Giants Continue Road Trip At Inland Empire
San Jose Giants (28-14) at Inland Empire 66ers (24-17)
At San Manuel Stadium
• Sunday, May 19, 2:05 PM
• Monday, May 20, 7:05 PM
• Tuesday, May 21, 7:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Sunday
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-1, 3.34)
Inland Empire – Kramer Sneed (3-1, 4.34)
Monday
San Jose – Austin Fleet (3-1, 2.67)
Inland Empire – Dan Reynolds (4-3, 6.32)
Tuesday
San Jose – Ty Blach (5-1, 2.27)
Inland Empire – Mark Sappington (5-0, 2.05)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series At Inland Empire This Afternoon
The San Jose Giants continue their road trip this afternoon with the opener of a three-game series against the Inland Empire 66ers at San Manuel Stadium. San Jose began the road trip by taking three out of four games from the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Giants won the first three contests by the scores of 4-3, 5-2 and 5-3 before the Quakes avoided the sweep with an 8-3 triumph last night. In yesterday’s series finale, Clayton Blackburn was roughed up for five runs (all earned) in four innings to take the loss. San Jose finished the game with eight hits and was just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Rancho Cucamonga starting pitcher Lindsey Caughel allowed one run in six innings to pick-up the win.
Long Road Trip
San Jose is in the midst of a season-long 11-game road trip – all against South Division opponents. The Giants enter today’s action with a 3-1 record on the road trip. After the current series against the 66ers, San Jose will travel to Adelanto for a four-game set against the High Desert Mavericks. The Giants saw their road winning streak end at 11 games with last night’s defeat to Rancho Cucamonga. Prior to yesterday, San Jose hadn’t lost a road games since April 19 at Inland Empire. The 11-game streak was the second-longest road win streak in team history (record is 16 held by the 2011 club). The Giants have won six straight road series’ to begin the year and are 17-4 away from Municipal Stadium this season.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.27 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose starting pitchers have been particularly impressive allowing two earned runs or fewer in 32 out of the first 42 games this season. The Giants boast two of the top three individual ERA’s in the league with Chris Marlowe (#1, 1.95) and Ty Blach (#3, 2.27). Blach is also tied for first in the league in wins (5). Out of the bullpen, Hunter Strickland ranks fourth with eight saves. As a staff, San Jose is also first in the league in strikeouts (407) and fewest home runs allowed (23).
Winning The Close Ones
San Jose is 14-4 this season in games decided by one or two runs.
Brock Bond Returns
Infielder Brock Bond joined the Giants on Friday from the Fresno (AAA) disabled list. Prior to two days ago, Bond had yet to play in a game this season after suffering a strained oblique during spring training. The 27-year old won the San Francisco Giants Harry S. Jordan award this year given to the player who makes the biggest impression in his first big league camp. Bond hit .332 with one home run and 31 RBI’s in 106 games with Fresno last season. His .422 on-base percentage was third in the Pacific Coast League. The former 24th round draft pick previously played for San Jose in 2008 when he batted .297 with no homers and 19 RBI’s in 45 games. Bond is 2-for-9 with a double and an RBI in his first two games this season with the Giants.
San Jose Leads North Division By Two Games
San Jose (28-14) is two games ahead of the Visalia Rawhide (26-16) for the top spot in the first half North Division race. The Giants have won the first half North Division title in seven out of the last eight years. San Jose has also qualified for the playoffs in a league-record tying nine consecutive seasons (2004-2012). The Giants have won nine out of their last 12 games.
Cavan Boosts Giants Offense
Infielder Ryan Cavan leads the Giants and is fifth in the California League with a .329 batting average. Cavan also ranks second in the league in hits (54) and doubles (13 – tied) while he’s fifth in RBI’s (31). Cavan is first on the team in batting average, hits, doubles and RBI’s. Cavan has multi-hits in 17 games this season and also ranks as the second-toughest player to strikeout in the league (one strikeout every 11.9 plate appearances). His 19-game hitting streak ended last Sunday against High Desert.
Bullpen Excellence
Relief pitchers Hunter Strickland (eight) and Josh Osich (four) have combined to go 12-for-12 in save opportunities this season. Strickland (10 appearances, 11 innings), Osich (10 appearances, 10 2/3 innings) and Cody Hall (6 appearances, 8 2/3 innings) all currently have long scoreless innings streaks.
Opponent Notes: Inland Empire 66ers
The Inland Empire 66ers, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, are in first place in the South Division with a 24-17 record – a half-game ahead of Lancaster (24-18) for the top spot. Inland Empire is fourth in the league in batting average (.262) and third in ERA (3.86). The Giants won three out of four from the 66ers in a series at San Manuel Stadium earlier this season (April 18-21).
11-Game Road Trip Begins Tonight In Rancho Cucamonga
San Jose Giants (25-13) at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (20-18)
At LoanMart Field
• Wednesday, May 15, 7:05 PM
• Thursday, May 16, 7:05 PM
• Friday, May 17, 7:05 PM
• Saturday, May 18, 7:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Wednesday
San Jose – Ty Blach (4-1, 1.87)
Rancho Cucamonga – James Campbell (1-2, 3.10)
Thursday
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (2-0, 1.69)
Rancho Cucamonga – Garrett Gould (1-2, 7.47)
Friday
San Jose – Kelvin Marte (1-0, 2.77)
Rancho Cucamonga – Lindsey Caughel (0-1, 5.40)
Saturday
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (2-1, 3.65)
Rancho Cucamonga – Jarret Martin (1-5, 4.59)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App.
Giants Begin Four-Game Series At Rancho Cucamonga Tonight
The San Jose Giants travel to Rancho Cucamonga to begin a four-game series against the Quakes this evening at LoanMart Field. San Jose split a four-game set with the visiting High Desert Mavericks in their most recent series. The Giants earned victories of 5-3 and 5-2 over the Mavericks last Friday and Saturday respectively before High Desert bounced back with a 6-0 shutout on Sunday and a 9-2 win on Monday. San Jose was held to a season-low three hits in the series finale. Angel Villalona (2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI) had two of the three hits, including a seventh-inning solo home run.
Season-Long 11-Game Road Trip
Tonight marks the beginning of a season-long 11-game road trip for the Giants – all against South Division opponents. After the current series against the Quakes, San Jose will play three games at Inland Empire and then four games versus High Desert. The Giants enter this evening’s contest on an eight-game road winning streak – tied for the second-longest road win streak in team history (1995). San Jose hasn’t lost a road game since April 19 at Inland Empire. The 2011 club holds the record for longest road winning streak in team history when they claimed 16 straight games away from home. San Jose’s current 14-3 road record is the top mark in the California League.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.21 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose starting pitchers have been particularly impressive allowing two earned runs or fewer in 30 out of the first 38 games this season. The Giants boast the top two individual ERA’s in the league with Chris Marlowe (1.69) and Ty Blach (1.87). Blach is also tied for third in the league in wins (4) while Clayton Blackburn is second in strikeouts (46). Out of the bullpen, Hunter Strickland ranks tied for fourth with six saves. As a staff, San Jose is also first in the league in strikeouts (371) and fewest home runs allowed (19).
San Jose Leads North Division By Two Games
San Jose (25-13) is two games ahead of the Visalia Rawhide (23-15) for the top spot in the first half North Division race. The Giants have won the first half North Division title in seven out of the last eight years. San Jose has also qualified for the playoffs in a league-record tying nine consecutive seasons (2004-2012).
Power Surge
San Jose’s 36 home runs this season rank third in the California League (trailing only Stockton and High Desert). Individually, Devin Harris is tied for first in the league with 10 home runs. Harris homered in six consecutive games earlier this year from April 24-30. Angel Villalona is tied for sixth in the league with seven home runs while Jeff Arnold has already matched a career-high with six homers. Arnold has hit three home runs over his last five games.
Cavan’s Hitting Streak Ends At 19 Games
Infielder Ryan Cavan saw his 19-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-4 in Sunday’s contest against High Desert. The 19-game streak is the longest in the California League this year and tied for the fifth-longest in San Jose Giants history. Cavan hit .380 (30-for-79) with 11 RBI’s during the streak. Cavan ranks first in the California League in batting average (.342) and hits (51 – tied) while he’s second in doubles (12 – tied). Cavan has multi-hits in 17 out of his 36 games played this season and also ranks as the second-toughest player to strikeout in the league (one strikeout every 10.9 plate appearances).
Bullpen Excellence
Relief pitchers Hunter Strickland (six) and Josh Osich (four) have combined to go 10-for-10 in save opportunities this season. Strickland has allowed just two earned runs in 17 innings this year (1.06 ERA) while Osich boasts a 0.95 ERA (2 ER/19.0 IP). Bryce Bandilla owns the highest strikeout ratio in the California League among relief pitchers as he’s fanned 41 batters in just 24 innings (15.3 strikeouts per nine innings). Cody Hall has also been dominant since returning from the disabled list with eight scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts spanning five appearances. The Giants bullpen had worked 26 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run until High Desert scored in the top of the eighth off Bandilla last Friday.
Opponent Notes: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are 20-18 this season and in third place in the South Division – three games out of the top spot. Rancho Cucamonga is third in the league in batting average (.266) and fifth in ERA (4.45). The Quakes won three out of four games from the Giants in a series earlier this season at Municipal Stadium (May 3-6).
Giants Host High Desert In Four-Game Series
High Desert Mavericks (17-17) at San Jose Giants (23-11)
At Municipal Stadium
• Friday, May 10, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, May 11, 5:00 PM
• Sunday, May 12, 1:00 PM
• Monday, May 13, 7:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Friday
High Desert – Cam Hobson (3-2, 4.65)
San Jose – Kelvin Marte (1-0, 2.00)
Saturday
High Desert – Trevor Miller (1-3, 7.29)
San Jose – Austin Fleet (2-1, 2.61)
Sunday
High Desert – Bobby Shore (2-0, 4.38)
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (2-0, 3.00)
Monday
High Desert – Jordan Pries (2-2, 5.88)
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 3.04)
Broadcast Information
Friday’s series opener will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104 with Joe Ritzo and Joe Castellano handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game this year is available live and on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Begin Four-Game Series Against High Desert Tonight
The San Jose Giants return home this evening to begin a four-game series against the High Desert Mavericks at Municipal Stadium. San Jose swept a three-game set from the host Bakersfield Blaze in their most recent series. The Giants claimed a 10-3 decision over the Blaze on Tuesday before a 6-1 win on Wednesday and then a 6-2 victory last night to complete the sweep. In yesterday’s contest, Chris Marlowe allowed just one run over six innings to pick-up the win. Jeff Arnold (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) hit his sixth home run of the season to lead San Jose offensively while Devin Harris, Mac Williamson, Bobby Haney and Chris Lofton added two hits apiece. The Giants outscored the Blaze by a 22-6 margin in the series.
Winning Streak
San Jose enters this evening’s contest on a four-game winning streak. It marks the fourth time this season that the Giants have won at least four in a row. A victory tonight would match San Jose’s longest winning streak of the year. The Giants won five straight from April 24-28 (all against Modesto).
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.12 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose starting pitchers have been particularly impressive with a combined 2.55 ERA. Three of San Jose’s starters are among the top ten in the league in ERA (#2 Chris Marlowe – 1.69, #4 Ty Blach – 1.87, #10 Clayton Blackburn – 3.00). The Giants also have two pitchers in the top seven in strikeouts (#5 Clayton Blackburn – 42, #7 Edwin Escobar – 38) while Josh Osich and Hunter Strickland have recorded four saves each to rank tied for sixth in the California League.
Cavan’s Hitting Streak At 17 Games
Infielder Ryan Cavan is currently riding a 17-game hitting streak. He’s batting .389 (28-for-72) with nine RBI’s during the streak. Cavan ranks first in the California League in batting average (.363) and hits (49) while he’s tied for second in doubles (12). Cavan has multi-hits in 17 out of his 32 games played this season. He leads the Giants in batting average, hits and doubles while he’s second in RBI’s (21) and third in runs scored (20). Cavan also ranks as the toughest player to strikeout in the league (one strikeout every 12.3 at-bats). His current 17-game hit streak is the second-longest in the California League this season (Anthony Phillips, High Desert, 18 games).
San Jose Leads North Division By One Game
San Jose (23-11) is one game ahead of the Visalia Rawhide (22-12) for the top spot in the first half North Division race. The Giants have won the first half North Division title in seven out of the last eight years. San Jose has also qualified for the playoffs in a league-record tying nine consecutive seasons (2004-2012).
Road Success
With last night’s victory, San Jose extended their road winning streak to eight games. The Giants haven’t lost a road game since April 19 at Inland Empire. San Jose’s 14-3 record away from Municipal Stadium is the top road mark in the California League (Inland Empire 10-6 and Lancaster 10-7 are the only other teams above .500). The Giants own a 2.17 ERA on the road this season (4.07 at home). The eight-game road winning streak is tied for the second-longest in team history (1995). The club record is 16 consecutive road wins held by the 2011 team. After the current series against High Desert, San Jose will embark on a season-high 11-game road trip.
Arnold’s Power Surge
Catcher Jeff Arnold has hit three home runs in his last three games. Arnold homered twice in last Tuesday’s win over Bakersfield before going deep again last night. His six home runs this season matches a career-high (six with Augusta in 2011). Arnold is averaging one home run ever 13.7 at-bats this season – third in the California League. His six homers overall are tied for fifth in the league.
Opponent Notes: High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, are 17-17 this season and in a tie for third place in the South Division – 2 1/2 games out of the top spot. High Desert leads the league in batting average (.288) and runs scored (6.5 per game) while they’re last in ERA (5.65). This series marks the Mavericks’ only visit to San Jose this season.
