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San Francisco Giants Top 20 Prospects in Review

This list was originally posted January 15th, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!! THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST!!!!!

1) Angel Villalona, 3B, Grade B+
     .248/.298/.400 with 13 homers, 18 walks, 111 strikeouts in 407 at-bats for Augusta in the Sally League. Horrible strike zone judgment, but just 17 years old most of this season.
2) Henry Sosa, RHP, Grade B
     4.31 ERA with 58/18 K/BB in 56 innings for Class A San Jose, pitching time limited by knee injury..
3) Tim Alderson, RHP, Grade B
     2.99 ERA with 112/34 K/BB in 132 innings for San Jose, 118 hits allowed. Excellent command with good stuff, and young for the level.
4) Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Grade B-
     1.52 ERA with 145/20 K/BB in 130 innings for Augusta, 102 hits allowed. Not nearly as raw as most expected, breaking ball still needs some work but tremendous fastball command has made him unbeatable at this level.
5) Nate Schierholtz, OF, Grade B-
      .314/.360/.571 for Triple-A Fresno. Has nothing left to prove here. Needs a clean chance in the majors or a new organization.
6) Nick Noonan, 2B, Grade B-
     .279/.307/.409 with 26 steals for Augusta. Poor plate discipline is biggest concern right now.
7) Clayton Tanner, LHP, Grade B-
     3.92 ERA with 72/33 K/BB in 101 innings for San Jose, 107 hits allowed. Efficient strike thrower who gets grounders. Double-A transition in 2009 will tell the tale.
8) Eugenio Velez, UT, Grade B-
     .310/.372/.509 in Triple-A, .219/.267/.320 in the majors. Speed and versatility will get him more chances.
9) Wendell Fairley, OF, Grade C+
      .241/.371/.324 in the Arizona Rookie League. Unimpressive, tools are not turning into skills yet.
10) John Bowker, OF, Grade C+
      .247/.296/.397 in 96 games for the Giants. He's capable of better but I don't see why he gets to play and Schierholtz doesn't.
11) Charlie Culberson, INF, Grade C+
      .234/.290/.319 for Augusta. Not producing much of anything, just six steals, no power, weak on-base skills. Young enough to improve.
12) Osiris Matos, RHP, Grade C+
       1.08 ERA with 44/12 K/BB in 42 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 4.05 ERA with 10/6 K/BB in 13 innings in the majors. Should be a useful reliever.
13) Wilber Bucardo, RHP, Grade C+
      4.86 ERA with 28/12 K/BB in 50 innings, 67 hits for Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League. Gets grounders and throws strikes, other marks not impressive at all.
14) Jose Capellan, LHP, Grade C+
       Returned to Red Sox  under Rule 5. 3.97 ERA with 40/11 K/BB in 57 innings for Class A Greenville, 76 hits. Good command but otherwise mediocre. 
15) Sergio Romo, RHP, Grade C+
       3.27 ERA with 37/9 K/BB in 33 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 4.41 ERA with 16/4 K/BB in 16 major league innings. Gotta love the K/BB and K/IP. Main concern is strong fly ball tendency leading to excessive homers.
16) Travis Denker, 2B, Grade C+
       .239/.345/.359 at three minor league levels, .243/.333/.486 in 24 major league games. Offense-oriented middle infielder.
17) Emmanuel Burriss, SS, Grade C
       .247/.310/.282 for the Giants. Good speed, but total lack of power will preclude big success.
18) Nick Pereira, RHP, Grade C
      5.70 ERA with 86/47 K/BB in 101 innings in Triple-A, 116 hits allowed. Sent back to the Cal League, pitched well in two starts there.
19) Ben Copeland, OF, Grade C
        .261/.334/.417 with 21 steals for Double-A Connecticut, .350/.422/.400 in his first 10 games for Triple-A Fresno. Still looks like a reserve outfielder to me.
20) Benjamin Snyder, LHP, Grade C
       2.00 ERA with 73/18 K/BB in 86 innings for San Jose, 6.40 ERA with 36/21 K/BB in 45 innings for Connecticut. Having problems making transition to Double-A, a common issue for finesse pitches.

