Minor League roundup, May 16: Hunter Bishop is fitting right in

The San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball teams were all in action on Thursday, so let’s dive straight into it!

Link to the 2024 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions are the positions played in that game.

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News

A few nuggets of news on the farm. Most excitingly, AAA Sacramento outfielder Wade Meckler (No. 11 CPL) began a rehab assignment on the Complex League. Meckler had a strong spring, but suffered a friendly fire injury when he was hit on the wrist by a Carson Whisenhunt pitch, and missed about 2 months. It will be exciting to see him back in action.

There was a promotion in the system, with RHP Ben Madison moving from High-A Eugene to AA Richmond. Madison was dominant in Eugene last year, received a late promotion to Richmond, and then struggled mightily, earning a demotion back to Eugene to start this year. He showed out to earn a re-promotion, sporting a 3.38 ERA and a 1.41 FIP in Eugene, with a stunning 28 strikeouts in just 16 innings.

And, in continuing with the theme of adding depth, the Giants signed RHP Billy Sullivan to a Minor League contract a few days ago, which I had missed. Sullivan, who played briefly for the A’s AAA affiliate this year (and played there last year, where he struggled), was assigned to the Complex League on Friday. He’ll likely be in AAA Sacramento after he’s up to speed.

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AAA Sacramento (25-17)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Dodgers) 8-0
Box score

The River Cats may be a little depleted, but they still put on quite a show on Thursday, beating a Dodgers affiliate, which we always love.

There were lots of nice performances to highlight, so let’s try to run through them. We’ll start on the mound, where RHP Landen Roupp (No. 18 CPL) got the start and absolutely shined. Roupp gave up just 4 baserunners (2 singles and 2 walks) in his 4 scoreless innings, and struck out 7 OKC hitters.

It wasn’t a flawless performance for Roupp, as he missed the strike zone on just over half of his pitches. But it was a reminder as to how unhittable some of his pitches — particularly his curveball — are. A whopping 10 of Roupp’s 33 strikes were swings-and-misses, and he buckled plenty of batters who couldn’t get a swing off.

But perhaps most exciting is that Roupp pitched 4 innings and threw 67 pitches. Roupp has been mostly developed as a starter in his short career, but shifted to the bullpen this season when his talent was too much for the Giants to ignore, and he broke camp on the active roster (despite having never pitched in AAA). Now that he’s in Sacramento, there was a question as to whether he’d get a chance to be stretched out. Not only is that exact thing happening, but Farhan Zaidi said on KNBR Thursday that the Giants will stretch out Roupp in AAA and consider him as a starting option later in the season. That’s very exciting.

Next up was RHP Tommy Romero, who had a fantastic outing as well, giving up 3 hits and 3 walks in 4.1 scoreless inning, while also striking out 7 batters. Unlike Roupp, Romero was pounding the strike zone, with 53 of 81 pitches going for strikes. Romero is certainly making a strong case to be a veteran depth option should the Giants need another sligthly-fungible pitching option, as he has a 1.49 ERA in 42.1 innings ... albeit with a 4.34 FIP.

Finishing things out was LHP Raymond Burgos, who made his AAA season debut after a late start to the season and some tuning in the ACL. He faced 3 batters, in which he gave up a single, got a groundout, and struck a batter out.

Now we’ll shift to the offense, which also left a lot to talk about. Perhaps most exciting was that designated hitter Jorge Soler made his 2nd rehab start, and it went quite well, as he hit 2-3 and drew a walk. Soler was activated on Friday, and here’s hoping we don’t see him in Sacramento again for a while!

But I am hoping we see center fielder Hunter Bishop in Sacramento for a while. The 2019 1st-round pick was an emergency promotion after the River Cats emptied their team into San Francisco’s dugout, and emergency promotions are not supposed to stay. And there’s certainly a good chance that Bishop won’t. But he’s been playing fantastically, and given his age (he turns 26 next month), prospect status/draft pedigree, and the fact that he’s coming from AA Richmond (rather than an A-Ball team, like most emergency promotions), I think Bishop can play his way into sticking.

