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SF Giants power-hitting prospect homers in Venezuelan Winer League debut

In his first career game in the Venezuelan Winter League, SF Giants prospect Victor Bericoto slammed a home run he will never forget.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants power-hitting prospect homers in Venezuelan Winer League debut
SF Giants power-hitting prospect homers in Venezuelan Winer League debut

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San Francisco Giants

After an excellent minor league season with the SF Giants, power-hitting prospect Victor Bericoto (Giants Top 21 Prospect) made his Venezuelan Winter League with the Navegantes del Magallanes on Sunday night. Playing on a big stage in his native country, Bericoto was born in Maracay, Venezuela, the right-handed corner outfielder blasted a 1-1 pitch from southpaw Giovanni Soto to give his team a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning. The Navegantes did ultimately lose the game, but Bericoto finished 2-for-4.

While the Venezuelan Winter League is not considered to have the same caliber of competition as the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM), it still features several prominent players with MLB experience. In fact, two of Bericoto's teammates (Enmanuel De Jesus and José Castillo) played in the major leagues this year.

Bericoto started the 2023 season at High-A with the Eugene Emeralds, he was easily the most productive hitter on Eugene's Opening Day roster, hitting .296/.353/.533 in 270 at-bats with an organization-high 16 home runs. He was even named a Northwest League Player of the Week in June prior to a promotion to Double-A Richmond.

In the upper minors, Bericoto took some time to adjust to the more advanced pitching. Despite a slow start, he managed to finish the season strong and post a .237/.292/.479 triple-slash with 11 home runs in 204 plate appearances with the Flying Squirrels. Between both levels, Bericoto finished the year with an organization-leading 27 home runs and a .272/.329/.511 triple-slash in 513 plate appearances.

The Giants signed Bericoto as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2018. Over his career, Bericoto has developed into one of the organization's most consistent producers at the plate. His ability to generate excellent exit velocities without a lot of swing-and-miss made him one of GBI's preseason picks to have a breakout season. Bericoto delivered and could be a factor for the big-league team next year.

Bericoto is far from a perfect prospect. There are some questions about his future defensive home. He has a good arm and flashes solid athleticism, but has struggled with routes in the outfield at times. Some evaluators believe he will be limited to first base or designated hitter at the MLB level. Furthermore, Bericoto has an unorthodox swing, where he generates very little push from his back foot. Without an adjustment, Bericoto will need to have a unique hit tool to consistently generate power without being extremely vulnerable to offspeed and breaking pitches.

Nevertheless, the SF Giants are hopeful that Victor Bericoto can factor into the organization's plans down the line. Or, at the very least, turn into a valuable trade chip that can help president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi acquire an immediate upgrade in a trade. Either way, Bericoto has a chance to help his stock this winter back home in Venezuela, and he's sure off to a great start.

Published
Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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