Giants Travel To Bakersfield For Three-Game Series
San Jose Giants (20-11) at Bakersfield Blaze (8-23)
At Sam Lynn Ballpark
• Tuesday, May 7, 7:30 PM
• Wednesday, May 8, 7:30 PM
• Thursday, May 9, 7:30 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Tuesday
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 2.16)
Bakersfield – Jonathan Moscot (0-4, 6.51)
Wednesday
San Jose – Ty Blach (3-1, 1.88)
Bakersfield – James Allen (1-3, 5.81)
Thursday
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (1-0, 1.73)
Bakersfield – Carlos Contreras (1-3, 3.23)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series At Bakersfield Tonight
The San Jose Giants begin a three-game series against the Bakersfield Blaze this evening at Sam Lynn Ballpark. San Jose dropped three out of four to the visiting Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in their most recent series. The Quakes won the first three games earning victories of 6-3, 6-0 and 4-1 before the Giants claimed the series finale last night by a 6-5 score. In yesterday’s contest, San Jose overcame an early three-run deficit to secure the win. Elliott Blair (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) had two hits, including a key two-run double in the bottom of the fourth while Devin Harris (1-for-4, HR, RBI) connected for a game-tying solo home run in the fifth. The Giants took the lead for good on Angel Villalona’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.25 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose starting pitchers have been particularly impressive with a combined 2.47 ERA. Three of San Jose’s starters are among the top six in the league in ERA (#3 Chris Marlowe – 1.73, #4 Ty Blach – 1.88, #6 Edwin Escobar – 2.16). The Giants also have two pitchers in the top five in strikeouts (#3 Clayton Blackburn – 42, #5 Edwin Escobar – 37) while Josh Osich and Hunter Strickland have recorded four saves each to rank tied for sixth in the California League.
Homestand Review
San Jose completed a 2-5 homestand last night with their comeback win over Rancho Cucamonga. In addition to dropping three out of four to the Quakes, the Giants also lost two out of three games to the Bakersfield Blaze. San Jose entered the homestand having won seven straight series’ to begin the year. The Giants hit just .222 as a team during the seven-game homestand.
Cavan Extends Hitting Streak To 16 Games
Infielder Ryan Cavan enters tonight’s contest riding a 16-game hitting streak. He’s batting .382 (26-for-68) with eight RBI’s during the streak. Cavan ranks first in the California League in hits (47), second in batting average (.359) and first in doubles (11). Cavan has multi-hits in 16 of San Jose’s first 31 games this season. He leads the Giants in batting average, hits and doubles while he’s second in RBI’s (20) and third in runs scored (20). Cavan also ranks as the toughest player to strikeout in the league (one strikeout every 11.8 at-bats). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI). His current 16-game hit streak is the second-longest in the California League this season (Anthony Phillips, High Desert, 18 games).
San Jose Tied For First In North Division Race
San Jose (20-11) is currently tied with the Visalia Rawhide (20-11) for first place in the first half North Division race. The Giants had enjoyed at least a share of first place for 26 straight days until falling out of the top spot after Saturday’s loss to the Quakes. San Jose moved back into a tie for first after last night’s results. The Giants have won the first half North Division title in seven out of the last eight years. San Jose has also qualified for the playoffs in a league-record tying nine consecutive seasons (2004-2012).
Harris’ Home Run Barrage
Outfielder Devin Harris hit his league-leading 10th home run of the season in last night’s win. Harris has hit eight homers over his last 12 games. He set a team-record by homering in six consecutive games from April 24-30. Harris hit seven home runs and had 16 RBI’s during the six-game stretch. In addition to leading the league in home runs, Harris is first in RBI’s (27), first in extra-base hits (19) and second in slugging percentage (.632). Last year, Harris hit 12 home runs between San Jose and Augusta (A).
Offensive Totals
The Giants are tied for third in the California League in batting average (.262), fourth in runs scored (4.9 per game), third in home runs (29) and fourth in stolen bases (33).
Opponent Notes: Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, own the worst record in the California League at 8-23. Bakersfield has lost five in a row and is 12 games out of first in the North Division. The Blaze have played 21 out of their first 31 games this season on the road (4-17). Bakersfield is ninth in the California League in batting average (.238) and ninth in ERA (5.09).
Podcast Episode 13 – Inside the San Jose Giants
In this episode of Inside the San Jose Giants, Joe Ritzo and Ben Taylor discuss the biggest surprises through the first month of the season, analyze some of the recent team struggles and look ahead to the longest road trip of the year.
Giants Continue Homestand Against Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (13-14) at San Jose Giants (19-8)
At Municipal Stadium
• Friday, May 3, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, May 4, 5:00 PM
• Sunday, May 5, 1:00 PM
• Monday, May 6, 7:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Friday
Rancho Cucamonga – James Campbell (1-1, 2.08)
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (1-0, 1.71)
Saturday
Rancho Cucamonga – Garrett Gould (0-2, 10.53)
San Jose – Adalberto Mejia (2-0, 4.19)
Sunday
Rancho Cucamonga – Ross Stripling (1-0, 3.51)
San Jose – Austin Fleet (2-0, 1.84)
Monday
Rancho Cucamonga – Jarret Martin (0-5, 5.40)
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (2-0, 2.57)
Broadcast Information
Friday’s series opener will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104 with Joe Ritzo and Rocky Koplik handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game this year is available live and on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Begin Four-Game Series Against Rancho Cucamonga Tonight
The San Jose Giants continue their homestand this evening with the opener of a four-game series against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes at Municipal Stadium. San Jose dropped two out of three games to the visiting Bakersfield Blaze in their most recent series. Bakersfield earned victories of 8-5 and 6-4 on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively before the Giants salvaged the final game of the series with a 4-2 win yesterday afternoon. Shawn Payne’s sixth-inning two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the finale before the San Jose bullpen shut down the Blaze over the final three innings to record the victory. Josh Osich was credited with the win after firing 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief while Hunter Strickland notched the save after holding Bakersfield scoreless over the last two frames.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.18 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .234 batting average. Giants starting pitchers have been particularly impressive with a combined 2.26 ERA. Three of San Jose’s starters are among the top seven in the league in ERA (#5 Ty Blach – 1.88, #6 Edwin Escobar – 2.16, #7 Clayton Blackburn – 2.57).
First Series Loss
San Jose is coming off their first series loss of the season after dropping two out of three to the Bakersfield Blaze to open the homestand. The Giants had started the year with seven straight series victories. San Jose’s losses on Tuesday and Wednesday to the Blaze also marked their first back-to-back defeats of the season.
Harris’ Home Run Barrage
Outfielder Devin Harris set a team-record by homering in six consecutive games from April 24-30. Harris hit seven home runs and had 16 RBI’s during the six-game stretch. He currently leads the league in home runs (9 – tied), RBI’s (26), extra-base hits (18) and slugging percentage (.693). Harris, who has also hit safely in his last 11 games, was named California League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Division Leaders
San Jose (19-8) has won eight out of their last 11 and currently owns a one-game lead over the Visalia Rawhide (18-9) for first place in the North Division. The Giants have held sole possession of first place in the division since April 15.
Cavan Extends Hitting Streak To 12 Games
Infielder Ryan Cavan enters this evening’s contest riding a 12-game hitting streak. He’s batting .396 (21-for-53) with seven RBI’s during the streak. Cavan ranks first in the California League in hits (42), tied for second in batting average (.362) and tied for third in doubles (9). Cavan has multi-hits in 15 of San Jose’s first 27 games this season. He leads the Giants in batting average, hits and doubles while he’s second in RBI’s (19) and tied for second in runs scored (18). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI).
April Review
The Giants finished April with a league-best 18-7 record. It marked San Jose’s most wins in April since the 2008 team went 18-9 during the opening month of their season. It was also the Giants’ highest winning percentage in a month since May of 2011 (22-7). San Jose hit .275 as a team in April – third in California League.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America. Giants players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Villalona Breaks Out Of Early-Season Slump
Since beginning the season in a 2-for-41 slump, first baseman Angel Villalona has batted .339 (21-for-62) in 17 games with five home runs and 17 RBI’s. Villalona’s five home runs overall are tied for sixth in the California League.
Opponent Notes: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, own a 13-14 record this season and are in fourth place in the South Division – 3 1/2 games behind the Lancaster JetHawks for the top spot. The Quakes are fifth in the league in batting average (.256) and seventh in ERA (4.90). This series marks Rancho Cucamonga’s only visit to San Jose this season.
Seven-Game Homestand Begins Tonight Against Bakersfield
Bakersfield Blaze (6-18) at San Jose Giants (18-6)
At Municipal Stadium
• Tuesday, April 30, 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 PM
• Thursday, May 2, 12:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Tuesday
Bakersfield – Jake Johnson (1-1, 8.22)
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (2-0, 1.64)
Wednesday
Bakersfield – Tanner Robles (0-4, 10.42)
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 1.89)
Thursday
Bakersfield – Carlos Contreras (1-2, 2.92)
San Jose – Ty Blach (3-1, 1.54)
Broadcast Information
Wednesday’s game will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104 with Joe Ritzo and Greg Young handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game this year is available live and on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Open Homestand Against Bakersfield Tonight
The San Jose Giants begin a seven-game homestand this evening with the first of three straight contests against the Bakersfield Blaze at Municipal Stadium. San Jose just completed a six-game home-and-home match-up with the Modesto Nuts recording a 5-1 record. The Giants took two out of three from the Nuts at Municipal Stadium last Tuesday-Thursday before sweeping a three-game series in Modesto over the weekend. San Jose completed the sweep of the Nuts on Sunday afternoon with a 5-3 victory. Devin Harris, Jeff Arnold and Mac Williamson each hit solo home runs to lead the offensive attack as the Giants built a 5-0 lead before holding off a late Modesto rally. Luis Rojas (2 IP, 1 R) was credited with the win out of the bullpen after starting pitcher Austin Fleet struck out six over four scoreless innings.
Season-High Five-Game Winning Streak
San Jose brings a season-high five-game winning streak into tonight’s contest. All five wins came against Modesto last week. The Giants have also enjoyed a pair of four-game winning streaks this season en route to a league-best 18-6 record. San Jose has started the year with seven straight series wins while the Giants have also yet to lose consecutive games this season.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 2.96 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .224 batting average. Giants starting pitchers have surrendered just 26 earned runs over the first 24 games and own a combined 1.98 ERA. Three of San Jose’s starters are among the top six in the league in ERA (#3 Ty Blach – 1.54, #5 Clayton Blackburn – 1.64, #6 Chris Marlowe – 1.71).
Harris’ Home Run Barrage
Outfielder Devin Harris has homered in five straight games after going deep in the second inning of Sunday’s victory over Modesto. Over his last five games, Harris is 9-for-21 (.429) with six home runs and 14 RBI’s. He’s currently tied for first in the league in home runs (8), first in RBI’s (24), first in extra-base hits (16) and second in slugging percentage (.682). Harris was named California League Offensive Player of the Week yesterday.
Cavan Carries Offense
Infielder Ryan Cavan enters this evening’s game ranked first in the California League in hits (36) and tied for second in doubles (9) while he’s sixth with a .350 batting average. Cavan has multi-hits in 13 of San Jose’s first 24 games this season. He leads the Giants in batting average, hits and doubles while he’s tied for second in RBI’s (16) and runs scored (16). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI).
Hitting Streaks
Ryan Cavan (nine games), Devin Harris (eight games), Jeff Arnold (seven games) and Angel Villalona (seven games) all bring hitting streaks into tonight’s contest. Shawn Payne owns San Jose’s longest hitting streak this season when he hit safely in 10 straight games from April 10-19.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America. Giants players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Villalona Breaks Out Of Early-Season Slump
Since beginning the season in a 2-for-41 slump, first baseman Angel Villalona has batted .346 (18-for-52) in 13 games with five home runs and 16 RBI’s. Villalona’s five home runs overall are tied for sixth in the California League. A member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games with the Giants during the 2009 season.
Opponent Notes: Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, own the worst record in the league at 6-18. Bakersfield is just 2-12 on the road this year while they rank ninth in the California League in batting average (.241) and ninth in ERA (5.47). This series marks the first meetings of the year between the Giants and Blaze. Right-hander Jake Johnson (1-1, 8.22 ERA) is slated to make the start on the mound in tonight’s opener.
Giants Travel To Modesto For Three-Game Weekend Series
San Jose Giants (15-6) at Modesto Nuts (9-12)
At John Thurman Field
• Friday, April 26, 7:05 PM
• Saturday, April 27, 7:05 PM
• Sunday, April 28, 1:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Friday
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (1-0, 1.80)
Modesto – Chris Jensen (0-3, 4.76)
Saturday
San Jose – Adalberto Mejia (1-0, 6.08)
Modesto – Ben Alsup (1-1, 1.35)
Sunday
San Jose – Austin Fleet (2-0, 2.53)
Modesto – Dan Winkler (2-0, 1.93)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series At Modesto Tonight
The San Jose Giants travel to Modesto this evening to begin the second half of a six-game home-and-home series with the Nuts. Tonight is the opener of a three-game series at John Thurman Field after the Giants claimed two out of three from Modesto at Municipal Stadium. The Nuts earned a 6-5, 13-inning win on Tuesday before San Jose bounced back with 10-5 and 6-2 victories on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. In last night’s contest, Giants starting pitcher Ty Blach tossed 6 1/3 innings with just one run allowed to pick-up the win. Jeff Arnold (3-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, SB) and Kelby Tomlinson (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB) had three hits apiece to lead San Jose offensively while Devin Harris hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Giants ahead for good.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.14 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .224 batting average. Giants starting pitchers have surrendered just 25 earned runs over the first 21 games and own a combined 2.19 ERA. Five of San Jose’s six starters boast season ERA’s under two (Kyle Crick 0.93, Ty Blach 1.54, Clayton Blackburn 1.64, Chris Marlowe 1.80 and Edwin Escobar 1.89).
Perfect Series Record
San Jose has started the year with six straight series wins en route to a league-best record of 15-6. The Giants have also yet to lose consecutive games this season.
Cavan Carries Offense
Ryan Cavan enters tonight’s contest ranked first in the California League in hits (30) and tied for first in doubles (8) while he’s sixth with a .341 batting average. Cavan has multi-hits in 11 of San Jose’s first 21 games this season. He leads the Giants in batting average, hits and doubles while he’s third in RBI’s (14) and fourth in runs scored (12). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI).
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Villalona Breaks Out Of Early-Season Slump
Since beginning the season in a 2-for-41 slump, first baseman Angel Villalona has batted .333 (14-for-42) in 11 games with four home runs and 15 RBI’s. Villalona’s four home runs overall are tied for fifth in the California League. A member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games with the Giants during the 2009 season.
Home Cooking Awaits
After the current series in Modesto, the Giants will play 11 out of their next 14 games at home. San Jose is 7-3 at Municipal Stadium this season.
Hot Hitters
Eliezer Zambrano (seven games) and Ryan Cavan (six games) bring hitting streaks into tonight’s contest … Kelby Tomlinson has 12 hits in his last five games (12-for-22, .545) … Devin Harris has homered in his last two games to increase his season home run total to four.