Villalona could develop into a superstar. He could also fail to gain command of the strike zone and end up as a big bust. It is just too early to know. Alderson has been really good, and Bumgarner has been unstoppable. The middle infield options don't look too great right now, with failures to hit sufficiently among the guys on this list. But overall the Giants system is in better condition than it has been in recent years.

0 recs | Comment 49 comments

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I would think Posey would be #1

according to those numbers by everyone else.

by sign posey on Aug 18, 2008 10:57 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

posey

did you read the part about this being an old list????

by John Sickels on Aug 18, 2008 11:50 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

buuuuuurn

Adopted brother of the AnVil / GIANTSPACE™ returns!

by SoFa King Mike on Aug 18, 2008 1:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think he was referring to Posey being #1 right now

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Aug 18, 2008 1:36 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

+1

Why is everyone so quick to jump on eachother? Jeez.

Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!

by Dewey Finn on Aug 18, 2008 2:56 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

John Bowker was converted to first base and got most of his at-bats there. As far as I know, Nate’s never played at first before and the Giants seem loath to move his arm from RF.

by RougeGorrila on Aug 18, 2008 11:39 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Also

I know this is an old list, but any thoughts on Pablo Sandoval? Do you remember why he wasn’t on the list?

by RougeGorrila on Aug 18, 2008 11:43 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

last year, as a 20/21 year old, Pablo went .287/.312/.476 at SJ, which was fairly decent, but I’d think that questions about his on base skills and defense probably kept him off the list. A lot of times with lists like this there isn’t much difference between most of the C/C+ guys.

Obviously, 2008 has been his breakout campaign and he is one of the better prospects in the system, which is partially why he is in the majors (the other big reason being that the Giants are awful).

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Aug 18, 2008 1:38 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think

Nate was originally a 3b. He could probably play 1b if you wanted him to

by nms on Aug 18, 2008 6:54 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

but you are right that his arm

and underrated range would make him a lot more useful in RF than 1b.

by nms on Aug 18, 2008 7:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

So now I'd make it...

1. Posey
2. Villalona
3. Bumgarner
4. Alderson
5. Gillaspie
6. Sosa
7. The rest about the same, unless other draftees get slotted

Flaxseed oil dependent

by 3Com Park on Aug 18, 2008 5:11 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I'd probably slot Rodriguez in there too...

1. Posey
2. Villalona
3. Bumgarner
4. Alderson
5. Rodriguez
6. Gillaspie
7. Sosa
8. The rest about the same, unless other draftees get slotted

That’s a pretty good list. These are all Top 100 prospects.

Flaxseed oil dependent

by 3Com Park on Aug 18, 2008 5:17 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

You wouldn’t put Sandoval in there anywhere?

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Aug 18, 2008 6:13 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I’d Make a few changes but overall I agree with your top picks 3com

So something like:

1. Posey
2. Bumgarner
3. Alderson
4. Villalona
5. Sandoval
6. Gillaspie
7. Schierholtz
8. Ishikawa
9. Sosa
10. Rodriguez
11. Noonan

by Keenlow on Aug 18, 2008 6:51 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Good list

Your list seems like a pretty darn good one to me, Keenlow.

by sharksrog on Aug 19, 2008 7:02 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I don't think

I don’t think Henry Sosa is still a top 100 prospect at this moment. This seems to have been a bit of a lost year for him, improvement-wise.

by sharksrog on Aug 19, 2008 7:01 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wow

Glad you weren’t my teacher. Bumgarner has a 1.52 ERA with a 7.3 K/BB ratio and you give him a B-? Wow.. His secondary pitches must be really horrible.

by fartballs on Aug 18, 2008 5:52 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

That grade was given before the start of the year.

by onholliday on Aug 18, 2008 6:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

hooray for

reading comprehension!

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Aug 18, 2008 6:14 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Anyone else find Jerry Rice’s face creepy in that huge ad on this page?

by fartballs on Aug 18, 2008 7:11 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

more than anything

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Aug 18, 2008 9:26 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

and especially that chain

in his right hand.

