2023 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List No. 4

The third chapter of the 2023 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List is in the books, and it’s a fitting one, as it featured a third baseman. After winning 49% of the vote in a four-player field, Casey Schmitt has been voted as the No. 3 prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization.

Schmitt, who turns 24 in March, was one of the breakout stars of 2022, after starting his career as a mid-level prospect. He was ranked No. 21 in his inaugural CPL and No. 24 last year. But after the season he just had, a spot near the top was inevitable.

Widely considered the best defensive prospect in the organization — and one of the best in baseball, period — the 2022 MiLB Gold Glove winner started the year with High-A Augusta, where he hit .273/.363/.474 (132 wRC+) with 17 home runs in 383 plate appearances. He earned a late-season promotion to AA Richmond, where he did even better: .342/.378/.517 (144 wRC+) with 3 home runs in 127 plate appearances. After Richmond’s season ended, he headed to AAA Sacramento for the final few games of the year.

Schmitt might start 2023 in Sacramento, or perhaps the Giants will give him a little more seasoning in Richmond. Either way, if he can keep hitting decently, he’ll be in San Francisco sooner rather than later.

Now we move on...

The list so far

1. Kyle Harrison — LHP
2. Marco Luciano — SS
3. Casey Schmitt — 3B

Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.

On to No. 4!

No. 4 prospect nominees

Aeverson Arteaga — 19.9 year old SS, 101 wRC+ in Low-A (565 PAs)
Patrick Bailey — 23.6-year old C, 113 wRC+ in High-A (325 PAs)
Mason Black — 23.0-year old RHP, 4.52 FIP in High-A (77.2 IP), 2.66 FIP in Low-A (34.1 IP)
Vaun Brown — 24.5-year old OF, 189 wRC+ in High-A (195 PAs), 166 wRC+ in Low-A (262 PAs)
Luis Matos — 20.10-year old CF, 74 wRC+ in High-A (407 PAs)
Grant McCray — 22.0-year old CF, 131 wRC+ in High-A (62 PAs), 130 wRC+ in Low-A (507 PAs)
Carson Whisenhunt — 22.2-year old LHP, 1.79 FIP in Low-A (4.2 IP), -0.41 FIP in ACL (3 IP)

Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page.