So far he’s doing exactly that. A day after hitting an inside-the-park home run, the athletic lefty made sure everyone knows he can hit traditional home runs, too: he blasted a 2-run shot in the 1st inning, en route to a 2-4 day with 0 strikeouts. Through his first 3 games at the level, Bishop is 5-12 with 2 home runs and 3 strikeouts, plus a stolen base. And one of his outs was 400+ feet and easily could have been a home run.

Mostly it’s just great to see Bishop finally healthy and getting to show off some of the skills that made him a 1st-round pick.

Copying Bishop was first baseman Trenton Brooks, who also hit 2-4 with a a home run.

Brooks is hanging around offensively, with an .801 OPS and a 103 wRC+. He’s not really a prospect per se, so he’ll need to either crank those numbers up or wait for the Giants to get even further injured, which hopefully doesn’t happen. Still nice to see him putting up good numbers.

Second baseman Brett Auerbach is putting up good numbers too, making the most of his emergency promotion. He hit 2-4 with a double and 2 strikeouts, and is now 6-15 with 2 extra-base hits in his Sacramento stint. He’s also coming from AA, but I’m not sure he can play his way into staying ... I’d guess he’s still going to go back to Richmond for a little extra seasoning.

Left fielder Brady Whalen made his season and AAA debut. Whalen, who was a Minor League free agent signing last year by the Giants, and spent the year with Richmond, just returned on another Minor League deal. He went 0-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout in his 1st game of the year.

AA Richmond (15-21)

Richmond Flying Squirrels swept a 7-inning doubleheader against the Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies), 9-1 and 3-1
Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score

The Squirrels are starting to find their form after a disastrous 6-game sweep (and 8-game losing streak). Thank goodness ... much more fun to watch, write about, and read about them when they’re playing decent baseball!

Let’s start with the offense, where there were a few players worth highlighting. And let’s start with a good bit of news: designated hitter Vaun Brown (No. 17 CPL) is back!

Brown was activated off the Injured List on Wednesday, though the Giants have slow-played him, which is understandable. In his return he only came off the bench to be a pinch-runner, and he sat for the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader. He got to play in Game 2 though, and hit 1-3 with a double. Perhaps most importantly, Brown didn’t strike out, which is just the 2nd time this year that he’s done that. It’s great to see him back on the field.

Speaking of oft-injured prospects with a lot of power, right fielder Jairo Pomares (No. 29 CPL) bashed a 2-run home run in Game 1, though he finished the game 1-4 with 2 strikeouts and didn’t play in the second game. Still, that qualifies as a good game! It was just the 6th game for Pomares this year, who started the season on the Injured List ... after missing virtually the entire 2023 season.

It’s gonna take some time for Pomares, but great seeing him healthy and mashing some dingers.

Also homering was DH/center fielder/left fielder Carter Howell, who had a fantastic pair of games, hitting 3-6 with a home run, a double, a walk, and a stolen base, while striking out twice. Howell hasn’t flashed much power — or base-stealing, for that matter — but his batting average (.263) and his plate control (12.9% walk rate, 20.7% strikeout rate) are pretty nice, and he seems fairly comfortable all around the outfield. He’s up to a .759 OPS and a 122 wRC+ on the season, and should feel really good about how his debut AA season has gone.

Speaking of AA debut seasons, center fielder Grant McCray had another nice performance in Game 1, hitting 1-2 with a double and a walk, before only playing as a late defensive replacement in Game 2. McCray’s bizarre, no-singles season is continuing, as he now has a .155 batting average ... with 12 of his 17 hits going for extra bases. If you’re into tiny sample sizes, it’s been 2 straight games without a strikeout for McCray, who has just 2 Ks in his last 4 games ... after 9 Ks in the prior 4 games.