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Aug 18, 2008 9:27 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thoughts

I am a huge supporter of Alderson and I think its awesome the Giants have two guys like Bumgarner and Alderson. I d

Would a fair comparison of these two be Tampa’s duo Mcgee and Davis? Its a shallow comp I know, but I think they compare favorably at the same point in their careers.

 Can anyone illuminate this argument further?

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Aug 18, 2008 6:18 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Big Bum

I’d say Bumgarner is #1 based on the fact that he has flat out dominated low A ball all season. Alderson has been great in high A, and Posey had a strong season at FSU, but the consistency that Bumgarner has shown has been amazing. I wonder about 2 things in regards to Bumgarner – 1) Is he on any type of innings pitched limit and 2) why not bump him up to high A and see what he can do. I’m afraid he’s just blowing people away on his fast ball and not refining his secondary pitchers.

by thefordhamflash on Aug 18, 2008 6:53 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

agreed

I’d put Bumgarner over Posey. Bumgarner might have a little more “natural” (hard to define, I know) talent and while Posey had a great year in college Bumgarner has had a great year in the pros. Good defensive catchers who can hit are rare but so are lefty starters with nasty stuff that they know how to use.

My off-the-top-of-head (ie-if I left off someone obvious, sue me) Giants top 15
1. Bumgarner
2. Villalona
3. Posey
4. Alderson/Sosa
5. Alderson/Sosa
6. Sandoval
7. Noonan (7, 8, 9 somewhat interchangeable for me)
8. Gillaspie (7, 8, 9 somewhat interchangeable for me)
9. Schierholtz (7, 8, 9 somewhat interchangeable for me)
10. Crawford
11. Fairley
12. Ishikawa
13. Burriss
14. Tanner
15. Culberson

by nms on Aug 18, 2008 7:04 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Response

Concerning the second thing about Bumgarner . . .it is a little curious as to why they haven’t bumped him up, especially as his numbers started as “very good” and have steadily moved into the “wow, that’s !@#$%&*() ridiculous” range.

Here’s my sneaking suspicion. The Giants like the steady progress he’s made this year and don’t want to disrupt him. They are also aware that he is a fairly pronounced flyball pitcher. As a result, they will choose to have Bumgarner skip the Cal League next year and jump to AA.

by mrkupe on Aug 19, 2008 12:16 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nice analysis

That’s a very nice analysis, Mr. Kupe.

by sharksrog on Aug 19, 2008 7:03 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Schierholtz

I could see him being called up in Sept. after he finishes his stint with Team USA.

Correction: He should be called up.

I see the future. I see cake.

by Blicks on Aug 18, 2008 8:47 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Sure he will get called up, but will he play? Will he get a real look in 2009? Lewis and Rowand and Winn seem locks in the Giants outfield, with Roberts, Bowker, Schierholtz, and even Velez probably grabbing starts in the outfield. Sickels is right to say that as a Prospect, Scheirholtz either needs a real chance or a new organization.

Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.

by kennv on Aug 19, 2008 11:55 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

So what grades do you guys think Bumgarner and Alderson are now?

I think both B+’s but I’m a giants fan so I’m biased.

by boonitez on Aug 18, 2008 9:49 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

yeah

that works. I’m tempted to give out an A- to Alderson though.

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Aug 18, 2008 10:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Response

Bumgarner: A-
Alderson: Numbers say A-, but stuff/scouting report makes me think B+ . . .uber-polished, but is there more reason to think he’s more than a high-floor No. 3 starter in the future than there was last year? Somebody convince me.

by mrkupe on Aug 19, 2008 12:09 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Once again

Once again, I like your thinking here, Mr. Kube.

by sharksrog on Aug 19, 2008 7:04 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Alderson

he’s clearly a more polished than Mad Bum is. He’ll be in AA to start next season. It’s hard to conceive that he wouldn’t succeed in Connecticut (if the Giants AA team is still there.) If he does as well as anticipated, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were in the majors by the end of next year.

