Minor League round up, July 21

The San Francisco Giants farm system had more off days than game days on Wednesday, with AAA Sacramento, both Arizona Complex League teams, and both Dominican Summer League squads getting a day off.

The other three affiliates went just 1-2 on the day, but there were some nice performances. Let’s take a closer look

Link to the 2021 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

AA Richmond (38-30)

Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland) 3-0
Box score

So Heliot Ramos got promoted from AA and suddenly the team forgot how to hit? The Flying Squirrels had just 4 hits on the day, with no player recording multiple hits, and a double by second baseman Simon Whiteman representing the team’s only extra-base hit. They walked just twice, while striking out 12 times, including a hat trick from shortstop Will Wilson (No. 10 CPL).

But it was a different story on the mound, highlighted by another inspiring performance from RHP Caleb Kilian (No. 43 CPL), who struck out 6 batters in 6 innings, while allowing just 4 hits, 0 walks, and 1 earned run. Kilian started the year in High-A and earned a quick promotion after posting a 1.25 ERA and 32 strikeouts to 1 walk in 21.2 innings. And now he’s sitting at a 2.14 ERA, with 58 strikeouts to 7 walks in 59 AA innings. Safe to say he belongs on any list of the best Giants Minor League performers this year.

RHP R.J. Dabovich (No. 36 CPL) allowed 1 earned run in 1 inning of work, and didn’t strike anyone out for the second straight game. He now has 3 strikeout-less performances in his last 6 appearances, after registering at least 1 K in the first 16 games of his professional career. Still has 47 of them in 24.1 innings across two levels, though.

High-A Eugene (39-28)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) 5-4
Box score

Just like with the Flying Squirrels, the Emeralds only had 4 hits. But unlike with Richmond, Eugene got the most out of them, and sure made them count, turning 4 hits (and one Hillsboro error) into 5 runs.

You usually need some long balls to make that happen, and the Giants got a pair of them. The first came from catcher Ricardo Genovés (No. 29 CPL), who also drew a pair of walks to raise his OPS to .748. Genovés is really starting to find his form after a late-June promotion.

And the second came from second baseman Brett Auerbach, which ... look, I’m running out of words for this dude. He was a 2020 undrafted free agent who plays catcher, all over the outfield and infield, and steals bases. He posted a .947 OPS in Low-A and quickly got promoted, and now, after also having a walk on Wednesday, has a .970 OPS in High-A.

Auerbach was, understandably, a player who received no consideration for this year’s CPL, but he will definitely be on next year’s, barring a huge late-season collapse.

Eugene’s pitchers had an OK day, suppressing runs but issuing 10 walks to just 8 strikeouts. Like Dabovich in Richmond, LHP Chris Wright had a rare day without a strikeout, though he didn’t give up a run — despite allowing a hit and 2 walks in 1 inning of work. It was Wright’s second time in his last 3 appearances without recording a strikeout, after having no such games in his first 18 appearances of the year. But 49 strikeouts in 27 innings is still divine.

Low-A San Jose (44-24)

San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports (A’s) 6-2
Box score

It was one bad pitching inning — a 3-walk, 4-run eighth inning by RHP Justin Crump — that did the Baby Giants in on Wednesday. But that does nothing to take away yet another brilliant start by RHP Ryan Murphy, who is suddenly becoming a thing.

Murphy was the Giants final pick in 2020’s five-round draft, and was largely seen as someone the organization went underslot with to help ensure they’d be able to sign Kyle Harrison. I’ll be honest, and this is more an indictment of me than of Murphy: he was the one player out of the Giants crop of seven draftees who I just kind of dismissed.

Silly me.

Murphy got the start Wednesday and pitched 7 innings, allowing just 2 hits, 0 walks, and 2 earned runs, while striking out 12. He’s now struck out double-digit batters in four consecutive starts, which is some Jacob DeGrom stuff ... albeit at Low-A. For the year, Murphy has a 3.21 ERA, with 105 strikeouts to 16 walks in 70 innings. And for the month he has a 2.16 ERA, with 45 strikeouts to 4 walks in 25 innings. Might be promotion time.

Offensively the Giants weren’t quite as good, though they drew 7 walks. The best performances came from designated hitter Carter Williams, who was 2-4 with a triple to raise his OPS to .843, right fielder Jairo Pomares (No. 14 CPL), who was 2-4 with a double to raise his OPS to 1.055, and left fielder Alexander Canario (No. 7 CPL), who had a walk and a triple to raise his OPS to .782.

Home runs

High-A Brett Auerbach (5)
High-A Ricardo Genovés (3)

Schedule

Sacramento: @ Tacoma Rainers, 7:05 p.m. PT
Richmond: @ Akron RubberDucks, 3:35 p.m. PT
Eugene: vs. Hillsboro Hops, 7:05 p.m. PT
San Jose: vs. Stockton Ports, 6:30 p.m. PT
ACL Orange: vs. Athletics, 6:00 p.m. PT
ACL Black: vs. Diamondbacks, 6:00 p.m. PT
DSL Orange: vs. Brewers2
DSL Black: vs. Phillies White