|
|
| Giants Minor League Pitching Preview |
|
By Joe Ritzo 1/27/2009
San Francisco Farm System Filled With Top Pitching Prospects
Joe Martinez should be headed to Fresno
after winning an ERA title in the
Eastern League last season
(photo by David Godinez) |
There are few organizations in professional baseball than can claim to match San Francisco’s recent success in developing young pitching. Last year at the major league level, homegrown talents Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez led an exciting starting rotation. Brian Wilson, a product of the Giants minor league system, earned All-Star honors as a closer while fellow relievers Sergio Romo and Alex Hinshaw, after advancing through the farm system, often shined with the big club.
Success in 2008 could also be found among minor league pitchers. San Francisco possesses six minor league squads in the United States and five of them featured pitchers who won their respective league ERA titles. It was a remarkable accomplishment even for an organization known for its ability to develop young pitching talent.
Now looking ahead to the upcoming season, there will be plenty of storylines to follow as several top pitching prospects at the various minor league levels look to continue their ascension through the Giants farm system.
The San Francisco organization put four of their minor league hurlers onto the 40-man roster last November and the pitcher considered closest to the majors should find his way to Fresno this season. Joe Martinez, 26, has enjoyed nothing but success since the Giants drafted the right-hander out of Boston College four years ago. After leading the California League in strikeouts as a member of the San Jose Giants during their 2007 championship season, Martinez posted the lowest earned run average (2.49) in the Eastern League last year for the Connecticut Defenders. He’ll make his first appearance in big league camp next month and should anchor Fresno’s starting rotation once the regular season begins.
Nick Pereira and Pat Misch, two pitchers with previous Triple-A experience, could also return to Fresno’s starting rotation this season. Pereira, 26, had an up-and-down 2008 campaign as a Grizzlies starter finishing 7-8 with a 5.70 ERA. The former California League All-Star needs a big year or his prospect status will fade fast. Meanwhile, there may not be any room for Misch with the major league team out of spring training, so he would be forced to play a leading role in Fresno. The 27-year old southpaw has made 33 appearances (11 starts) with San Francisco over the last two seasons while he’s also spent parts of the last four years pitching in the Pacific Coast League.
If the organization decides to get aggressive with some of their young pitching this year, then 2008 San Jose stars Kevin Pucetas and Jesse English could debut in Triple-A. Pucetas, the reigning California League Pitcher of the Year, was largely an unknown to Giants fans when San Francisco drafted the right-hander out of a small school in South Carolina three years ago. However, the 24-year old right-hander has chalked up a career minor league record of 32-7 in addition to an appearance in last summer’s Futures Game. Pucetas then more than held his own in the high-profile Arizona Fall League leading many to wonder if he’ll be ready for the major leagues sooner rather than later.
Jesse English won 13 games last year in San
Jose to earn a spot on the 40-man roster
(photo by Damon Tarver) |
English, 24, was protected on the 40-man roster last November after a stellar season with San Jose. The lefty compiled a 13-7 record to go with a 3.19 ERA and will now participate in his first major league camp. English has seen considerable action as both a starter and a reliever during his tenure in the Giants organization, but his success in San Jose last year will probably force the front office to see if he can continue in that role at the higher levels.
Other potential Fresno starting pitchers could include Garrett Broshuis (13-9, 3.78 ERA in Connecticut) and Ryan Sadowski (8-4, 4.80 ERA in Fresno) – two key hurlers on San Jose’s 2005 championship squad. Meanwhile, lefty Steve Hammond (5-3, 5.62 ERA) started full-time with the Grizzlies last summer after the Giants acquired him in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Osiris Matos, Billy Sadler and Geno Espineli – three pitchers with major league experience – could headline Fresno’s bullpen. Matos and Sadler will fight hard for relief roles in San Francisco this spring, but the offseason acquisitions of Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry may force the duo back down to Fresno.
Other names to watch may include Kelvin Pichardo, Ronnie Ray and Justin Hedrick as the trio searches for their first crack at the PCL. Pichardo, who is on the 40-man roster, features an electric fastball and is coming off an excellent season in Double-A (2.48 ERA, 7 SV). Ray (6-4, 3.10 ERA) was one of the top relievers in the Eastern League during the second half of the season and has earned a major league spring training invite. Meanwhile, Hedrick (1.37 ERA, 9 SV) posted his second consecutive dominant season with the Defenders and should finally get a look in Fresno.