Bullpen Standout
Left-hander Bryce Bandilla has excelled out of the Giants bullpen early this season. In eight appearances, Bandilla has worked 13 2/3 innings with two earned runs allowed (1.32 ERA) and a remarkable 29 strikeouts. The former fourth round draft pick has struck out 29 out of the 56 batters that he’s faced this year. Bandilla is tied for fourth in the California League in strikeouts.
Opponent Notes: Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, own a 9-12 record this season and are in fourth place in the North Division – six games behind the Giants for the top spot. The Nuts are last in the league in batting average (.232), last in runs scored (3.5 per game) and fourth in ERA (4.08). Modesto eliminated San Jose from the playoffs last year with a two-games-to-one victory in the North Mini-Series.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 12
Listen Below
The San Jose Giants are off to a 13-5 start to the season! In this episode of Inside the San Jose Giants, Joe and Ben discuss San Jose’s early dominance on the mound and the overall roster depth that has propelled the club into first place. The two also look ahead to the upcoming home and home series with the Modesto Nuts that begins tonight at Municipal Stadium.
Giants Return Home For Three Games Against Modesto
Modesto Nuts (8-10) at San Jose Giants (13-5)
At Municipal Stadium
• Tuesday, April 23, 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 PM
• Thursday, April 25, 7:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Tuesday
Modesto – Dan Winkler (2-0, 1.62)
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (2-0, 1.06)
Wednesday
Modesto – Tyler Gagnon (1-0, 6.00)
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 1.84)
Thursday
Modesto – Tyler Anderson (0-1, 3.18)
San Jose – TBA
Broadcast Information
Wednesday’s game will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104 with Joe Ritzo and Rocky Koplik handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game this year is available live and on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series Against Modesto Tonight
The San Jose Giants return home this evening to begin a three-game series against the Modesto Nuts at Municipal Stadium. San Jose won three out of four games from the host Inland Empire 66ers in their most recent series. After the Giants and 66ers split the first two games, San Jose earned victories of 4-2 last Saturday and 8-3 on Sunday to secure the series win. In the finale, the Giants knocked out a season-high 14 hits and scored seven unanswered runs to finish the game en route to the victory. Kelby Tomlinson (4-for-5, 2B, RBI) led the offensive effort while Angel Villalona put San Jose ahead for good with a two-RBI double in the top of the fifth. Starting pitcher Adalberto Mejia picked-up the win after tossing 5 2/3 innings with three runs and four hits allowed. Mejia retired nine out of the last 10 batters that he faced.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.08 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .220 batting average. Giants starting pitchers have surrendered just 21 earned runs over the first 18 games and own a combined 2.18 ERA. Five of San Jose’s six starters boast season ERA’s under two (Kyle Crick 0.93, Clayton Blackburn 1.06, Ty Blach 1.59, Chris Marlowe 1.80 and Edwin Escobar 1.84).
Avoiding Back-To-Back Losses
San Jose has yet to lose consecutive games this season. The Giants have enjoyed a pair of four-game winning streaks (April 6-9 and April 13-16) and currently boast the top overall record in the California League at 13-5. San Jose has started the year with five straight series wins.
Cavan’s Hot Start
Ryan Cavan enters tonight’s contest ranked first in the California League in hits (25) and doubles (8) while he’s tenth with a .329 batting average. Cavan has multi-hits in nine of San Jose’s first 18 games this season. He leads the team in batting average, hits, doubles and RBI’s (13). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI).
Home-And-Home Versus The Nuts
Tonight marks the beginning of a six-game home-and-home series with the Modesto Nuts – the first meetings of the season between the teams. After three games in San Jose, the clubs will meet for a three-game set at John Thurman Field in Modesto beginning on Friday. The Giants and Nuts will play each other 24 times this year.
Villalona Breaks Out Of Early-Season Slump
Since beginning the season in a 2-for-41 slump, first baseman Angel Villalona has collected nine hits in 31 at-bats (.290) over his last eight games. Villalona’s three home runs lead the team while he’s tied for second on the club with 10 RBI’s. A member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games with the Giants during the 2009 season.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Bullpen Standout
Left-hander Bryce Bandilla has excelled out of the Giants bullpen early this season. In six appearances, Bandilla has worked 11 innings with one run allowed, seven walks and a remarkable 24 strikeouts. The former fourth round draft pick has struck out 24 out of the 44 batters that he’s faced this year. Bandilla is tied for seventh in the California League in strikeouts and has limited the opposition to a .108 batting average.
Opponent Notes: Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, own an 8-10 record this season and are in fourth place in the North Division – five games behind the Giants for the top spot. The Nuts are last in the league in batting average (.230) and runs scored (3.3 per game) while they’re fifth in ERA (3.75). Modesto enters the series having lost three straight games. The Nuts eliminated San Jose from the playoffs last year with a two-games-to-one victory in the North Mini-Series. Dan Winkler, who is eighth in the California League with a 1.62 ERA, is slated to make the start on the mound in tonight’s series opener.
Giants Open Four-Game Series At Inland Empire Tonight
San Jose Giants (10-4) at Inland Empire 66ers (7-7)
At San Manuel Stadium
Thursday, April 18, 7:05 PM
Friday, April 19, 7:05 PM
Saturday, April 20, 7:05 PM
Sunday, April 21, 2:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Thursday
San Jose – Kyle Crick (0-1, 1.17)
Inland Empire – Dan Reynolds (1-1, 4.50)
Friday
San Jose – Ty Blach (2-0, 1.64)
Inland Empire – Mark Sappington (2-0, 2.20)
Saturday
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (0-0, 3.00)
Inland Empire – Eswarlin Jimenez (0-1, 3.78)
Sunday
San Jose – Adalberto Mejia (0-0, 7.04)
Inland Empire – Austin Wood (0-1, 2.40)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and streamed through the San Jose Giants Mobile App.
Giants Begin Four-Game Series At Inland Empire Tonight
The San Jose Giants begin a four-game series against the Inland Empire 66ers this evening at San Manuel Stadium. San Jose concluded their first homestand of the season last night with a 5-2 record. The Giants took three out of four from the Visalia Rawhide to begin the homestand before winning two of three against the Stockton Ports. In last night’s finale, the Ports avoided the sweep with a 7-2 victory over San Jose. Stockton scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings against the Giants bullpen en route to the win. Myles Schroder and Shawn Payne hit solo homers to account for San Jose’s only two runs of the contest. The Giants finished the game with a season-low four hits.
League-Leading Pitching Staff
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 3.08 ERA this season to lead the California League. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .221 batting average. Giants starting pitchers have surrendered just 17 earned runs over the first 14 games and own a combined 2.28 ERA.
Cavan’s Hot Start
Ryan Cavan enters tonight’s contest ranked first in the California League with 21 hits and fifth with a .362 batting average. Cavan has hit safely in 12 out of San Jose’s first 14 games this season, including eight multi-hit efforts. He leads the team in batting average, runs (10), hits, doubles (6) and RBI’s (11). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan, who played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI), has moved to third base this season.
Versus The South
This series marks San Jose’s first games of the season versus a team from the South Division. The Giants and 66ers will play 14 games against each other this year. Inland Empire is San Jose’s most frequent South Division opponent this season.
Villalona’s Power Surge
First baseman Angel Villalona has hit three home runs and collected seven RBI’s over his last four games. Villalona hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 8-6 win over Visalia before homering twice in Monday’s victory against Stockton. He’s 5-for-13 overall in the last three games after picking-up just two hits in 41 at-bats with no RBI’s in his first 10 games this season before Sunday. A member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games with the Giants during the 2009 season.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Payne Extends Hitting Streak To Eight Games
Outfielder Shawn Payne extended his hitting streak to eight games with his eighth-inning home run last night. Payne is batting at a .357 clip (10-for-28) during the streak. His five stolen bases this season lead the team and rank tied for third in the California League. Last year, Payne stole 53 bases with the Augusta GreenJackets (A) to lead the entire San Francisco organization.
Bullpen Standout
Left-hander Bryce Bandilla has excelled out of the Giants bullpen early this season. In five appearances, Bandilla has worked nine scoreless innings with three hits allowed, five walks and a remarkable 21 strikeouts. The former fourth round draft pick has struck out 21 out of the 36 batters that he’s faced this year. Bandilla is tied for second in the California League in strikeouts and has limited the opposition to a .097 batting average.
Opponent Notes: Inland Empire 66ers
The Inland Empire 66ers, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, own a 7-7 record this season and are tied for second in the South Division – 2 1/2 games behind the Lancaster JetHawks for the top spot. The 66ers are sixth in the league in batting average (.242), eighth in runs scored (3.6 per game) and third in ERA (3.43). Inland Empire lost two out of three at Bakersfield in their most recent series. Right-hander Dan Reynolds (1-1, 4.50 ERA) is slated to make the start on the mound tonight.
Giants Continue Homestand Against Stockton
Stockton Ports (8-3) at San Jose Giants (8-3)
At Municipal Stadium
• Monday, April 15, 7:00 PM
• Tuesday, April 16, 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Monday
Stockton – Blake Hassebrock (0-0, 4.00)
San Jose – Adalberto Mejia (0-0, 0.00)
Tuesday
Stockton – Sean Murphy (2-0, 3.00)
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (1-0, 0.82)
Wednesday
Stockton – Tanner Peters (1-0, 4.91)
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 1.80)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com and inside Municipal Stadium on 92.9 FM with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website and through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. Additionally, every home game will be streamed live and available on demand through MiLB.TV.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series Against Stockton Tonight
The San Jose Giants continue their homestand this evening with the opener of a three-game series against the Stockton Ports at Municipal Stadium. San Jose won three out of four games from the visiting Visalia Rawhide to begin the homestand, including an 8-6 victory in the series finale yesterday afternoon. Angel Villalona belted a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a one-run Visalia lead and propel the Giants to the win in yesterday’s contest. Villalona, Devin Harris and Shawn Payne finished with two hits apiece to lead the Giants offensively. Jeff Soptic was credited with the win out of the bullpen while Josh Osich held the Rawhide scoreless over the final 1 1/3 innings to pick-up the save.
Dominant Pitching
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 2.74 team ERA over the first 11 games of the season. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .222 batting average. Giants starting pitchers (Clayton Blackburn, Edwin Escobar, Kyle Crick, Ty Blach, Chris Marlowe and Adalberto Mejia) have combined to surrender just nine earned runs in 52 2/3 innings (1.54 ERA). San Jose is first in the California League in team earned run average.
Cavan’s Hot Start
Ryan Cavan enters tonight’s contest ranked second in the California League with 16 hits and ninth with a .340 batting average. Cavan has hit safely in 10 out of San Jose’s first 11 games this season, including six multi-hit efforts. He leads the team in batting average, runs (8), hits, doubles (5) and RBI’s (9). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan, who played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI), has moved to third base this season.
Unlikely Power Sources
The Giants have received contributions from some unlikely power sources in recent games as Myles Schroder, Eliezer Zambrano and Elliott Blair have all connected for their first home runs of the season. Schroder hit a solo shot in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Visalia after hitting just one homer in each of his first two professional seasons (2012 in Augusta, 2011 with the AZL-Giants). Zambrano’s home run last Tuesday in Stockton was his first round-tripper since July 5, 2011 while playing for Augusta. Blair also homered in last Tuesday’s game after hitting just three in 240 at-bats with the GreenJackets last season. San Jose is fourth in the California League with 10 home runs overall.
Harris’ Extra-Base Hit Barrage
Outfielder Devin Harris is currently tied for first in the California League with eight extra-base hits. In his first 11 games this season, Harris has produced four doubles, two triples and two home runs to go with a .302 batting average. Eight of his 13 hits this year have gone for extra bases.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Bullpen Standout
Left-hander Bryce Bandilla has excelled out of the Giants bullpen early this season. In four appearances, Bandilla has worked seven scoreless innings with three hits allowed, four walks and a remarkable 17 strikeouts. The former fourth round draft pick has struck out 17 out of the 29 batters that he’s faced this year.
Villalona Looks To Break Out Of Slump
First baseman Angel Villalona went 2-for-3 with a single, a home run and three RBI’s in yesterday’s win over the Rawhide. Prior to yesterday’s contest, Villalona was just 2-for-41 this season in 10 games with no RBI’s. A member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games with the Giants during the 2009 season.
Opponent Notes: Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, own an 8-3 record this season and are tied with the Giants for first place in the North Division. Stockton dropped two out of three games to San Jose last Monday-Wednesday in a series at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports lead the California League in home runs (20) and are third in ERA (3.34).
Giants Host Visalia In Home Opener Tonight
Visalia Rawhide (4-3) at San Jose Giants (5-2)
At Municipal Stadium
• Thursday, April 11, 7:00 PM
• Friday, April 12, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, April 13, 5:00 PM
• Sunday, April 14, 1:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Thursday
Visalia – Keith Hessler (0-1, 7.20)
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, 0.00)
Friday
Visalia – Kyle Winkler (0-1, 9.64)
San Jose – Kyle Crick (0-0, 0.00)
Saturday
Visalia – Andrew Barbosa (1-0, 0.00)
San Jose – Ty Blach (1-0, 3.60)
Sunday
Visalia – Andrew Chafin (1-1, 3.60)
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (0-0, 1.93)
Broadcast Information
The games on Thursday and Friday will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104 with Joe Ritzo and Joe Castellano handling the play-by-play and color commentary duties respectively. The entire series can also be heard live on sjgiants.com. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website. Every broadcast is also streamed live on your mobile phone through the San Jose Giants App.
Giants Host Visalia In Home Opener Tonight
The San Jose Giants host the Visalia Rawhide in their home opener this evening at Municipal Stadium. Tonight marks the first of four straight games for the Giants against the Rawhide before the homestand continues with a three-game series versus the Stockton Ports beginning on Monday.
San Jose Posts 5-2 Record On Season-Opening Road Trip
The Giants posted a 5-2 record on their season-opening road trip that concluded yesterday. San Jose began the trip by taking three out of four games against the Visalia Rawhide last Thursday-Sunday. The Giants then won two out of three games from the Stockton Ports earning victories of 8-2 and 5-2 on Monday and Tuesday respectively before suffering a 4-3, 13-inning loss in the series finale last night. In yesterday’s contest, Stockton’s Ryan Delgado hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 13th inning off of San Jose back-up catcher Eliezer Zambrano to lift the Ports to the walk-off win. Stockton rallied in the bottom of the ninth scoring twice to force extra-innings before Delgado’s game-winning blast in the 13th. Ryan Cavan led the Giants offensively with two hits and an RBI while San Jose starting pitcher Clayton Blackburn tossed the first six innings with just one run and three hits allowed. Blackburn walked one and struck out six.