He also stole a base! It was just his 4th swiped bag this year, after 52 last year (though the lack of singles is surely a part of that). Here’s hoping that the thefts start coming in waves for McCray.

Second baseman Jimmy Glowenke (No. 39 CPL) had a fantastic first game, hitting 2-3 with a pair of doubles, though he went hitless in the second game. If Glowenke can tap into that power a little more, he could take off — he’s sporting a .254 batting average, a 9.9% walk rate, and just a 19.7% strikeout rate, but just 5 of his 16 hits have gone for extra bases ... and 4 of those 5 are doubles. Still and all, it’s a .703 OPS and a 106 wRC+ for Glowenke, who could very well make it to AAA this year.

Game 1 was a fantastic pitching performance, led by the starter, RHP Hayden Birdsong (No. 9 CPL). Birdsong was super solid in 5 innings, giving up 4 hits, 3 walks, and an unearned run, while striking out 5 batters.

The Giants will certainly want to see Birdsong cut back on the walks. His 5.04 walks per 9 innings is nearly identical to his end-of-year stint in Richmond last year, when he sat at 5.09 ... a far cry from 2.25 mark that he sported in High-A (though, in fairness, that number was 4.75 in Low-A at the start of the year). If Birdsong can lower the walks, he’ll also improve the efficiency, as he needed 86 pitches to get through these 5 innings. On the one hand, that’s not ideal efficiency. On the other hand, seeing him comfortably get into the 80s in pitch count is exciting! As is the 2.08 ERA, which is accompanied by a 3.92 FIP.

Finishing out the game was RHP Eric Silva (No. 41 CPL) who tossed 2 perfect innings, striking out 3. After turning heads in the spring, Silva had a tough start to the season and couldn’t really translate the hype into results. But now he’s starting to turn his season around. Just look at how dramatically Silva has improved since the calendar turned:

First 6 games: 8.1 innings, 7 hits, 9 walks, 1 hit batter, 11 runs, 9 earned runs, 10 strikeouts
Next 4 games: 5.2 innings, 4 hits, 2 walks, 0 hit batters, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts

Keep it up, Eric!

Even though the number of runs was the same, the pitching was a bit less dynamic in Game 2. But RHP José Cruz had a really good game, as he looks to get back on track after a rough 2023 that ended in him getting non-tendered. Cruz pitched 2 relief innings, giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 4. That’s a great appearance, and a much-needed one for someone with a 7.30 ERA and 6.21 FIP.

They weren’t particularly clean outings, but RHPs Tanner Kiest and Nick Garcia both had scoreless appearances, lowering their ERAs to 1.59 and 1.65, respectively.

High-A Eugene (20-15)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 5-4
Box score

There were more fun offensive performances in this game than you might expect, given the score. No day was better than the day that right fielder Rodolfo Nolasco had, though, as he continues to impress since coming over to the Giants in the Daulton Jefferies trade.

Nolasco hit 3-5 on the day and smashed another home run, while also stealing a base. Nolasco has only played 4 games since the trade, but already has 5 hits, including 2 home runs and a double. He also has 8 strikeouts in that time, but we’ll just ignore that.

Center fielder Alexander Suarez also bopped a home run, his first of the year, and his first in High-A. Suarez’s power has really dried up over the last 2 seasons, so it would be great if he started putting a few more balls over the fence.

It’s been a slow start to the year for him, with a .618 OPS and a 75 wRC+. Then again, those numbers are fairly in line with what he did his 2 years in Low-A, so it’s entirely possible that this is just who he is. It’s hard to imagine the numbers getting much better if the 37.5% strikeout rate (which was increased by 2 Ks on Thursday) doesn’t come down.

Shortstop Diego Velasquez (No. 21 CPL) continues to hum along with a season that’s good if not all that exciting. He hit just 1-4 on the day, but doubled, was hit by a pitch, and stole his 7th base of the season (while also being caught for the 2nd time).