Tim Alderson should be headed to
Connecticut after leading the California
League in ERA last season
(photo by David Godinez) |
The Connecticut starting rotation is expected to feature most of the pitchers that made San Jose so dominant last season. The headliner should be 20-year right-hander Tim Alderson. The former first round draft pick excelled as a teenager in the California League a year ago when he compiled a 13-4 record and a league-best 2.79 ERA. Alderson features outstanding control (34 BB in 145 1/3 IP) and a devastating breaking ball. The youngster has nothing left to prove in the Cal League, so a trip to the cold climate of Norwich, Connecticut should be in the cards for this top prospect.
If they aren’t pushed to Fresno, then both Pucetas and English would play leading roles in the Defenders’ starting rotation. Also, look for lefty Ben Snyder to return to the Eastern League. Snyder was an All-Star selection in San Jose last season after posting an 8-3 record and 2.00 ERA during the first half. However, the second half was a struggle for the 23-year old as he went just 1-6 with a 5.98 ERA in 12 starts at the Double-A level. Snyder, a former fourth round draft pick, is still highly regarded and should rejoin many of his former San Jose teammates in Connecticut to begin the season.
Left-hander Clayton Tanner is yet another bright, young starting pitching prospect in the organization. Tanner, 21, came on strong during the second half of 2008 with San Jose and it could be enough to earn a promotion to Double-A. The southpaw finished the season with a 10-8 record and a 3.69 ERA in addition to maintaining above-average control to go with an outstanding groundout-to-flyout ratio. Tanner remarkably only surrendered one home run over 117 innings in the hitter-friendly California League. The former third round draft pick may not have received as much attention as his fellow starting pitchers in San Jose last season, but this young hurler figures very much into the organization’s future.
Dan Otero and Joe Paterson, two top relievers on last season’s Giants club, should fill similar roles in Connecticut this year. Otero saved 34 games between Augusta and San Jose last season while Paterson compiled a 3.11 ERA in the California League in addition to holding left-handed hitters to a paltry .108 batting average. Taylor Wilding (3.39 ERA, 11 SV), Dan Griffin (3.28 ERA) and Juan Trinidad (1.53 ERA) may also receive the opportunity to work out of Connecticut’s bullpen to begin the year. Meanwhile, don’t forget about Paul Oseguera and Adam Cowart – two outstanding starting pitchers for San Jose during their 2007 championship run. Oseguera (3-2, 4.58 ERA) battled injuries with the Defenders last season and eventually finished the year working in relief. Cowart (8-7, 3.76 ERA) made the transition to the bullpen during the second half of last year where his funky delivery may prove to have more success going forward.
The starting rotations in Connecticut and San Jose are difficult to predict largely because it remains a mystery as to where the top pitching prospect in the organization will begin his 2009 season. 19-year old left-hander Madison Bumgarner dominated the South Atlantic League last season to the tune of a 15-3 record and 1.46 ERA. He struck out 164 batters compared to just 21 walks over 141 2/3 innings before firing 14 more dominant innings during the postseason (0 ER, 2 BB, 16 SO). Once the season had concluded, Bumgarner had been named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, San Francisco’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year and MiLB.com’s Most Spectacular Pitcher.
Madison Bumgarner is considered the top pitching
prospect in the Giants farm system entering 2009
(photo by Tom Priddy) |
Bumgarner, who is listed at 6’4” and 215 lbs., will still be a teenager when the season begins. Either the top prospect will begin the campaign headlining San Jose’s starting rotation or the organization will elect to push him all the way to Connecticut. A start in the California League would be the logical move if the front office wants to keep their prized pitching phenom out of the cold early-season weather in Norwich. An aggressive move to Connecticut out of the gates could also hurt his development if he were to struggle against much older competition in the Eastern League. However, if Bumgarner proves in spring training that’s he more than ready for an immediate Double-A challenge, then look for the hard-throwing left-hander to assume a role alongside the fellow 2007 first round pick Alderson in Connecticut’s starting rotation.
Daryl Maday may not be considered the same type of prospect as Bumgarner, but there’s no denying his success in Augusta last season. The 23-year old right-hander was leading the South Atlantic League with a 1.55 ERA, to go along with a 9-4 record, at time of his late-July promotion to Connecticut. Maday struggled mightily pitching for the Defenders (8.35 ERA over 18 1/3 IP), but reclaimed his strong momentum by finishing strong in San Jose (3-0, 2.05 ERA in 4 GS). If there’s room in the Connecticut starting rotation and Maday proves he’s ready with a strong spring training performance, then the former 30th round draft pick should get another crack at Double-A. However, a strong possibility exists that Maday will begin 2009 as one of San Jose’s top starters, perhaps again forming a 1-2 punch along with Bumgarner.