Dominant Pitching
The Giants pitching staff has posted a stellar 2.06 team ERA over the first seven games of the season. San Jose hurlers have also limited the opposition to a .197 batting average and allowed a total of just 14 runs in the last six games. Giants starting pitchers (Clayton Blackburn, Edwin Escobar, Kyle Crick, Ty Blach, Chris Marlowe and Adalberto Mejia) have combined to surrender just four earned runs in 33 2/3 innings (1.07 ERA). San Jose is first in the California League in team earned run average.
Cavan Extends Hitting Streak To Seven Games
Ryan Cavan extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 2-for-6 performance at the plate in yesterday’s contest at Stockton. Cavan is the only San Jose player to have hit safely in all seven games this season. He leads the team in batting average (.387), runs (7 – tied), hits (11), doubles (3 – tied) and RBI’s (6- tied). Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228 in 129 games, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan, who played for San Jose in 2011 (.270, 12 HR, 90 RBI), has moved to third base this season.
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Williamson’s Hot Start
Right fielder Mac Williamson is off to a strong start offensively for the Giants. In his first five games, Williamson has collected six hits in 18 at-bats (.333) with one double, one triple, two home runs and five RBI’s. He was a triple shy of the cycle in the opener last Thursday before connecting for his second home run of the season in Sunday’s game at Visalia. His .833 slugging percentage in currently fifth in the California League. Williamson was a third round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants last June out of Wake Forest University. In 29 games last summer with Salem-Keizer (Short-Season), he hit .342 with seven home runs and 25 RBI’s. He left last Monday’s game in Stockton early after making a diving catch in right field and hasn’t played since.
San Francisco Affiliation
This year marks San Jose’s 26th season as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants – the longest partnership of any team in the California League. Since their inception in 1988, the San Jose Giants have won six league championships (1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010). 156 former San Jose Giants have reached the major leagues, including 111 with San Francisco.
Opponent Notes: Visalia Rawhide
The Visalia Rawhide, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, opened the season by dropping three out of four to the visiting Giants before earning a three-game sweep of the Bakersfield Blaze in a series that ended last night. Visalia owns a 3.00 team ERA through seven games and has recorded a league-best three shutouts. Catcher Raywilly Gomez (8-for-17, .471, 2 RBI) and third baseman Jake Lamb (5-for-15, .333, 2 HR, 4 RBI) have been the Rawhide’s top offensive performers. Left-hander Keith Hessler is slated to make the start on the mound tonight. Hessler allowed four runs in five innings against the Giants last Saturday.
Giants Continue Road Trip At Stockton
At Banner Island Ballpark
Monday, April 8, 7:05 PM
Tuesday, April 9, 7:05 PM
Wednesday, April 10, 7:05 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Monday
San Jose – Chris Marlowe (0-0, —)
Stockton – Andres Avila (0-0, —)
Tuesday
San Jose – Adalberto Mejia (0-0, —)
Stockton – Drew Granier (1-0, 3.60)
Wednesday
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (1-0, 0.00)
Stockton – Blake Hassebrock (0-0, 3.86)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website. Every broadcast is also streamed live on your mobile phone through the San Jose Giants App.
Giants Begin Three-Game Series At Stockton Tonight
The San Jose Giants continue their season-opening road trip this evening with the first of three straight games against the Stockton Ports at Banner Island Ballpark. San Jose began the season by winning three out of four games from the host Visalia Rawhide in a series that concluded yesterday. The Giants claimed an 8-7 decision on opening night last Thursday before the Rawhide earned a 1-0 shutout victory on Friday. San Jose bounced back with a 6-2 win on Saturday before a 5-3 victory on Sunday to take the series. In yesterday’s contest, Mac Williamson hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth before a go-ahead two-RBI triple an inning later to lead the offensive attack. Devin Harris added three hits, including a pair of doubles. Starting pitcher Ty Blach picked-up the win in his professional debut after tossing five innings with three runs (two earned) and five hits allowed. Three Giants relievers then combined for four scoreless innings and seven strikeouts to finish the game.
Dominant Pitching
The Giants pitching staff had an excellent opening series in Visalia. Over the four games, San Jose posted a 2.06 team ERA and held the Rawhide to a .179 batting average. Giants starting pitchers (Clayton Blackburn, Edwin Escobar, Kyle Crick and Ty Blach) combined to allow just two earned runs in 19 innings (0.95 ERA).
Williamson’s Hot Start
Right fielder Mac Williamson is off to a strong start offensively for the Giants. In the four games at Visalia, Williamson collected six hits in 17 at-bats (.353) with one double, one triple, two home runs and five RBI’s. He was a triple shy of the cycle in the opener last Thursday before connecting for his second home run of the season in yesterday’s game. Williamson was a third round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants last June out of Wake Forest University. In 29 games last summer with Salem-Keizer (Short-Season), he hit .342 with seven home runs and 25 RBI’s.
San Francisco Affiliation
This year marks San Jose’s 26th season as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants – the longest partnership of any team in the California League. Since their inception in 1988, the San Jose Giants have won six league championships (1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010). 156 former San Jose Giants have reached the major leagues, including 111 with San Francisco.
Frequent Opponents
San Jose’s first 14 games this season are against only the Visalia Rawhide and the Stockton Ports. After the current series versus the Ports, the Giants will host Visalia on Thursday in their home opener. San Jose’s first homestand includes four games against the Rawhide and three more games versus Stockton. The Giants and Ports will play 27 games against each other this season (14 in San Jose, 13 in Stockton).
Top Prospects
Nine players on San Jose’s opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Cavan’s Return
Ryan Cavan highlights a list of 14 returning players on the opening day roster for the Giants. Cavan spent the 2011 season in San Jose serving as the club’s primary second baseman and batted .270 with 12 home runs and 90 RBI’s while he also collected a team-best 38 doubles. Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels and hit just .228, but won a Rawlings Gold Glove award as the top fielding second baseman in Minor League Baseball. Cavan has transitioned to the third base position this year for the Giants (after having played only two games at third in his first four professional seasons). Through four games, Cavan is 7-for-16 (.438) with two doubles, a home run and four RBI’s. He’s the only San Jose player to have hit safely in all four games.
Opponent Notes: Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, are the only unbeaten team remaining in the California League after opening their season with a four-game sweep of the visiting Bakersfield Blaze. In the four games, Stockton scored 29 runs and hit 12 homers. First baseman Max Muncy (6-for-12, 3 HR, 6 RBI) and outfielder Dusty Robinson (5-for-15, 2 HR, 5 RBI) have led the offensive charge.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 11
Baseball season is here! In this season preview edition of Inside the San Jose Giants, Joe and Ben breakdown the 2013 roster. The two discuss San Jose’s prospect-laden pitching rotation and starting lineup in advance of Thursday’s opener.
Giants Open Regular Season Thursday At Visalia
At Recreation Park
• Thursday, April 4, 7:00 PM
• Friday, April 5, 7:00 PM
• Saturday, April 6, 6:00 PM
• Sunday, April 7, 2:00 PM
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
Thursday
San Jose – Clayton Blackburn (0-0, —)
Visalia – Andrew Chafin (0-0, —)
Friday
San Jose – Edwin Escobar (0-0, —)
Visalia – Archie Bradley (0-0, —)
Saturday
San Jose – Kyle Crick (0-0, —)
Visalia – Keith Hessler (0-0, —)
Sunday
San Jose – Ty Blach (0-0, —)
Visalia – Kyle Winkler (0-0, —)
Broadcast Information
The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com with Joe Ritzo calling all of the action. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with The Giants Pregame Show. All 140 games this season will be aired on the club’s official website. Every broadcast is also streamed live on your mobile phone through the San Jose Giants App.
Giants Begin Regular Season At Visalia On Thursday
The San Jose Giants begin the 2013 regular season Thursday evening with the opener of a four-game series against the Visalia Rawhide at Recreation Park. After the four games in Visalia, the Giants will travel to Stockton for a three-game series. San Jose’s home opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 11 against the Rawhide.
San Francisco Affiliation
This year marks San Jose’s 26th season as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants – the longest partnership of any team in the California League. Since their inception in 1988, the San Jose Giants have won six league championships (1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010). 155 former San Jose Giants have reached the major leagues, including 110 with San Francisco.
2012 Review
The Giants posted the top overall record in the North Division last season at 75-65 to reach the playoffs for a league-record tying ninth consecutive year. San Jose failed to win the first half North Division title for the first time since 2004, but secured a berth in the postseason as the wild card team. The Giants were then defeated by the Modesto Nuts, two-games-to-one, in the North Mini-Series. Individually, third baseman Adam Duvall was named to the postseason California League All-Star team after a record-setting year. Duvall’s 30 home runs shattered the San Jose Giants single-season record (26) while he also became the fifth player in club history to reach 100 RBI’s. Duvall and shortstop Joe Panik shared the team Most Valuable Player award. Panik led the Giants in hits (159), was tied for second in doubles (27), third in RBI’s (76) and finished with a .297 batting average. Starting pitcher Jack Snodgrass was the lone San Jose player selected to the midseason California League All-Star team last year. Taylor Rogers (12), Snodgrass (10) and Ryan Bradley (10) gave the Giants three pitchers with double-digit win totals. San Jose finished third in the league in ERA, fourth in runs scored and third in fielding.
Clayton Blackburn is scheduled to make the opening night start on the mound for the Giants
Nine players on San Jose’s 2013 opening day roster are among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America, including five out of the six pitchers in the Giants starting rotation. San Jose players among the top 30 prospects include: pitcher Kyle Crick (#1), pitcher Clayton Blackburn (#6), pitcher Adalberto Mejia (#10), pitcher Edwin Escobar (#14), outfielder Mac Williamson (#16), pitcher Chris Marlowe (#19), pitcher Josh Osich (#20), pitcher Cody Hall (#26) and outfielder Shawn Payne (#29).
Cavan, Villalona Highlight Returnees
Third baseman Ryan Cavan and first baseman Angel Villalona highlight 14 returning players on the opening day roster. Cavan spent the 2011 season in San Jose serving as the club’s primary second baseman. The Bay Area native hit .270 with 12 home runs and 90 RBI’s while he also collected a team-best 38 doubles. Last year, Cavan played for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels. Villalona, a member of San Francisco’s 40-man roster, played for San Jose during the 2009 campaign when he hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games. Villalona, who was rated the #1 prospect in the Giants organization by Baseball America in 2008, played in the Dominican Summer League last year.
Projected Starting Lineup (2012 statistics in parenthesis)
C – Jeff Arnold (Augusta: .238, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB)
1B – Angel Villalona (DSL-Giants: .303, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 0 SB)
2B – Bobby Haney (San Jose: .310, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 3 SB)
3B – Ryan Cavan (Richmond: .228, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 3 SB)
SS – Kelby Tomlinson (Augusta: .224, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 36 SB)
LF – Shawn Payne (Augusta: .309, 6 HR, 57 RBI, 53 SB)
CF – Chris Lofton (San Jose: .245, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 22 SB)
RF – Mac Williamson (Salem-Keizer: .342, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB)
DH – Devin Harris (Augusta: .245, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB)
Clayton Blackburn To Make Opening Night Start
Clayton Blackburn is slated to make the opening night start on the mound for the Giants on Thursday. A former 16th round draft pick, Blackburn enjoyed a terrific 2012 regular season with the Augusta GreenJackets (A). In 22 starts, the right-hander compiled an 8-4 record, a 2.52 ERA and an outstanding 143-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Blackburn finished the year ranked first in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts and second in ERA. He made one postseason start with the Giants and picked-up the win in Game One of the North Division Mini-Series against Modesto after tossing seven innings with just one run allowed and nine strikeouts.
Andy Skeels Returns To Manage Giants
Andy Skeels returns for his fourth season as manager of the San Jose after leading the club in 2009, 2011 and 2012. He is set to begin his eighth year in the San Francisco Giants organization and sixth overall as a manager. Skeels has won two championships directing the 2008 Augusta GreenJackets to the South Atlantic League title and the 2009 Giants to the California League crown. San Jose has qualified for the playoffs in all three seasons with Skeels at the helm. He boasts an outstanding .614 winning percentage as Giants manager while his 258 career wins are second-most in team history.
Opponent Notes: Visalia Rawhide
The Visalia Rawhide, an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, finished the 2012 regular season with a 64-76 record. Visalia has missed the playoffs in five consecutive years. Bill Plummer is set to begin his first season as Rawhide manager. Former supplemental first round draft pick Andrew Chafin is scheduled to make the opening night start on the mound. Chafin was 6-6 with a 4.93 ERA in 30 games (22 starts) with Visalia last year. He ranked third in the California League with 150 strikeouts.
San Jose Giants Announce Opening Day Roster
The San Jose Giants have announced their 25-man opening day roster:
Starting Pitchers
Ty Blach
Clayton Blackburn
Kyle Crick
Edwin Escobar
Chris Marlowe
Adalberto Mejia
Relief Pitchers
Bryce Bandilla
Jorge Bucardo
Cody Hall
Josh Osich
Luis Rojas
Jeff Soptic
Carlos Teller
Catchers
Jeff Arnold
Eliezer Zambrano
Infielders
Ryan Cavan
Bobby Haney
Kelby Tomlinson
Angel Villalona
Ydwin Villegas
Outfielders
Elliott Blair
Devin Harris
Chris Lofton
Shawn Payne
Mac Williamson
Spring Training Q&A with Andy Skeels
Andy Skeels is set to begin his fourth year as manager of the San Jose Giants
Joe Ritzo: So how anxious are you to break camp and get back to San Jose where you can begin playing games that count?
Andy Skeels: We’re looking forward to getting out of spring training. So far, it’s been a successful one. It’s always fun to see a lot of the new guys and players you haven’t seen a lot of. You want to see how everything is going to fit together. We’ve played pretty well this spring and are looking forward to kicking things off shortly.
Ritzo: With so many guys in camp and players moving around, is it difficult to prepare for the season and implement your plan?
Skeels: I think one of the strong suits of this organization is the way we prepare all of our players. Spring training is very much geared towards getting ready for opening day and doing all of the things that are necessary from a fundamentals standpoint, from our hitters programs and the way we set up our pitching. As far as the team getting together, gelling, understanding each other and getting comfortable with different personnel, that’s going to take a little bit of time. We should have a little time while we’re here, but that’s always subject to change even once the season starts. From a baseball standpoint, our players will be ready. As far as the team goes, we’ll see how that all fits together the first month of the season.
