Two SF Giants prospects win monthly honors, plus more minor-league updates
The San Francisco Giants are getting major-league contributions from their latest crop of prospects earlier this season than most anybody expected thanks to the aggressive promotions of Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey, and they aren’t the only ones in the farm system who have moved quickly this season.
A pair of 2022 draftees — well, one second-round pick and one undrafted free agent — excelled to such a degree in May that, when they earned monthly honors for their respective leagues, each had already been promoted to the next level.
Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, the 66th overall selection in the 2022 MLB draft, was named Pitcher of the Month in the High-A Northwest League, and outfielder Carter Howell, who signed for $50,000 out of Augustana University (Sioux Falls, S.D.), was named Hitter of the Month in the Single-A California League.
Whisenhunt, 22, earned a promotion to Double-A Richmond on Saturday, reaching his third level in his first full professional season. He posted a 1.42 ERA in six starts with High-A Eugene (1.69 in five May starts) with 36 strikeouts and eight walks in 25⅓ innings, earning his second promotion of the season and the first league-wide monthly award of his career. Slated to make his Double-A debut Wednesday evening, Whisenhunt has a 1.74 ERA with 70 strikeouts to only 13 walks through his first 14 games as a pro, split between three levels.
Carson Whisenhunt and Jose Cruz combined to strike out 11 over 7 innings of one-hit ball on Wednesday.
Whisenhunt and Cruz are now being promoted to join Richmond @GoSquirrels pic.twitter.com/TXqoLmlmGM
— SFGProspects (@SFGProspects) June 1, 2023
Drafted out of college with a changeup that is already considered major-league ready, Whisenhunt was thought to be a candidate to rise quickly. Howell, on the other hand, came with far less pedigree, a North Dakota native and Division II product who started his college career on the JV squad.
Howell, 24, was promoted to Eugene last Tuesday after spending the first two months of the season as the leadoff man for Single-A San Jose. In 21 games in May, Howell hit safely in 19 of them, recorded multiple hits 11 times while leading the league in average (.372), hits (35) and runs (31), ranking second in total bases (54) and on-base percentage (.454) and third in OPS (1.028), with more walks (14) than strikeouts (13).
Around the farm …
… another prospect promoted aggressively this year: OF Luis Matos, who has proven why since reaching Triple-A. Reentering Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list on Wednesday, Matos has hit safely in 14 of his first 18 games with Sacramento, including four games of three-plus hits in their recent six-game series against the Tacoma Rainiers. Matos, 21, began the year in High-A and is the youngest player in the Pacific Coast League. …
It was yet ANOTHER hit parade for the @SFGiants' No. 7 prospect Luis Matos.
He's now collected 15 hits this week, bringing his Triple-A slash to .405/.443/.568 in 16 games for the @RiverCats: pic.twitter.com/grOj3k9ntV
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 4, 2023
… it’s getting harder for the Giants to justify keeping LHP Kyle Harrison in Triple-A, where he has been dominant in all but one start since the start of May, recently earning his second PCL Pitcher of the Week award. With Alex Wood and Ross Stripling sidelined, is now the time for Harrison to debut? Working on a sharper slider and allowed an increased pitch count, Harrison has allowed one run on five hits in his past three outings, with 15 strikeouts (but still seven walks). …
… Harrison will eventually need to be added to the 40-man roster. Another option at Triple-A who already has a spot: RHP Keaton Winn, the 25-year-old 2018 draftee out of an Iowa Western JC with a triple-digit heater and devastating splitter; he’s also allowed only one earned run on seven hits in his past three outings, with 18 strikeouts and five walks. …
… OF Vaun Brown is hitting .378 with a 1.141 OPS in 10 games since joining Double-A Richmond following rehab assignments for a knee injury. …
… RHP Jose Cruz, the rare player not expected to be a major-league contributor this season given a 40-man roster spot to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this past offseason, was promoted to Double-A Richmond on the same day as Whisenhunt. Cruz, 23, posted a 1.45 ERA and struck out 28 batters over 13 relief appearances with Eugene this year, including a stretch of nine scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts leading up to his promotion.
… LHP/1B Reggie Crawford, the Giants’ top pick in the 2022 draft (30th overall), made his third start for Single-A San Jose on Tuesday and allowed the first runs of his professional career. Returning from Tommy John surgery, Crawford has struck out seven and has yet to walk a batter in 3⅔ innings. A two-way player, Crawford has started two games at designated hitter, going 2-for-7 with a double. …
Another scoreless outing for No. 9 @SFGiants prospect Reggie Crawford!
The two-way player fanned three across two scoreless frames in his home debut on the hill for the @SJGiants: pic.twitter.com/xEwz0T83Yv
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 2, 2023
… The Giants’ top signee from the last international class, 17-year-old OF Rayner Arias ($2.7 million bonus), debuted in the Dominican Summer League, where went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base Tuesday in his second game.
Rayner Arias was 3 for 5 with a home run and a stolen base in Tuesday’s DSL victory over DSL Guardians Blue pic.twitter.com/rtzeugq3Dy
— SFGProspects (@SFGProspects) June 7, 2023