The switch-hitter now has a .787 OPS and a 134 wRC+ and ... my goodness those are good numbers! Why did I say not all that exciting? There’s not a lot of power there, but the average, on-base percentage, walk rate, and strikeout rate are all superb, and his offensive pressure is lessened the longer he can stay at shortstop, where he has played exclusively this year.

And here’s your daily reminder that he won’t turn 21 until after the season ends.

The lone bummer on the offensive side was a tough game by designated hitter Quinn McDaniel, who hit 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. McDaniel did draw a walk, though he was immediately caught stealing for the 6th time this year. The reigning 5th-round pick is still having a fantastic debut full season, with an .843 OPS and a 154 wRC+. But he now has 9 strikeouts in his last 3 games. Let’s hope it’s just a mini-funk!

On the mound, LHP Matt Mikulski had a much-needed good game. Mikulski had shown some improvements in the early goings of the year, but had been destroyed in his last 2 games, giving up 9 runs in just 3.2 innings. But he righted the ship on Thursday with 2 scoreless innings in which he gave up just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 4 batters. Mikulski needed just 29 pitches to get through those 2 innings, and threw 18 of them for strikes, which is great to see.

LHP Nick Sinacola was the 3rd pitcher to enter the game, but pitched like a starter, tossing the final 5 innings of the game. And he was great! Sinacola allowed just 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 1 run, while striking out 4 and pounding the strike zone repeatedly. A 7th-round pick in 2021, Sinacola is repeating High-A after struggling there a year ago. Despite seeing a fairly sizable year-to-year drop in his strikeout rate and groundball rate, Sinacola has been significantly improved in run prevention, dropping his ERA from 4.58 to 2.67, and his FIP from 4.14 to 3.38. He’s working a lot of soft contact, and walking just 2.1 batters per 9 innings.

Low-A San Jose (18-17)

San Jose Giants beat the Modesto Nuts (Mariners) 7-5
Box score

Just a solid all-around game for the Baby Giants, who were absent any star performances but loaded with solid ones. And while there may not have been star performances, there pretty clearly is a star in San Jose: designated hitter Bryce Eldridge (No. 3 CPL).

Eldridge hasn’t taken off this year, but he’s certainly showing flashes, and on Thursday hit 1-4 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. The tall and powerful lefty is still trying to get his season numbers in shiny order — he has a .726 OPS and a 93 wRC+ — but he’s been on fire lately. The 2023 1st-round pick has an 8-game hit streak, and during that time is 12-34 with 1 home run, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. That’s what we’re all excited to see!

His draftmate, shortstop Cole Foster (No. 30 CPL) just continues to get on base. Foster, the team’s 3rd-round pick, went 2-4 with a walk, which brought his OPS to .794 and his wRC+ to 122. The switch-hitter’s numbers aren’t phenomenal, but he really doesn’t have any red flags in his offensive game right now. Among 83 California League hitters with at least 70 plate appearances this year, Foster’s batting average (.292) is 14th, his on-base percentage (.386) is 24th, and his strikeout rate (17.1%) is 11th-lowest. His walk rate (7.9%) and isolated slugging (.117) are below average and below where he and the Giants would like it to be, but they’re hardly concerning numbers, either.

Catcher Luke Shliger continued his sneakily-good season, hitting 1-2 with 3 walks and stealing a base. Shliger has flown under the radar because the hype for the Giants 2023 draft class of position players seems to end in the 5th round, but the left-handed hitting 6th-rounder has a .755 OPS, a 114 wRC+, and 6 stolen bases in as many attempts, while earning strong reviews for his backstop defense and leadership. Shliger hasn’t really tapped into much power yet, but his plate discipline is phenomenal: he has a 13.6% walk rate and a 14.6% strikeout rate, and both of those numbers are fairly in line with what he did last year in San Jose, too.

LHPs Dylan Carmouche and Esmerlin Vinicio, as well as RHP Trent Harris all struggled a bit, albeit with some silver linings (Harris struck out the side in his only inning, though he gave up 3 baserunners and a run).