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Aug 18, 2008 10:46 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

What did Nate Schierholtz do to Sabean's kids?

Seriously, he crushes AAA and never gets a chance.

Webmaster of Driveline Mechanics
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com - An Unconventional Look at Scouting

by Kyle Boddy on Aug 19, 2008 1:27 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I don’t understand why Denker isn’t getting a chance to play. I guess it’s fine that they want to go with Burriss at second (ewwww, I’d take Denker over him) but I think it’s indefensible that the Giants are playing Aurilia and Jose Castillo at third.

by Kemp on Aug 19, 2008 8:36 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Jose Castillo was DFAed. Now its Aurilia and prospect Ryan Rohlinger at third.

Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.

by kennv on Aug 19, 2008 11:56 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

why would Denker get a chance to play?

the fact that he is in the majors this year is a fluke because he is in an org starved for bats.
He is a offensive-minded 2b that hasn’t proven he can hit good pitching

by nms on Aug 19, 2008 3:48 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

He is a offensive-minded 2b that hasn’t proven he can hit good pitching
In 2007 Rohlinger played in the Sally league as a 23 year old and put up a .235/.319/.415 line in 506 ab’s.

Denker played in the Sally league in 2006 at age 21 (!!) and hit .268/.419/.452. He had more walks in less than HALF the ab’s that Rohlinger had.

Now this year Denker got 37 MLB ab’s and hit .243/.333/.486 while Rohlinger is at .120/.154/.240. Of course those sample sizes are ridiculously low but it’s just another example of Denker outhitting Rohlinger at the same level while 2 full years younger.

If I were running the Giants, not only would Denker be playing every day but I’d probably have him batting cleanup!

by Kemp on Aug 22, 2008 9:47 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Easy to do if you are playing fantasy baseball

But Denker is rated as a lousy defensive player by another minor league analyst (one star), whereas Burriss is average (three stars), a huge difference. Don’t know how good Rohlinger is defensively, but assume much better than Denker.

Think of it this way, he’s like the guy he was traded for, Mark Sweeney regularly hits in the low 800’s OPS but his defense is so bad that no team that had him was willing to start him, or willing to trade for or sign him for a starting role. It seems like Denker is built in that mode, good hitter with no defensive position.

Adoptive parental unit of Kevin "Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.

"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz

by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Aug 25, 2008 6:14 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Why did Sosa disappear from the box scores?

Anyone know? His last appearance seems to be July 23rd, and I haven’t found out why…

by ajw on Aug 19, 2008 3:57 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thanks. I guess I'd imagined that, but I was hoping for a little mor

I guess I’d imagined that, but I was hoping for a little more information. Anyone know what happened? How serious? Coming back in September?

by ajw on Aug 19, 2008 5:14 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Henry Sosa injury

He had a pectoral injury and was on the DL for about a week or two. He’s recently been sent back to Arizona for rehab, even though MILB lists he’s with Augusta. He was doing well this season with a slightly revamped delivery and the knee didn’t look to be a problem. Consistency seemed to be an issue this year before the injury, as he’d have several good starts and then a clunker. Not sure if he’s bumped up to AA next year or starts the year in San Jose again.

by henwo on Aug 20, 2008 6:21 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thanks!

Thanks for the info, Henwo. Sosa seems to be completely lost in the organization, but his scouting reports prior to the season and results during it seem to indicate he’s still a pretty talented prospect.

Maybe by 2010:
Lincecum
Cain
Bumgarner
Alderson
Sosa

Then we’ll trade Zito for Hanley Ramirez. Or David Wright. Or Prince Fielder.

Or all of them…

by ajw on Aug 21, 2008 12:13 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

2010?

If you hope to have 3 rookies in your rotation ini 2010 (which is likely with the last 3 you mentioned) then the Giants will be in line for a terrible year. Rookie arms take a lot of time to develop and it will likely be a while before any of these guys make a significant impact in the majors (although I see possible star potential down the road). Also, like it or not, Zito will be a member of that rotation as he still has FIVE years left on his deal. Enjoy that contract suckas!!!!

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Aug 22, 2008 9:59 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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