of Butler while slugging a Big East high in HR with 17. The Giants drafted Freed in the 13th round and watched him jump a level before the year concluded. While he struggled a bit in A- Salem, expect him to mature and get stronger for 2020. There is a lot to like in Freed.

47. Garrett Frechette, 1B (Midseason #43)

Age: 19

Highest 2019 Level: AZL

Frechette was drafted in the 5th round out of High School and held his own in the AZL while manning 1B for 34 games. Garrett will need to show the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark as he matures and develops over the next couple years. Known for a quality approach, expect the Giants to move Frechette along slowly.

48. Simon Whiteman, 2B/SS (Midseason NR)

Age: 23

Highest 2019 Level: A

A 4 year contributor at Yale, Whiteman was selected in the 9th round in the 2019 draft by the Giants. It proved to be a smart pick, pun intended, as Simon put together a strong first season with the Giants. Having plus speed, Whiteman picked up 31 SB in 69 games but was caught stealing 11 times. He also walked an impressive 45 times while only striking out 59 times.

Check out the diving stop🛑 by Simon Whiteman for @YaleBaseball at Princeton today! #IvyTop5 pic.twitter.com/OJojHcgbz8 — Yale Athletics Video (@YaleILN) April 29, 2018

49. Najee Gaskins, OF (Midseason NR)

Age: 22

Highest 2019 Level: AZL

A 20th round selection in 2019 out of St. Cloud, Gaskins put together a strong 36 games in the AZL before his 2019 season concluded. Slashing .340/.474/.453/.927 Gaskins also added 19 SB while only being caught 2 times. Najee also showed solid plate discipline with a 20:19 BB:K ratio. It’ll be interesting to see if he is given a full chance to make an impact in 2020.

50. Jaylin Davis, OF (Midseason NR)

Age: 25

Highest Level: MLB

Davis was acquired at the trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins in the Sam Dyson trade. Mainly overlooked in prospect circles, Davis was mediocre during his first three years with the Twins. In 2019 his power really took off, however he grades out mainly as average across the board with the rest of his tools. Some question is contact skills and we’ll need to see more consistency moving forward before we can fully believe he has taken the next step. Given a small cup of coffee with the Giants last September, expect to see Davis contribute in 2020 and hopefully beyond. In 2019 Davis broke out with a solid .306/.397/.590/.987 in 126 games split between AA/AAA during which he launched 35 HR.



Honorable Mentions:

Prelander Berroa, RHP

Dany Jimenez, RHP

P.J. Hilson, OF

Dilan Rosario, SS

Cole Waites, RHP

Nick Morreale, RHP

Gio Brusa, 1B/OF

Raffi Vizcaino, RHP