Ritzo: You’re working with an entirely new coaching staff this year with Mike Couchee (pitching coach) and Lipso Nava (hitting coach). How has that been so far? Is there an adjustment process for you as the manager?
Skeels: With Lipso, I had him as a coach for me in 2008 in Augusta. We already have a lot of familiarity with each other. He knows what I want and vice versa. He’s a great coach and works extremely hard. I’m fortunate to have him this year. He’s going to be a really nice addition. Mike Couchee, our pitching coach, we’re still getting to know each other. He’s got such a strong background and is a great pitching guy. He’s got an established reputation and brings a lot of experience and success with him, so it’s going to be fun getting to know him and working together as well.
Ritzo: Are you expecting the starting rotation to be a strength of this team? You look at what the starting pitchers did in Augusta last year and a lot of those guys should be moving up to your club. Is it something you’re excited about with this group?
Skeels: Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing these kids out there. Certainly that’s anticipated to be one of our strengths. Having a lot of starting pitching makes the manager sleep a little bit better at night. I’m looking forward to getting out there, teeing it up and see how these kids throw. We’re heard a lot of good things – they’re some of our best kids.
Ritzo: You’ve got Angel Villalona in your group right now playing first base. How’s he been looking this spring?
Skeels: He’s been looking very good. He’s been swinging the bat great during spring training. He’s doing all of the things we’ve asked him to do. His attitude and work ethic have been great and the talent is still there. We’re really looking forward to getting him out on the field against some competition and seeing where it all falls. He’s working his way back into playing shape and all of the things that go with that. So far, so good.
Ritzo: Mac Williamson, last year’s third round draft pick, is playing right field for you right now. He’s been generating a lot of buzz this spring. What have you been seeing out of him?
Skeels: Mac swings a big bat. He’s got bat speed. He’s got power. He’s just a good hitter. In my limited look in spring training, I’ve been really impressed and I’m looking forward to seeing if he makes it to San Jose. I’d love to have him in the outfield. He’d be a really nice addition, especially sitting in the middle of the lineup for us. This kid is going to be a really good hitter and somebody who can provide some thump.
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Relief Pitchers
By Joe Ritzo
Our season preview series concludes this week with a look at some of the arms that could fill out the San Jose Giants bullpen. The Giants have traditionally possessed one of the strongest pitching staffs in the California League and 2013 will likely be no different. The strength of the staff should be a prospect-laden starting rotation, but a number of exciting young pitchers, both returnees and newcomers, are candidates to fill roles out of the bullpen.
With so many arms still in camp, it’s difficult to project the San Jose bullpen with complete accuracy. Looking at last year’s relief corps, top late-inning hurlers Jose Valdez (2.83 ERA, 7 SV) and Josh Osich (3.62 ERA), two pitchers who received non-roster invitations to big league camp this spring, will certainly earn promotions to Double-A Richmond. Side-arming lefty Phil McCormick (3.48 ERA) set a San Jose Giants single-season record with 61 appearances in 2012 and figures to likely also make the jump to the Eastern League.
Drew Bowlin (3.97 ERA), Edward Concepcion (6.10 ERA), Stephen Harrold (5.19 ERA) and Shawn Sanford (5.15 ERA) all spent most, if not all, of last season with the Giants with mixed results. Bowlin had a pair of stints on the disabled list last year and has had difficult staying healthy throughout his career, but came on strong late in the season and features a mid 90’s fastball. Concepcion, a big league non-roster invitee, has an electric two-pitch mix with a mid-to-upper 90’s heater complemented with a huge curve ball. He limited the opposition to a .218 batting average last year, averaged over a strikeout per inning and was at his best late in the season. Concepcion though often struggled to throw strikes (37 walks in 48 2/3 innings) and owned a near-9 ERA in the first half. Harrold struggled with his consistency all year, but does feature what Baseball America called the “Best Slider” in the Giants farm system entering 2012. Finally, Sanford excelled as a starter in Augusta (A) two seasons ago, but ultimately lost his job in the San Jose rotation last year. He did seem to gain comfort pitching as a set-up man down the stretch and rarely beats himself with poor control. Minor league bullpens are often a numbers game and if there’s room for any of these hurlers in Richmond and they show enough during spring training games, some could receive that promotion. If not, a return to San Jose could be in the cards.
Cody Hall is another relief pitcher who spent time with the Giants last season, but he almost certainly will return to the California League. A South Atlantic League All-Star with the GreenJackets last year, Hall owned a stellar 1.60 ERA and 22 saves in an Augusta uniform before an early-August promotion to San Jose. He wasn’t quite as dominant with the Giants (3.24 ERA and one save in nine appearances), but still made huge strides and put himself on the prospect map with his overall performance in 2012. Hall has a major league body and arm with a fastball that sits in the mid 90’s. He’s still learning how to pitch, but with a hard mid-to-upper 80’s slider and developing change-up, Hall has a chance to move quickly through the system. Given his lack of experience in the California League, look for Hall to return to San Jose where he would be a logical candidate to close games.
Right-hander Derek Law and left-hander Steven Neff are two relievers who spent all of last season in the Augusta bullpen and should earn promotions to San Jose this season. Law, a former ninth round draft pick, was a solid performer in the middle innings and as a set-up man. Over 55 2/3 innings, Law compiled a 2.91 ERA, struck out 67 batters and limited the opposition to a .216 batting average. Meanwhile, Neff logged 75 2/3 innings out of the GreenJackets ‘pen last year, mainly as a long reliever. The southpaw possessed a 3.81 ERA and struck out 86. Both Law and Neff feature fastballs in the upper 80’s to low 90’s range and could fill similar roles in the San Jose bullpen this season.
Bryce Bandilla and Chris Marlowe are two other arms who pitched for Augusta last season that probably are headed to San Jose. Bandilla (fourth round) and Marlowe (fifth round) were high draft picks out of the college ranks in 2011 and have been used as both starters and relievers as professionals. While it’s likely that both will spend time with the Giants in 2013, it remains to be seen if either (or both) will actually be used out of the bullpen.
Bandilla, a left-hander with a low-to-mid 90’s fastball, spent time on the disabled list last year with an elbow injury and made just 11 appearances (nine starts) overall. When healthy, he was tough to hit with a 3.05 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings. The University of Arizona product is a prototypical power pitcher from the left side with intriguing potential, but did struggle at times to throw strikes consistently in 2012.
Marlowe has what Baseball America considers the “Best Curve Ball” of any pitcher currently in the Giants farm system. He began last season in the Augusta rotation with varying levels of success before moving to the bullpen in early-July. Overall, the right-hander logged a 4.20 ERA and struck out 86 batters in 83 2/3 innings, but like Bandilla, would often struggle with his control. Marlowe, with a fastball that tops out at 94 MPH combined with his plus-curve unquestionably has strikeout stuff and loads of potential. He should also be in San Jose this season and it’ll be interesting to see if the organization gives him another shot as a starter or considers him a reliever going forward.
Jeff Soptic will be making his debut in the San Francisco organization this year and his landing spot could be San Jose. Soptic was acquired via trade from the Chicago White Sox last February in the Conor Gillaspie deal. A former third round draft pick out of a junior college, Soptic is another pitcher with a great arm as his fastball will register anywhere in the mid-to-upper 90’s. He’s even been known to reach triple-digits with the pitch.
Soptic pitched for Kannapolis of the Class-A South Atlantic League in 2012, but had an up-and-down season. The right-hander owned a 5.40 ERA and walked 29 batters in just 43 1/3 innings. The league did hit only .176 against Soptic, including a microscopic .143 mark versus right-handed batters. He’s obviously an incredibly raw relief pitcher, but is a guy who could light up the radar gun with the Giants this year.
Finally, there is often a reliever or two that makes the jump from Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) to San Jose at the start of a new season. Possible candidates to make that leap this year include left-hander Steven Okert and right-handers Tyler Mizenko and Ian Gardeck. Okert was a fourth round draft pick last year out of Oklahoma and excelled in a set-up role with the Volcanoes after signing his contract. In 26 2/3 innings, Okert fanned 22, logged a 2.36 ERA and limited left-handed batters to a paltry .143 average. Okert is an extreme groundball pitcher with a low 90’s fastball and if the organization feels he’s ready to make the jump, he could be a top left-handed arm in the late-innings for the Giants this season.
Mizenko, a 2011 draftee, led the Northwest League with 13 saves last year to go with a 1.09 ERA. A control pitcher with a high 80’s-to-low 90’s fastball, Mizenko also records groundouts at a very high rate. Gardeck was a 16th round pick last season and while his 4.20 ERA doesn’t indicate the same level of domination as his two bullpen-mates, he did record a whopping 45 strikeouts in just 30 innings. Gardeck’s .196 opponents batting average was also one of the lowest on the staff and while he struggled with his control (24 walks), he possesses a fastball that can run up to 95-96 MPH.
If any relievers do make the jump past Augusta and straight to the California League at the start of the season, these three arms seem like the top candidates.
The reality is that there aren’t enough spots in the San Jose bullpen for all of these pitchers. Some of the 2012 faces could be headed to Richmond while others may return. With their past starting experience, might Bandilla and/or Marlowe crack the Giants rotation this year? There are even some others not mentioned in this article that could work themselves into the discussion. With final personnel decisions in spring training on the horizon, the Giants bullpen situation likely won’t be solidified until just before the roster is announced in the coming days.
Report from Arizona: SJ Giants Spring Training update
By Joe Ritzo
The Giants “High-A” team played at the Cubs minor league facility in Mesa on Monday afternoon
It’s crunch-time here at minor league camp as today marked the beginning of the final week of spring exhibition games. By the weekend, the San Jose Giants roster should be set before the 2013 club breaks camp on Monday morning. Then of course, next Tuesday, April 2 is your first opportunity to meet the new team with FanFest at Municipal Stadium set to begin at 5:30 PM.
This afternoon, I ventured over to Mesa with the Giants “High-A” and “Low-A” clubs as each played an exhibition game against Cubs minor leaguers. As you may have guessed, I spent far more time watching the “High-A” team, as after all, these are the players that are most likely to break camp on the San Jose roster in a week.
Some observations from the “High-A” game, which was a 7-5 Cubs victory:
* The Giants starting lineup:
1. Kelby Tomlinson, SS
2. Shawn Payne, LF
3. Angel Villalona, 1B
4. Mac Williamson, RF
5. Mitch Delfino, 3B
6. Devin Harris, DH
7. Brett Krill, CF
8. Jeff Arnold, C
9. Bobby Haney, 2B
P – Edwin Escobar
* The Giants finished the contest with 11 hits. Angel Villalona (2-for-4, two singles) and Jeff Arnold (2-for-3, single, double) each produced multi-hit games to lead the way. Arnold had two brief stints with San Jose last season, but spent the bulk of the year playing in Augusta. Reportedly, top prospect Andrew Susac is currently playing for the “Double-A” group allowing Arnold to garner most of the action behind the dish with the SJ team this spring. Whether Susac breaks camp with the Richmond club or returns to San Jose, where he would likely join Arnold, remains as a big question during this final week of spring training.
* Villalona had a tough day in the field committing two errors in the first two innings – a fielding miscue in the bottom of the first which led to a pair of unearned runs and then a throwing error on a toss to the pitcher covering the bag. Offensively though, it was a solid afternoon for the slugger as he knocked out two hits and also showed his tremendous power with a deep drive down the left field line that hooked foul. One of the questions throughout the spring was who is going to begin the season as San Jose’s first baseman and it appears Villalona, who last played in the United States 3 1/2 years ago, is the most likely candidate.
Top prospect Mac Williamson started in right field and hit fourth for the Giants “High-A” team
* In addition to Arnold and Villalona, other familiar faces in the lineup included Shawn Payne, Devin Harris and Bobby Haney. Payne was Augusta’s leading hitter in 2012 (.309 AVG) before a promotion to San Jose during the final week of the season. With a career batting average over .300 and excellent speed, Payne would seem to be a logical candidate to bat near the top of the lineup. Harris clubbed 12 homers between San Jose and Augusta last season. The right fielder (although he was the DH today), struggled during his stint in the California League (.185 AVG), but may receive another shot this year. Meanwhile, Haney hit .310 with the Giants last season, mainly as a reserve infielder. A return to San Jose seems likely with perhaps an opportunity now for more regular playing time.
* Kelby Tomlinson, who led Augusta in games played last season, hit leadoff and started at shortstop. Tomlinson was 0-for-3 with a walk, but worked the count in every plate appearance. The former 12th round draft pick hit just .224 last year, but did steal 36 bases and is a solid defender. Cal product Mitch Delfino started at third base and was 0-for-4 with an RBI groundout. Brett Krill ripped a double to the fence left as part of a 1-for-4 effort. Krill was almost exclusively a corner outfielder last season in Augusta, so it was significant to see him playing center all game today.
* Leonardo Rojas (catcher), Carlos Willoughby (second base) and Ydwin Villegas (shortstop) were all late-inning replacements in the field.
* Edwin Escobar started on the mound today and had a solid effort. The left-hander, who is already on San Francisco’s 40-man roster, worked the first four innings yielding six hits and one earned run (three runs total). Escobar struck out two and walked none. A few Cubs hitters put together some nice swings against Escobar, but the Giants starter threw a lot of strikes, which is always good to see in the spring as he begins to increase his pitch count and prepare for the season. Escobar, along with Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick and Adalberto Mejia formed a dominant, but very young, starting rotation in Augusta last season. The expectation is that the quartet will all move up to San Jose this year, but we’ll have to wait a few more days for the official announcement of the roster to see if it indeed comes to fruition.
* Steven Neff (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 SO) and Cameron McVey (1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 SO) worked scoreless fifth and sixth innings respectively out of the Giants bullpen today. Neff is another left-hander who figures to be moving to San Jose this year after spending all of last season in Augusta. McVey pitched for the AZL-Giants and is probably more of a longshot to make the club. Kevin Couture (1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) pitched the seventh inning, but struggled. Couture had a nice year (2.74 ERA) with the GreenJackets in 2012 working as both a reliever and spot-starter. Ian Gardeck (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SO) and Tyler Mizenko (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) pitched the eighth and ninth innings respectively. Gardeck looked to be throwing very hard and settled down after allowing a couple of hits initially. He pitched out of the Salem-Keizer bullpen last season. Mizenko (1.99 ERA, 13 SV) was a dominant closer for the Volcanoes last summer.
