Checking in on the Giants in the Arizona Fall League

We’re a long ways away from the San Francisco Giants playing baseball games again, but nine of their prospects are currently down in the desert, taking swings and throwing pitches in the Arizona Fall League. They started with eight players, but recent second-round pick Carson Whisenhunt hasn’t played (not sure why, haven’t seen anything), and Spencer Bivens was added to the Scottsdale Scorpions roster.

The AFL season is somewhere near halfway through, so it seemed like a good time to take stock of the Giants prospects. Here’s how they’ve all done.

Click here to check out our 2022 Community Prospect List (CPL)

Position Players

CF Luis Matos (20, High-A, No. 3 CPL)

11-43, 2 home runs, 1 triple, 1 double, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts

2022 was not the season that Matos was looking for, but he ended it on a high note. The year began very poorly, but it ended with him hitting the ball exceptionally well, and showing off what is arguably the prettiest swing in the Giants organization.

He picked up where he left off in the AFL, as he was sensational in the first few games of the season. He’s cooled off since, but his numbers — and swing — are still quite nice.

C Adrian Sugastey (19, Low-A, No. 27 CPL)

8-17, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

It was a ho-hum season for Sugastey in San Jose, where he racked up a 79 wRC+. But he did it with limited strikeouts, as he sported just a 15.6% K rate ... a pretty darn low number for someone young for their level. He seems to be keeping that going in the AFL, where he’s struck out just once.

He might not get as much attention as Ricardo Genovés, Patrick Bailey, and Brett Auerbach, but he’s a very exciting prospect to add to the Giants bin of catcher prospects. Great to see him hitting so well.

Also: defense!!

Suga ain’t having it?

C Andy Thomas (24, High-A)

3-16, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts

Thomas came to the Giants organization in the Curt Casali trade. He had been excellent for the Seattle Mariners High-A squad prior to the trade (141 wRC+), but struggled with the Eugene Emeralds (62 wRC+).

But one thing he can do is walk, as he had a 16.2% walk rate this year in Seattle’s organization, and 14.7% in San Francisco’s. That seems to be showing up in Arizona, too.

He’s old for his levels, but it’s important to note that he has only 410 professional plate appearances since being a fifth-round pick in 2021.

1B Logan Wyatt (24, Low-A)

9-28, 1 double, 10 walks, 4 strikeouts

Wyatt is desperately searching for something, and the Giants are desperately hoping he finds it.

It’s been a pretty disastrous career for him since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft. He was pretty awful this year in the Arizona Complex League (61 wRC+), and even worse in Low-A (39 wRC+). He’s built like the first baseman that he is, but has just five home runs in 612 plate appearances in the Minors, including none this year. And he’s dealt with many injuries.

In other words, it’s nice to see him registering a lot of hits and drawing a bazillion walks.

Don’t give up on him yet!

Pitchers

RHP Will Bednar (22, Low-A, No. 8 CPL)

2 games, 3.1 innings, 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, 6 runs

Speaking of people who have really struggled since turning pro, we bring you the organization’s first-round pick in 2021. Injuries held Bednar to just 43 innings this, bringing him to a clean 50 in his career. He gave up a lot of walks, hit a lot of batters, and allowed a lot of hard contact this season, leading to some ugly numbers.

Before the Giants can worry too much about his performance, he needs to prove that he can stay healthy. Hopefully his AFL performance can be a step in that direction, even if the numbers aren’t good at all.

RHP Spencer Bivens (28, AAA)

4 games, 6 innings, 1 hit, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts, 0 runs

Bivens is my favorite mostly unknown story of the 2022 Giants season. The Giants signed him to a Minor League deal halfway through the year, and it marked the first time that Bivens — a 28 year old — had played in the Minors. He’d played in France and he’d played Indy ball, but he’d never had the opportunity to play for an MLB affiliate.

He started off in Low-A, but finished the year in AAA, where he had a few rough outings, but mostly showed good things. As has been the case in Arizona.

RHP Hunter Dula (23, High-A)

5 games, 5.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 runs

Dula had a year full of both strikeouts and walks in Low-A, before finishing the season with a few games in Eugene. Arizona has been more of the same for him. If he can cut down on the walks, he could become a very intriguing relief prospect.

RHP Tyler Myrick (24, High-A)

5 games, 6.1 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, 0 runs

Like Dula, Myrick started the year in San Jose and ended it in Eugene. His strong performance kind of flew under the radar this year, as he did some really good things.

It’s continued to be the case in Arizona, where he’s been the organization’s top pitcher by a large amount.

Hopefully the second half of the AFL season brings even more success for these nine Giants.