Overview: The Giants have done a phenomenal job developing homegrown arms such as Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner recently, and remember that top Mets prospect Zack Wheeler was largely developed by San Francisco as well. That bodes well for the organization, as the majority of its best minor leaguers right now are starting pitchers. The picture becomes more grim on the offensive side of the ball, where San Francisco's system is among the weakest in the game.
Strengths: Pitching. Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn, Chris Stratton and Mike Kickham project as the next wave of impact Giants pitching talent, although only Crick profiles as someone who can pitch near the front of a rotation. Chris Heston, Erik Surkamp and Martin Agosta have lower ceilings but could serve as back-end rotation pieces soon.
Weaknesses: Hitting. Gary Brown is the team's best offensive prospect by a longshot, yet he's not a lock to make my Top 100 list. Players such as Andrew Susac, Joe Panik and Francisco Peguero profile more as a backups than starters, while toolsier players like Mac Williamson and Gustavo Cabrera are still far away.
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| Gary Brown may not profile as the elite-level CF he once did, but his speed can still be useful to Fantasy owners. Photo by SD Dirk. |
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS TOP 10 LIST
1) Kyle Crick, RHSP
Categories: K, W, ERA, WHIP
The Giants have yet another impact SP success story on their hands with Crick, who has No. 2 upside if he can better harness his command. The fastball/slider combo is beautiful, and he has a good build and delivery. He's a stud in the making and is easily the best prospect the Giants have had since Zack Wheeler left town. ETA: 2015