It’s important to mention that none of these players are guaranteed to open the season in San Jose. These are merely the players who suited up for the “High-A” club this afternoon. While many (if not all) of the hitters in the starting lineup today seem like good bets for the Giants opening day roster, there are still so many pitchers in camp making it hard to project how the San Jose staff (in particular the bullpen) will look when the official roster is announced.
The neighboring field in Mesa today featured the “Low-A” club. A couple of notable names playing there to pass along include 2012 second rounder Martin Agosta, who got the start on the mound today. Jesus Galindo, who is one of the fastest players in the organization, was also playing in center field. I’ve written in my SJ season preview series that Agosta and Galindo figured to be strong candidates to open this year with the Giants, but that seems unlikely now. While there can still be lots of player movement in minor league camp during this final week, it’s uncommon for players to move up a level at this point. A trickle-down effect will likely occur later in the week with players moving down levels throughout the organization as the minor league rosters are solidified.
Angel Villalona at the plate in the third inning
The “High-A” team is scheduled to play five more exhibition games this spring through Saturday.
San Jose Giants TV Schedule Announced
The San Jose Giants and Comcast have joined forces to bring fans a schedule of 21 live television broadcasts during the 2013 season. In addition to 20 SJ Giants regular season games from Municipal Stadium, Comcast Hometown Network (Digital Channel 104) will also televise the California-Carolina League All-Star Game on June 18. After the initial live broadcast, all games will be available for cable customers to view anytime through Comcast On Demand Channel 1.
All San Jose Giants television broadcasts will feature the play-by-play of “The Voice of the Giants,” Joe Ritzo and the color commentary of Joe Castellano. Ritzo has been calling San Jose Giants games since 2003 while Castellano, a 20-year veteran of the industry, has broadcasted a variety of sports for networks such as NBC, MLB Network and Comcast.
The following is Comcast Hometown Network’s San Jose Giants telecast schedule for the 2013 season:
Thursday, April 11: 7:00 PM vs. Visalia Rawhide
Friday, April 12: 7:00 PM vs. Visalia Rawhide
Wednesday, April 24: 7:00 PM vs. Modesto Nuts
Wednesday, May 1: 7:00 PM vs. Bakersfield Blaze
Friday, May 3: 7:00 PM vs. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Friday, May 10: 7:00 PM vs. High Desert Mavericks
Friday, May 31: 7:00 PM vs. Stockton Ports
Friday, June 7: 7:00 PM vs. Lancaster Jethawks
Saturday, June 8: 5:00 PM vs. Lancaster Jethawks
Tuesday, June 18: 7:35 PM California League vs. Carolina League All-Star Game
Friday, June 28: 7:00 PM vs. Stockton Ports
Saturday, June 29: 6:00 PM vs. Stockton Ports
Thursday, July 4: 6:30 PM vs. Visalia Rawhide
Friday, July 5: 6:30 PM vs. Visalia Rawhide
Wednesday, July 31: 7:00 PM vs. Visalia Rawhide
Friday, August 9: 7:00 PM vs. Bakersfield Blaze
Saturday, August 10: 5:00 PM vs. Bakersfield Blaze
Sunday August 11: 6:00 PM vs. Bakersfield Blaze
Friday, August 16: 7:00 PM vs Inland Empire 66ers
Saturday, August 17: 5:00 PM vs Inland Empire 66ers
Wednesday, August 28: 7:00 PM vs Visalia Rawhide
*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
All San Jose Giants home games are also streamed live and available on demand through MiLB.TV. For more details and to sign up for a subscription, log onto sjgiants.com and click on MiLB.TV.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 10
Listen Below:
In the final podcast before the team arrives at Municipal Stadium, Joe and Ben make starting lineup projections for the 2013 San Jose Giants. The two also recap San Jose storylines from major league spring training.
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Catcher
By Joe Ritzo
Top prospect Andrew Susac will likely return to San Jose this season
For the second straight season, it appears that the Giants catching position will revolve around Susac. The 86th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Susac didn’t make his professional debut until the start of last year with San Jose. In 102 games played with the Giants, the backstop hit .244 while also producing 16 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBI’s.
At times, it was a major struggle for Susac at the plate as he got off to a slow start before limping through difficult months in June (.207) and July (.189). However, despite battling the fatigue of going through his first full professional season, Susac finished the year on a high note batting at an impressive .333 clip in August while also showing nice improvement defensively. He threw out 32 percent of attempted base stealers for the season to rank second overall among catchers in the California League.
Baseball America ranks Susac the #13 overall prospect and #1 catcher in the San Francisco organization at the start of this season. BA notes that Susac is “still refining his technique” behind the plate and has “a lot to learn about calling a game.” But he’s an athletic receiver who “showed flashes of the plus-power (last year) that earned him an over-slot $1.1 million bonus.”
It was a challenging year for Susac going through the rigors of a long season while attempting to learn how to play the toughest position on the field at the professional level. With his pedestrian batting average in 2012 and still steep learning curve behind the plate, it’s unlikely that the organization will aggressively push Susac to Double-A for the start of this year. Susac will be 23 on opening day and given that it’s just his second professional season, he can repeat the California League and still be considered a prospect. If he’s back in San Jose though, expectations will be very high for Susac as he looks to build on his excellent August production from last year while continuing to make strides defensively, both from a technique standpoint and his handling of a pitching staff. A lot was thrown at Susac last season and the organization will certainly want to see significant positive steps from their top prospect this year.
Dan Burkhart and Jeff Arnold also saw time at catcher with the San Jose Giants last season and it would not be a surprise if one, or even both, were back in the California League in 2013. Burkhart was the primary back-up to Susac most of the year and fared well offensively in his limited playing time. The former 10th round draft pick hit .298 in 34 games to go with six doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI’s. Burkhart occasionally struggled defensively, but provided a nice left-handed bat to the club last season and could be back in San Jose as a back-up, if he doesn’t receive a promotion to Double-A.
Meanwhile, Arnold opened last season with the Giants and played well in a back-up role, but was sent down to Augusta (A) in early-May. While technically a demotion, the move was designed to get Arnold more regular playing time (something he was not receiving in SJ with Susac on the roster). As the GreenJackets’ primary catcher, Arnold hit .238 with 19 doubles, three home runs and 23 RBI’s before returning to the Giants during the final week of the season.
While Arnold’s offensive numbers may not catch your eye, he made his biggest impact defensively, where the organization has praised his handing of a young Augusta pitching staff. Baseball America has even chimed in rating Arnold the top defensive catcher in the San Francisco farm system entering this season. If Susac does indeed return to San Jose, it’s not unrealistic that Arnold could make the jump to Double-A given his defensive skills. But the most likely scenario probably has Arnold, a former 26th round draft pick, returning to the Giants this year, where he would be reunited with many of last season’s Augusta pitchers.
Switch-hitting catcher Joe Staley is another possibility to make the San Jose roster this season. An eighth round draft pick in 2010, Staley led Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) with eight home runs two seasons ago. Last year in Augusta, Staley didn’t enjoy quite as much success batting just .230 with 13 doubles, two homers and 23 RBI’s in 71 games. A patient hitter, Staley was third on the club in walks and possessed a solid .365 on-base percentage. He should open the year either in a back-up role with San Jose or in Augusta.
San Francisco drafted four catchers last June: Trevor Brown (10th round, UCLA), Leonardo Rojas (15th round, Miami Dade Community College), Ben Turner (21st round, Missouri) and Sam Eberle (25th round, Jacksonville State), but it’s unlikely that the organization will view any of the quartet as ready to ascend to San Jose at the start of their first full professional seasons. Brown (.221, 0 HR, 12 RBI) and Eberle (.248, 0 HR, 12 RBI) each saw action with Salem-Keizer last summer.
2013 San Jose Giants Catching Candidates
(2012 regular season statistics are listed)
* Jeff Arnold, C
San Jose: .429, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB
Augusta: .238, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB
* Dan Burkhart, C
San Jose: .298, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB
* Joe Staley, C
Augusta: .230, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 5 SB
* Andrew Susac, C
San Jose: .244, 9 HR, 52 RBI, 1 SB
2013 San Jose Giants previews will conclude next week with a look at the bullpen.
Former SJ Giants Among Big League Roster Cuts
By Joe Ritzo
With less than two weeks until the club breaks camp, the San Francisco Giants made 21 cuts today to trim their roster to 37 players. Several former San Jose Giants were among the players sent to minor league camp, including past MVP award winners Gary Brown and Adam Duvall. Perhaps the biggest surprises are infielders Nick Noonan and Brock Bond not surviving today’s cut. Noonan, who was placed on the 40-man roster last offseason, entered camp with the hopes of competing for the utility infield spot on the opening day roster. Meanwhile, Bond was considered more of a longshot to make the team, but burst out of the gates in early spring games with several impressive performances. However for both, it’s now back to minor league camp.
The former San Jose Giants that were sent down today:
* Ehire Adrianza: Slick-fielding shortstop saw little playing time in big league spring games picking-up one single in nine at-bats. Was optioned to the Fresno roster, which isn’t a guarantee that he’s going to open the season in Triple-A.
Top prospect Gary Brown was one of several former San Jose Giants reassigned to minor league camp today
* Gary Brown: Saw significant playing time this spring as his 27 at-bats are currently among the team leaders. Delivered seven hits (.259 AVG), including a triple and a home run while also playing stellar defense in center. The former first round draft pick should be headed to Fresno with the possibility of a big league call-up later in the year if he excels in the PCL.
* Jake Dunning: Earned a spot on the 40-man roster last offseason and threw well this spring working 6 2/3 innings with just one run allowed, one walk and three strikeouts. Spent all of last season in the Richmond bullpen – does he return to Double-A or get his first crack at Triple-A?
* Adam Duvall: Last year’s San Jose co-MVP, Duvall didn’t see much action, but spending four weeks in big league camp should prove valuable for the slugger as he prepares for his season in Richmond. Duvall was just 1-for-11 (.091 AVG) this spring, although the one hit was a home run.
* Steve Edlefsen: Relief pitcher has seen some major league time the last two years, but will open this season in Fresno. Struggled with his command this spring issuing six walks in 4 2/3 innings (two runs allowed).
* Heath Hembree: Top relief pitcher prospect in the system is one of the biggest names to get sent down today. Hembree had one difficult outing this spring where he gave up two homers in one inning (four runs total). Over his other four appearances, the right-hander was effective tossing four innings with just one run allowed and four strikeouts. He’ll open the season in the Fresno bullpen with the hopes of making his big league debut later in 2013.
* Chris Heston: Struggled in his two appearances this spring allowing five earned runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings. Still considered one of the top starting pitching prospects in the upper levels of the system and should be an anchor in the Fresno rotation this year.
* Roger Kieschnick: Opened camp with the hope of competing for the fifth outfield spot, but managed just a .179 batting average (5-for-28) with one extra-base hit and no RBI’s. When healthy last year, Kieschnick impressed in Fresno and he’ll look to do the same from the middle of the Grizzlies lineup this season to enhance his chances of a call-up.
* Tyler LaTorre: Had been playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Prior to leaving for the WBC, collected one single in three at-bats.
* Mitch Lively: Was a solid performer this spring throwing 4 1/3 innings with just one run allowed and four strikeouts. Lively was a major part of the Fresno bullpen last season and should return to the Grizzlies to open this year.
* Nick Noonan: Got off to a slow start this spring with just one hit in his first 19 at-bats to hurt his chances for making the opening day roster. Was coming on strong in recent games, both offensively (five hits in his last 15 AB’s) and defensively (playing second, short and third), but it wasn’t enough as he’s headed back to Fresno. With Noonan and Bond no longer in camp, the final infield spot on the roster should come down to veterans Tony Abreu, Wilson Valdez and Kensuke Tanaka.
* Ricky Oropesa: Made a positive impression in his first big league camp picking-up four hits in 14 at-bats (.286 AVG), including a home run and three RBI’s. Oropesa will look to make the jump to Double-A this season. There are now no 2012 San Jose Giants players in major league camp.
* Dan Otero: Made the opening day roster last year, although ended up spending most of the season in Fresno. Worked five innings this spring and allowed two earned runs with a pair of strikeouts. Should be one of the top relievers in the Fresno bullpen this year as he looks to make his return to “The Show.”
* Juan Perez: Had some nice moments in big league camp this spring knocking out five hits in 25 at-bats (.200 AVG) with a home run and five RBI’s. Perez was added to the 40-man roster last offseason, so he’s firmly on the radar now. Whether he gets his first taste of Triple-A to start the year or has to return to Richmond remains to be seen.
Pitcher Edwin Escobar, a member of the 40-man roster, was optioned to the San Jose roster today as well. Escobar had a terrific year in the Augusta (A) starting rotation last season ranking third in the South Atlantic League with a 2.96 ERA. While his placement on the San Jose roster doesn’t guarantee he’ll open the year with the Giants, a promotion to the California League is the next logical step for the 20-year old left-hander.
Notable players still in big league camp include outfielder Francisco Peguero and catchers Johnny Monell and Jackson Williams. Peguero looks to be making a serious push for an opening day roster spot as the former San Jose star is batting .424 (14-for-33) this spring with two doubles, a triple and five RBI’s. Monell has opened some eyes with his output at the plate. The former SJ backstop owns a sizzling .600 batting average (9-for-15) with two doubles and a home run. Williams, who is known more for his strong defensive skills behind the plate, is 3-for-17 (.176 AVG) with a double and two RBI’s. Camp opened with Hector Sanchez firmly set as the back-up catcher, but nagging injuries have led to a difficult spring, which has perhaps opened the door for another player in that role. Veteran Guillermo Quiroz (5-for-15, 6 RBI’s), a non-roster invitee, is also competing at the catching position.
Of the 37 players remaining in big league camp, 14 are former San Jose Giants.
Spring News and Notes
By Joe Ritzo
SAN JOSE GIANTS FANFEST
The San Jose Giants officially announced their 2013 FanFest date today. Members of the 2013 San Jose Giants will participate in a meet-and-greet with fans at Municipal Stadium on Tuesday, April 2 beginning at 5:30 PM. All players and coaches will be available to sign autographs, pose for pictures and answer questions from fans before the team holds a practice at 7:00 PM. The practice is open to the public. Turkey Mike’s BBQ, the San Jose Giants Dugout Store and the Family Fun Zone will also be open to fans during the event. Admission and parking are free.