Henry Sosa and Waldis Joaquin, a pair of right-handers with blazing fastballs, may also begin the season in the San Jose starting rotation. Both hurlers were protected on the 40-man roster this offseason due to their unlimited potential. The key for both may be just staying healthy.
Henry Sosa, who may return to San
Jose this season, is now on San
Francisco's 40-man roster
(photo by Chris Talley) |
Sosa burst into the spotlight with a tremendous 2007 season in Augusta and San Jose, not to mention an appearance in the Futures Game. But offseason knee surgery forced Sosa out of action last year until late-May and then a chest injury knocked him out for much of the season’s final month. The 23-year old made only 12 starts for the Giants and finished with a 3-4 record and a 4.31 ERA. If the organization decides to keep him as a starting pitcher and he’s fully healthy, look for Sosa to try to get back on track this season as a San Jose starter.
Joaquin missed all of 2006 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, but seemed completely healthy last season while pitching for both Augusta and San Jose. The 22-year old joined the Giants in late-July and finished the year working as a starting pitcher. He then started full-time in the Hawaii Winter League (with mixed results), which could be a sign the organization will be giving him a long look in that role this season. Joaquin only has 19 1/3 innings of experience at the Class A Advanced level, so a return to San Jose almost certainly seems in order.
San Francisco’s 2008 draft is most well known for the high-profile hitters they selected in the early rounds (Buster Posey, Conor Gillaspie, Roger Kieschnick), but it was their eighth-round pick that arguably made the biggest splash on the field last summer. Left-hander Scott Barnes, 21, compiled a spectacular 1.38 ERA in six starts with Augusta last summer before winning both of his post-season appearances. Barnes struck out 52 batters in 45 2/3 innings for the GreenJackets to quickly establish himself as one of the top lower-level pitching prospects in the organization. Now Barnes may get the opportunity to play a key role in San Jose’s starting rotation in 2009.
Other potential Giants starting pitchers could include a quartet of hurlers who posted solid numbers in Augusta last season. T.J. Brewer (10-4, 2.95 ERA), Craig Clark (8-4, 3.51 ERA), Chance Corgan (4-5, 2.93 ERA) and Oliver Odle (10-7, 3.77 ERA) were all key starters for the GreenJackets in 2008 and will now figure to be fighting hard for spots on the San Jose squad during spring training – either as starters or relievers.
Edwin Quirarte was San Francisco’s top pitching draft pick last year when they selected the closer in the fifth round. Quirarte, 22, saved 14 games to go with a 2.12 ERA for Salem-Keizer and may get pushed up to the California League this season. Daniel Turpen (5-4, 3.45 ERA) and Andy De La Garza (3.33 ERA, 9 SV) were both top relievers on last year’s Augusta squad who will likely play similar roles out of the San Jose bullpen in 2009.
Finally, the Augusta starting rotation could also feature several exciting, young pitching talents. Mike Loree and Kyle Nicholson both won ERA titles in their respective leagues last season and may be headliners for the GreenJackets this year. Loree posted a 2.44 ERA in 15 starts with Salem-Keizer in addition to compiling an exceptional strikeout-to-walk ratio of 75-to-7. The 22-year old was drafted in the 50th and final round two years ago, but a strong 2009, on the heels of his dominant 2008, would certainly force many to take notice.
Nicholson led the Rookie-level Arizona League in earned run average last season when he finished at 1.15 over 11 starts. The former seventh rounder was considered old for the league (23), so a promotion all the way to Augusta, or even San Jose, appears likely. Like Loree, Nicholson displayed excellent control last season as the fellow right-hander walked just three batters over 62 2/3 innings.
Other potential Augusta starters include right-hander Andrew Reichard, who finished second only to Loree in the Northwest League ERA race (2.87). 2008 draftees Eric Surkamp (6th round), Aaron King (7th round) and Ari Ronick (12th round) are all set to begin their first full professional seasons, likely in Augusta. The trio is all left-handers. Meanwhile, it’s certainly not out of the question that a handful of the pitchers that helped the GreenJackets to a league title last season may have to return to the South Atlantic League if there isn’t enough room on San Jose’s roster.
Most of these players are due to report to minor league spring training camp in a little over a month. Intrasquads and exhibition games will once again be ultra competitive as players fight for roster spots on the various farm teams. Then come early-April, a new season begins with the Giants organization looking to maintain their standing as a top developer of young pitching talent.
Be sure to check sjgiants.com next week for the Giants Minor League Hitting Preview
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|