The one pitcher to be a star was RHP Cody Tucker, who was nearly unhittable. Tucker pitched 2 perfect innings, and struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Tucker, an undrafted free agent last year, is overcoming a slow start and things are starting to click: in his last 3 games and 6 innings, he’s allowed just 4 baserunners and 1 unearned run, while striking out 9.

ACL Giants (6-3)

ACL Giants beat the ACL Angels 8-1
Box score

A lot of offense in this game, and a handful of great performances to highlight. But the most exciting performance was the worst. Designated hitter Wade Meckler (No. 11 CPL) made his season debut as he began a rehab assignment. Meckler went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts before being replaced, and that’s a very un-Mecklerian performance, but that’s what one should expect out of rehab assignments! Just fantastic to have him back in action.

Now, onto the players who played well!

Shortstop Ramon Peralta (20 years, 2021 international signing) continued his fantastic start to the season, hitting 2-5 with a home run. Peralta had an .846 OPS and a 119 wRC+ last year in his ACL debut, so it was a touch surprising that he got a repeat assignment. It’s unclear if it was due to the middle infield logjam in San Jose and Eugene, or the 28.1% strikeout rate. Either way, he’s making it very clear that he doesn’t want to stay in Arizona much longer, as he’s taken those numbers to a new level, sporting a 1.093 OPS and a 171 wRC+. That said, he does have a 33.3% strikeout rate, so the Giants will certainly want to see that start to drop.

Third baseman Dario Reynoso (19 years, 2023 international signing) just keeps impressing. He reached base 3 times in 5 plate appearances, notching a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, while also stealing his 4th base of the year in 5 attempts. He’s another one who needs to work on the strikeout rate (37.5%), but his .723 OPS and 102 wRC+ are pretty nifty given that he’s a teenager and had just 137 plate appearances (all in the DSL) entering this season.

Also great games for first baseman Jediael Maduro (20 years, 2021 international signing), who hit 3-4 with a walk to move his OPS to .980 and his wRC+ to 156; center fielder Lazaro Morales (20 years, 2021 international signing), who hit 1-2 with a double and 3 walks to raise his OPS to 1.044 and his wRC+ to 198 (in just 3 games, admittedly); left fielder Eliam Sandoval (20 years, 2021 international signing), who hit 1-2 with 3 walks to bump his OPS to 1.338 and his wRC+ to 227; and second baseman Jose Ramos (21 years, 2019 international signing) who hit 2-5 with a walk and a stolen base, pushing his OPS to .630 and his wRC+ to 86.

The position players also made their presence felt on the mound. Despite playing the scheduled number of innings, the ACL Giants turned to infielder Derwin Laya (20 years, 2021 international signing) to pitch the 9th inning, and he responded by retiring all 3 batters he faced. Not bad, dude!

The performance that caught my eye, however, was that of RHP Keyner Martinez (19 years, 2023 international signing). This is Martinez’s 1st professional season, and he’s fitting right in. After a tough debut, he was fantastic in his 2nd outing ... and even better on Thursday in his 3rd game. Martinez pitched 2 scoreless innings for the 2nd straight time, and this time he was perfect in those innings ... while also striking out 2 batters. I’d say he’s fitting right in!

RHP Samir Chires (20 years, 2021 international signing) continued his very bizarre season. In 4 innings, Chires allowed 3 hits and 5 walks, without any strikeouts ... but somehow only gave up 1 run. Chires has twice as many walks as strikeouts this season, but somehow has just a 3.65 ERA. Whatever works, I guess.

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Home run tracker

AAA Trenton Brooks (4)
AAA Hunter Bishop (2 in AAA, 4 total)
AA Jairo Pomares (2)
AA Carter Howell (1)
High-A Rodolfo Nolaso (4)
High-A Alexander Suarez (1)
ACL Ramon Peralto (1)