SF Giants promote several breakout prospects throughout farm system
With the minor-league season nearing its conclusion, the SF Giants did a major reshuffling of their rosters at the start of this week, promoting several breakout prospects alongside some other reassignments.
The bulk of moves came from the Arizona Complex League, where the Giants rookie-ball affiliate captured the league championship last weekend. With their season complete, the Giants promoted left-handed pitcher Carson Whisenhunt, left-handed pitcher John Michael Bertrand, right-handed pitcher William Kempner, catcher Zach Morgan, first baseman Logan Wyatt, outfielder Wade Meckler, shortstop Diego Velasquez, and outfielder P.J. Hilson from Rookie Ball to the San Jose Giants (San Francisco's Single-A affiliate).
Whisenhunt (second), Kempner (third), Morgan (seventh), Meckler (eighth), and Bertrand (tenth) were all drafted out of college earlier this summer by the Giants. Whisenhunt and Kempner were two of the most exciting arms in the class while Bertrand, Morgan, and Meckler were three of the more polished prospects, having each spent at least four years in college.
Hilson was easily the star of the Complex this summer. Hilson might be the fastest player in the organization with one of the strongest arms, but drafted out of high school back in 2018, it has taken a long time for his bat to adjust to professional pitching. After striking out in roughly 40% of his plate appearances from 2018-2021 in Arizona, Hilson hit .313/.399/.591 this season with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 13 stolen bases in 56 games. (Hilson's promotion was first reported by Giants Baseball Insider).
Velasquez was one of San Francisco's top international free-agent signings in 2020. Across two seasons in Arizona, he has shown an excellent ability to put the bat on the ball, striking out just 15.1% of the time, while showcasing solid defensive potential at shortstop. Velasquez will need to hit for more power as he moves up the minor-league ranks. However, he is still only 18, giving him plenty of time to mature physically and impact the ball with more force.
Wyatt is the only player in the group who has already played full-season ball. Wyatt was the team's second-round pick in 2019 out of Louisville but has struggled mightily to start his pro career. Set to turn 25 in November, Wyatt has hit just .248/.376/.320 in the minor leagues between Rookie Ball, Short-Season, Single-A, and High-A. A bulky first baseman, Wyatt has excellent patience at the plate but needs to more consistently drive the ball.
With an influx of prospects heading to San Jose, San Jose lost three of its top performers (right-handed pitcher Trevor McDonald, infielder Hayden Cantrelle, and right-handed pitcher Hunter Dula) who were promoted to High-A Eugene.
McDonald was drafted out of high school by the Giants in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, but signed for an $800,000 signing bonus (more in line with a third-round pick). McDonald had performed well in Arizona over the past two seasons and was fantastic in his full-season debut this year. Splitting his time between the bullpen and starting, McDonald utilized a versatile five-pitch mix to deal with opposing hitters. He recorded a 2.39 ERA with 102 strikeouts and 40 walks across 90.1 innings pitched (27 appearances-10 starts).
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Cantrelle was a fifth-round pick by the Brewers in the 2020 draft but has been traded twice since (once to the Marlins and later to the Giants). He failed to hit .200 with any of Milwaukee or Miami's affiliates, but given easier assignments with the Giants, Cantrelle finally seemed to find a rhythm. Cantrelle hit .279/.400/.451 at San Jose with 10 steals and 10 extra-base hits in just 35 games in San Jose. Hopefully, that performance translates to Eugene.
Finally, Dula was the Giants 18th-round pick in 2021, selected out of Wingate University. The 6-1 righty has worked exclusively out of the bullpen since turning pro and racked up 54 strikeouts and 7 saves across 41.2 innings with San Jose (35 appearances). Dula did struggle a bit with control, surrendering 19 walks, which fueled an unexceptional 4.10 ERA.
Now faced with new challenges, it will be very interesting to see which SF Giants prospects respond well to their promotions over the final month of the minor-league season.