OROPESA GOES DEEP
Ricky Oropesa remains in big league camp and the 2012 San Jose first baseman is making the most of his opportunity. In today’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Oropesa connected for a two-run homer to spark a six-run eighth-inning rally propelling the Giants to a 9-5 victory. In 13 games this spring, Oropesa is now 4-for-14 (.286 AVG) with three singles, a home run and four RBI’s.
News broke today that another former San Jose first baseman, Brett Pill, will undergo knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to miss at least the next three weeks. Pill was batting .259 (7-for-27) with a pair of home runs this spring and was competing for a bench spot on the opening day roster. With Pill’s injury, it leaves just Brandon Belt and Oropesa as the only true first basemen on the big league spring roster. And while Oropesa is not a candidate to make the team (Buster Posey essentially serves as Belt’s back-up), he’ll likely continue to garner playing time in front of the big league coaching staff, which should prove to be a valuable experience.
Oropesa hit .263 with 16 home runs and 98 RBI’s in 134 games with San Jose last season. The former third round draft pick should have an excellent chance to make the Double-A Richmond roster out of camp this year.
OTHER SPRING STANDOUTS
Former San Jose catcher Johnny Monell has enjoyed a good week at the plate in big league spring games. The 2010 California League Championship Series MVP belted a pinch-hit solo homer in yesterday’s game against the Padres in Scottsdale. Then in today’s contest, Monell got the start at DH and went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI’s. It’s a small sample size, but Monell leads the team with a .600 batting average (nine hits in 15 at-bats) this spring. Monell, who is not on the 40-man roster, is still considered a longshot to make the opening day roster, but should at the very least get his first taste of Triple-A at the start of the year.
Outfielder Francisco Peguero continues to make a push for a spot on the roster as he knocked out two more hits today. Peguero owns a sizzling .434 batting average this spring while his 14 hits are second on the team (Belt leads with 15). Nick Noonan is also coming out of his early spring slump with two hits, including a double, in this afternoon’s game. Since starting 1-for-19 in exhibition games, Noonan has collected five hits over his last 15 at-bats. He continues to bounce around the infield as well seeing action at second, third and shortstop. Noonan is one of several players fighting for the final infield spot on the roster.
MINOR LEAGUE EXHIBITION GAMES UNDERWAY
Today was a benchmark in minor league camp as exhibition games officially got underway. The San Francisco Giants opened minor league camp two weeks ago with 157 players and starting this afternoon, the organization placed many of those players on four separate teams: a Triple-A squad, a Double-A team, a Class A Advanced team and a Class A team. Each team will now play a 15 or 16-game spring schedule against other organizations at minor league facilities through Saturday, March 30. Rosters of these teams are still very fluid, especially so early in the exhibition schedule, so it’s nearly impossible to get an early handle on the possible make-up of San Jose’s club. Several players also have to be sent down from big league camp in the coming days and weeks which will result in even more shuffling. Minor league rosters should begin to solidify during the last week of March. An official announcement of the 2013 San Jose Giants Opening Day roster will likely not occur until after the final exhibition game on the 30th.
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Outfield
By Joe Ritzo
Top prospects could anchor the two corner outfield spots for San Jose this season
In all likelihood, many of the top outfield performers from last year’s San Jose club will find themselves in the upper levels of the system at the start of this season. Ryan Lollis was batting close to .300 last July when he earned a surprising promotion all the way to Fresno, where he then produced at an even better rate. Former second round draft pick Jarrett Parker had his share of ups and downs the last two seasons in the California League with a total of 28 home runs and 48 stolen bases, but a pedestrian .250 combined batting average. Parker also struck out a whopping 175 times last year, but possesses some of the best tools of any position player in the organization and should get his first crack at Double-A this spring. Alex Burg enjoyed many nice moments the last two seasons with San Jose combining for a .272 batting average and 24 home runs as he also looks to move up to Richmond. With his ability to play multiple positions (first, third, outfield and catcher), Burg could fill a role with the Flying Squirrels this year.
Meanwhile, possible outfield returnees for the San Jose Giants in 2013 include Chris Lofton, Jarrad Page and Devin Harris. Lofton, a former ninth round draft pick, garnered most of the starts in center field early last season before shifting to left and a more secondary role on the team later in the year. The speedster finished the campaign with a .245 batting average, five home runs, 30 RBI’s and 22 stolen bases. Lofton’s return to San Jose seems likely, where he could once again see action in center and left while adding speed to the lineup.
Page is a former NFL safety who signed with San Francisco as a minor league free agent last July after his release from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 30 games with San Jose late last season, Page batted just .182 with a pair of triples, one home run and nine RBI’s. Page also runs well and certainly looks good in a uniform, but is incredibly raw on the baseball field. Given his struggles in the California League last year (hit a combined .156 between Rancho Cucamonga and San Jose), he’s probably headed to a Class A affiliate to start the season.
Harris struggled mightily in the first half of last season with the Giants batting just .185 over 53 games while seeing action exclusively in right field. The slugger was sent down to Augusta at the All-Star break and in fact, led the power-challenged GreenJackets in home runs, despite only playing in 50 games. Harris finished the year with a .245 batting average in an Augusta uniform while also contributing eight home runs and 39 RBI’s. Harris has excellent power potential, but has often had difficulty making consistent contact throughout his career. He’ll compete for a spot in San Jose’s outfield this spring.
If any of Lofton, Page or Harris return to the Giants this season, they’ll likely assume more secondary roles on the team. That’s in large part due to the top outfield prospects that could be headed to San Jose.
Shawn Payne was promoted to San Jose during the final weekend of the season last year
Payne isn’t known as a big power hitter (although he did smack a home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning in Game 1 of the playoffs last year for the Giants), but can make a lot of things happen on the basepaths with his great speed and ability to steal bases. Payne led the entire San Francisco organization with 53 steals last year while he was caught only three times. Over his two-year professional career, Payne is an outstanding and remarkably efficient 74-for-83 in stolen base attempts.
In five games with San Jose last September (two regular season + three playoff contests), Payne was 5-for-21 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI’s. He could hit first, second or third in the Giants’ lineup this season while anchoring the left field position. Payne wasn’t a high draft pick (35th round in 2011 out of Georgia Southern University), so he’ll have to show a lot at every level to continue his ascension, but last year’s performance in the South Atlantic League has certainly put him on the map. Entering 2013, Baseball America has rated Payne the #29 overall prospect (and seventh-highest outfielder) in the San Francisco organization.
Payne played next to Jesus Galindo in the outfield for most of last season and the duo could be reunited in the California League this year. Galindo burst onto the scene in 2011 at Short-Season Salem-Keizer where he stole an incredible 47 bases in just 62 games while also batting at a .276 clip. Galindo was recognized as one of the top position player prospects in the Northwest League at the conclusion of the year and was primed for a big 2012 in Augusta. Unfortunately, an injury prevented Galindo from making his season debut until late-May and it wasn’t really until July that he was able to get on track with the GreenJackets.
As Augusta’s everyday center fielder the last three months of the season, Galindo hit .252 overall with eight doubles, three triples, no home runs and 23 RBI’s. He, once again, made his biggest impact on the bases swiping 40 bags in just 66 games last year.
Galindo has hardly any power and is more of a slap hitter at this stage in his career, but if he proves he can handle Cal League pitching and get on base, with his speed and fearless nature on the bathpaths, he’s a logical candidate to bat leadoff for the Giants. Galindo, who is a switch-hitter, made nice strides as last season progressed batting .306 in July and .283 in August for the GreenJackets and will look to carry that success into the start of 2013. Galindo profiles as an above-average defender in center field.
While Harris emerged as Augusta’s primary right fielder in the second half of last season, he could be hard-pressed to hold off top prospect Mac Williamson at that position in San Jose this year. Williamson was San Francisco’s third round pick last year and was, in fact, the only position player that the organization selected among the first eight rounds overall. An imposing presence in the batters box at 6’5”, 240 lbs., Williamson led the ACC in home runs last spring as he connected for 17 round-trippers in 53 games at Wake Forest.
Williamson, who bats right-handed, continued to show his power stroke in the professional ranks over the summer combining for nine home runs in just 33 games between the AZL-Giants (Rookie) and Salem-Keizer. He made his biggest mark with the Volcanoes late in the year emerging as their top hitter down the stretch. Over 29 games in a Salem-Keizer uniform, Williamson hit an eye-catching .342 with eight doubles, seven homers and 25 RBI’s. Williamson quickly solidified himself in the fourth and fifth spot in the batting order and could provide a much-needed power boost to the San Jose lineup this season if the organization feels he’s ready for a promotion to the California League. It hasn’t been uncommon in recent years for the Giants to push their top college draft picks to San Jose for their first full professional season (Joe Panik, Andrew Susac and Ricky Oropesa as examples from the 2012 club) and given Williamson’s success with Salem-Keizer last summer, he would be a logical candidate for that promotion.
Baseball America has rated Williamson the #16 overall prospect (fifth-highest outfielder) in the San Francisco organization. BA notes that Williamson “has power to all fields and is a max-effort player who impressed coaches with his work ethic and desire.” Williamson has plus arm strength from his right field position although BA notes that he’s “not an instinctive outfielder” and has to improve that aspect of his game. If he can make the adjustment to Cal League pitching in his first full season, Williamson could be a major contributor for San Jose this year.
Finally, Brett Krill is another likely outfielder to make the jump from Augusta to San Jose this season. Krill hit .304 in his rookie pro season two years ago with Salem-Keizer, but got off to a slow start with the GreenJackets in 2012. He was batting only .201 on June 1, but managed to turn his season around in a big way. While seeing action primarily at the corner outfield spots, Krill hit .309 in June, a sizzling .385 in July and then .330 in August. A solid contributor that generally hit anywhere from fifth to eighth in the lineup, Krill finished the campaign with a .288 batting average, a team-high 26 doubles, five home runs and 53 RBI’s.
Krill, like Williamson, has good size at 6’4” and 220 lbs. He was a 25th round draft pick three years ago out of UCLA where he played a leading role on their 2010 team that reached the College World Series. Given his torrid hitting during the second half of last year, look for Krill to earn a promotion to San Jose, where he could see action in left, right and DH.
2013 San Jose Giants Outfield Candidates
(2012 regular season statistics are listed)
* Jesus Galindo, CF
Augusta: .252, 0 HR, 23 RBI, 40 SB
* Devin Harris, RF
San Jose: .185, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 0 SB
Augusta: .245, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 2 SB
* Brett Krill, RF/LF
Augusta: .288, 5 HR, 53 RBI, 8 SB
* Chris Lofton, CF/LF
San Jose: .245, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 22 SB
* Jarrad Page, RF
San Jose: .182, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 5 SB
* Shawn Payne, LF
Augusta: .309, 6 HR, 57 RBI, 53 SB
* Mac Williamson, RF
Salem-Keizer: .342, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB
2013 San Jose Giants previews will continue next week with a look at the catching position.
San Jose Giants Radio Broadcast Information
By Joe Ritzo
The San Jose Giants open the 2013 season on Thursday, April 4.
There are several ways to listen to San Jose Giants baseball this season:
* Of course, every game is streamed live on the club’s official website, sjgiants.com. Radio broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to first pitch with the Giants Pregame Show as I’ll preview the upcoming contest, take a look around the Giants farm system and bring you inside the clubhouse with an exclusive interview. The San Jose Giants broadcast page can be found here. There’s also a Listen Live link on the right side of this blog under the “Giants Links” section.
* Every broadcast is also streamed live on your mobile phone through the San Jose Giants Mobile App. The San Jose Giants Mobile App is available to download for free in the App StoreSM for your iPad or iPhone or the Android Marketplace.
* If you’re at the ballpark and want to listen to the game, tune your radio dial to 92.9 FM. The live radio broadcast is available on this FM frequency inside the main seating bowl at Municipal Stadium.
* All San Jose Giants home games are also streamed live and available on demand through MiLB.TV. For more details and to sign up for a subscription, log onto sjgiants.com and click on MiLB.TV in the Multimedia tab.
Details of the San Jose Giants television schedule on Comcast Hometown Network are forthcoming.
Former SJ Giants Receive Early Spring Playing Time
By Joe Ritzo
San Francisco’s spring training schedule began two weeks ago with several former San Jose Giants receiving early playing time. Most of the established big leaguers are only playing the first handful of innings during early spring exhibitions while others are participating in the World Baseball Classic giving the minor leaguers in camp an opportunity to shine.
Through the first 13 games of San Francisco’s spring slate entering today, Francisco Peguero has been one of the top offensive performers on the club. Peguero, who received a late-season call-up a year ago and entered camp with a shot at the opening day roster, has knocked out 11 hits in 20 at-bats for a sizzling .550 batting average. The 2010 California League All-Star has also contributed two doubles and one triple while his five RBI’s are third on the team.
Peguero still has minor league options remaining, so the organization can send him down at the end of spring training without the risk of losing the outfielder to another organization. He’s split time between left and right field this spring and with continued success, he should receive serious consideration for a spot on the opening day roster.
Roger Kieschnick, another member of the 40-man roster, also entered camp with aspirations of making the opening day roster. Unlike Peguero, Kieschnick has yet to debut in the big leagues. He did, however, lead Triple-A Fresno with 15 home runs a season ago despite missing three months with a shoulder injury. Kieschnick has received substantial playing time in early spring games as well, but is just a modest 5-for-21 (.238 AVG) with one double and no RBI’s. He’s also struck out a team-high seven times. Kieschnick, who looks to be behind Peguero and non-roster invitee Cole Gillespie (6-for-23, three doubles) in the competition for the possible fifth outfielder role, has primarily seen action in right field during spring training games.
Gary Brown is expected to begin this season as Fresno’s primary center fielder, but is getting an opportunity to impress this spring. The former first round draft pick is 5-for-21 (.238 AVG) in 10 games with a double, a triple, a home run and four RBI’s. Reportedly, Brown has also handled himself very well defensively in center field.
Meanwhile, Juan Perez, who was added to the 40-man roster last offseason after a solid year with Double-A Richmond, has struggled at the plate. The former San Jose outfielder is just 3-for-21 (.111 AVG) in 11 games with a double and three RBI’s. After spending the last two seasons with the Flying Squirrels, Perez is looking to break camp with Fresno for the first time in his professional career. Competition for spots in the Grizzlies outfield should be fierce in the coming weeks though with possibly Peguero (if he doesn’t make the team), Kieschnick, Brown, Chris Dominguez and Todd Linden joining Perez in the discussion. Dominguez and Linden, who both finished last season in Fresno, were not invited to big league camp.
On the infield, former San Jose second baseman Brock Bond has made a strong impression in early spring games. Bond, who received a non-roster invitation to big league camp after hitting .332 in 106 games with Fresno last year, has hit for both average and power this spring. Through seven games, Bond has picked-up six hits in 12 at-bats (.500 AVG) with a double, two home runs and four RBI’s. The power from Bond has been the most surprising as he’s hit just four round-trippers in the first six years of his professional career.
Bond is still considered a longshot to make San Francisco’s opening day roster, but he’s certainly caught the eye of the coaching staff with his early success. Last season with the Grizzlies, Bond split time between second and third base.
Nick Noonan put himself back on the prospect map with a productive 2012 in Fresno earning the former supplemental first round pick a spot on the 40-man roster. Unfortunately for Noonan, he has struggled at the plate this spring collecting just one single in 19 at-bats (.053 AVG) through 10 games. A positive for Noonan is that he’s putting the ball in play (no strikeouts thus far), but for a player who needed to make a major impact this spring to receive consideration for a roster spot, it has yet to happen for the former SJ Giant. Noonan, who looks to be headed back to Fresno, has seen action at second, third and short in early spring games.
Tony Abreu, Wilson Valdez, two players with prior big league experience that were signed by the organization last offseason, and Kensuke Tanake, who was signed out of Japan, figure to be the leading candidates for the open back-up infield spot over the homegrown options of Bond and Noonan.
First baseman Brett Pill has had some nice moments this spring as he’s tied for second on the team with two home runs. Pill is 6-for-22 (.273 AVG) overall with a double and a triple. Pill has hit .239 with six homers in 63 big league games over the last two seasons.
Former San Jose catchers Jackson Williams and Johnny Monell have seen some early spring action behind the plate. Williams, who spent all of last year in Fresno, is 2-for-12 (.167 AVG) with a double and two RBI’s. Meanwhile, Monell has knocked out four singles in eight at-bats (.500 AVG) with an RBI. The duo, along with non-roster invitee Guillermo Quiroz, who was signed by the organization last offseason, figure to all be competing for spots in Fresno this spring. The top spring performer could put himself in position for an in-season call-up if San Francisco were to need another catcher.
Adam Duvall homered against the Cubs last Saturday
Oropesa is 1-for-9 (.111 AVG) as well with a single and an RBI. Panik was slowed by a hamstring injury and didn’t play in his first spring game until last weekend. The former first round pick is hitless in four at-bats. Finally, Susac is 2-for-6 (.333 AVG) with a double in limited action.
Panik and Susac were sent down to minor league camp earlier today. The move was not unexpected as the two top prospects will now get a chance to play more regularly in the upcoming minor league spring training games, so they can fully prepare for the season. Duvall and Oropesa remain in big league camp for now, but they too will likely be sent down shortly.
Angel Villalona has seen action in five games this spring as the first baseman is 2-for-12 (.167 AVG) overall. Villalona homered in a game last Friday against the A’s, but followed it up with a four-strikeout performance versus the Royals the next day. Playing in the United States for the first time in 3 1/2 years, Villalona was also among the first group of players sent to minor league camp today.
As a member of the 40-man roster, Villalona had to technically be “optioned” to the minor leagues. The organization officially optioned Villalona onto the San Jose roster although that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to open the season with the Giants. All minor league roster decisions won’t become final until the end of spring training.
Over on the pitching side, Heath Hembree’s progress this spring is certainly being watched closely. The former California League All-Star started strong with back-to-back scoreless outings in his first two appearances. He then allowed one run in one inning last Sunday against the Diamondbacks before struggling mightily in yesterday’s contest versus the Indians. Hembree was roughed up for four runs in just one inning by Cleveland on a pair of homers hit by big league sluggers Nick Swisher and Jason Giambi. The result has Hembree’s current spring ERA inflated to 11.25 (5 ER/4.0 IP) with one walk and one strikeout on his ledger.
Hembree should open the year as one of the primary late-inning relievers in Fresno.
Dan Runzler, Dan Otero and Jake Dunning are former San Jose relievers on the 40-man roster looking to make a good impression this spring. Runzler has the best chance of the trio to earn a spot on the opening day roster. Finally healthy after back-to-back injury plagued seasons, Runzler has appeared in four games and has allowed just one run in four innings. The left-hander has struck out four and walked two.
Otero, who made the opening day roster last year, but spent most of the season in Fresno, has worked three innings in early spring action with one run allowed and one strikeout. Dunning pitched out of the Richmond bullpen last year and is looking to earn a promotion to Fresno in 2013. Through 3 2/3 innings this spring, he’s yielded just one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Chris Heston put himself squarely on the prospect map last season after dominating in Richmond to earn Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors. He’s almost certainly headed to Fresno this season where he’ll anchor the Grizzlies rotation. This spring provides Heston an opportunity to make a positive impression with the coaching staff should a starting pitcher be needed in San Francisco down the road. Unfortunately, he’s endured back-to-back rough outings to open the spring. In his first game against the White Sox, Heston surrendered two runs in one inning. Then in his next appearance last Saturday versus the Royals, Heston was charged with four runs (three earned) on six hits in just 1 2/3 innings. He should still receive a few more opportunities to impress in upcoming exhibition games. Heston was placed on the 40-man roster last offseason.
Former SJ hurlers among the non-roster invitees include Steve Edlefsen, Mitch Lively and Justin Fitzgerald. Edlefsen has made 27 relief appearances with San Francisco over the last two seasons, but is considered a longshot to make the team. He’s struggled with his control this spring issuing five walks in 2 2/3 innings with two runs allowed. Lively had a solid year out of the Fresno bullpen in 2012 and is likely headed back to the Pacific Coast League. The right-hander though has looked good in limited spring action on the mound with 3 1/3 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts over three appearances. Fitzgerald was among the first cuts down to minor league camp today. In two games out of the bullpen, the former San Jose starter has yielded three runs on six hits over two innings.
2012 San Jose relievers and non-roster invitees Edward Concepcion, Josh Osich and Jose Valdez all saw little time on the mound before an assignment to minor league camp today. Concepcion pitched in one game and allowed one run on two hits over one inning. Osich pitched twice and struggled yielding three runs on four hits over a combined 1 1/3 innings. Finally, Valdez walked three batters in his one inning of work, but did not allow any runs or hits. The trio will all look to move up to Richmond this season although Concepcion’s struggles in San Jose last year could result in his return to the California League.
San Francisco’s spring record is 4-6-3.
Minor league spring games are scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Here is the exhibition game schedule of the “High-A” team, or the players most likely to begin the season in San Jose.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 9
Listen below:
In Episode 9, Joe and Ben welcome former San Jose Giants pitcher and current Account Executive and Camp Coordinator Taylor Wilding to the podcast. The three discuss Wilding’s experiences in spring training minor league camp and his six seasons in professional baseball. Ben and Joe then wrap up the podcast with an in-depth look at a few of the minor league players and storylines from 2013 San Francisco Giants spring training.
#1 Viewed Minor League Team Blog
MLB.com has released their latest blog leaders and we’re thrilled to report that Inside the San Jose Giants was the most viewed blog of any Minor League team for the month of February!
MLB.com: Presenting the February 2013 Latest Leaders
Our blog ranked 25th overall last month in the entire MLB.com network. This blog is only five months old, but the response has been overwhelming. Thank you all for your readership and we look forward to bringing you complete coverage of San Jose Giants baseball this season.
- Joe Ritzo, Voice of the San Jose Giants
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Corner Infield
By Joe Ritzo
Ricky Oropesa hit 16 home runs with San Jose last season, but could he still return to the California League?
Ricky Oropesa garnered nearly all of the starts at first base last year for the Giants and put together a solid rookie professional campaign. The former third round draft pick ranked fifth in the California League with 98 RBI’s and was second on the Giants with 16 home runs. His 30 doubles also led the club while he proved to be durable throughout the year playing in a team-high 134 games. Baseball America has rated Oropesa the top first base prospect in the San Francisco farm system. With all of those numbers, it would seem to be automatic that Oropesa would earn a promotion to Richmond. However, it’s not quite that simple.
Oropesa’s somewhat pedestrian .263 batting average could give the organization some pause as to whether he’s ready for the rigors that is Eastern League pitching. He also struggled throughout the year to make consistent contact as evident by a whopping 150 strikeouts.
Despite the impressive run production totals, it was often an up-and-down season for Oropesa. He excelled throughout June hitting .327 with six homers before a dreadful month of July that saw the slugging first baseman bat just .157 with two home runs. Oropesa recovered to hit .291 in August and then earned a spot in the high-profile Arizona Fall League where against mainly top Double-A and Triple-A pitching, he finished with a .234 batting average and a pair of home runs in 15 games.
Further complicating matters is the presence of Angel Villalona. Once regarded as the top power-hitting prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization, Villalona has endured a tumultuous road off the field in recent years. After signing a then-club record $2.1 million bonus as a 16-year old in 2006, Villalona began to work his way through the farm system, including a 17-homer season with Augusta in 2008. He was San Jose’s starting first baseman in 2009 when as the youngest player in the California League (18), he hit .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBI’s in 74 games. Villalona suffered a season-ending leg injury in July and while at home in the Dominican Republic a couple of months later, his life was turned upside-down when he was accused of murder.
While the charges were eventually dropped, Villalona spent two seasons out of baseball before returning to action last year in the Dominican Summer League. Against much younger competition last summer, Villalona hit .303 and connected for seven home runs in 44 games. San Francisco has protected Villalona on the 40-man roster and he’s now just returned to the United States for the first time in 3 1/2 years.
Villalona and Oropesa (as a non-roster invitee) are both currently playing in big league spring training games. They’ll each probably be sent down to minor league camp in the coming days, so that they can receive regular playing time before opening day. It would seem likely that the two players won’t end up on the same minor league team come April allowing each to play regularly at first base and continue their development.
It’s almost impossible to accurately predict where Villalona is going to start the season given the unprecedented nature of his situation. With his spot on the 40-man roster (which can sometimes result in a more hurried ascension through the system for a player), would the organization consider pushing Villalona up to Richmond? If that happens, might Oropesa then return to San Jose? Or perhaps Villalona will just pick up right where he left off 3 1/2 years ago which means he’ll be back manning the first base position at Municipal Stadium (thereby clearing the way for Oropesa in Richmond). Could Villalona even be sent down to Augusta (Class A) or held back in extended spring training? It’s difficult to predict, but the most likely scenario at this point would seem to have either Oropesa or Villalona starting at first base with the San Jose Giants in early-April. With this year’s projected San Jose squad not featuring many true power hitters, the presence of one of these two big bats in the middle of the lineup would be a tremendous lift for the club.
Outside of the two sluggers, there aren’t many other first base possibilities for the San Jose Giants this year. The versatile Alex Burg has some first base experience, but with 24 home runs and a combined a .272 batting average over the last two seasons in the California League, it’s probably time for an opportunity in Double-A. Ben Thomas was the primary first baseman in Augusta last year, but after hitting just .243 with five home runs in 100 games, he elected to retire from baseball. Joe Rapp played first base for the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2012 and put up some solid numbers. San Francisco’s 28th round draft pick last year, Rapp led the Volcanoes with 11 home runs and 42 RBI’s while also producing a .272 batting average. He did strikeout a team-high 73 times (in just 64 games), however, and is probably headed to Augusta this season. If neither Oropesa nor Villalona end up in San Jose, then Rapp might be considered for San Jose’s starting first base position.
A first-third combo option for the San Jose Giants this season is Garrett Buechele. A 14th round draft pick in 2011, Buechele spent all of last year with the Augusta GreenJackets where he split time between the two positions. In 75 games overall, he finished with a .251 batting average, 10 doubles, three homers and 27 RBI’s. Buechele is a natural third baseman, but showed some versatility by playing in 32 games at first a season ago. He’s yet to enjoy a lot of success at the plate as a professional (two-year career average of .249), but will compete for a spot on San Jose’s opening day roster this spring and could provide infield depth.
Jose Cuevas is another third base possibility for the Giants this season. Cuevas was the Arizona Rookie League MVP in 2011 when he hit .337 with nine home runs and 46 RBI’s in 46 games. The former 29th round selection though struggled in Augusta last year as he batted only .212 in 99 games. Cuevas has some power (his six homers were actually tied for second on the GreenJackets) and saw substantial playing time at third and second base last year while he can even play some shortstop if needed. Whether he can earn a spot on San Jose’s team this year after producing a subpar batting average in the South Atlantic League remains to be seen.
With no top third base prospects in his way, it’s certainly possible that former Cal star Mitch Delfino could jump from Salem-Keizer (where he finished last season) to the hot corner in San Jose. Delfino was San Francisco’s 20th round draft pick last June and after signing his professional contract, eventually became Salem-Keizer’s primary third baseman. His offensive production may not jump off the page as Delfino hit .269 with 12 doubles, no homers and 19 RBI’s in 41 games, but the Cloverdale, CA native excelled in the fall instructional league after the season and has put himself in contention for a spot on San Jose’s roster.
In his final season at Cal last spring, Delfino led the Golden Bears with an impressive .355 batting average while also contributing five home runs and 38 RBI’s in 52 games. With a strong spring, Delfino could take hold of San Jose’s starting third base job.
2013 San Jose Giants Corner Infield Candidates
(2012 regular season statistics are listed)
* Garrett Buechele, 3B/1B
Augusta: .251, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB
* Jose Cuevas, 3B/2B
Augusta: .212, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 18 SB
* Mitch Delfino, 3B
Salem-Keizer: .269, 0 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB
* Ricky Oropesa, 1B
San Jose: .263, 16 HR, 98 RBI, 1 SB
* Joe Rapp, 1B
Salem-Keizer: .272, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB
* Angel Villalona, 1B
DSL-Giants: .303, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 0 SB
2013 San Jose Giants previews will continue next week with a look at the outfield.
Early Spring Standouts
By Joe Ritzo
The San Francisco Giants are seven games into their spring training schedule after today’s 13-9 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Here are a few stat lines of some recent former San Jose Giants in big league spring games:
* Brock Bond, 2B: .429 AVG (3-7), 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Bond, a non-roster invitee, has burst out of the gates in early spring action. A San Jose Giant in 2008, Bond has collected three extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs. Power isn’t something Bond is known for as the infielder has hit just four round-trippers over his first six minor league seasons. Last year in Fresno, Bond batted .332 with one homer and 31 RBI’s in 106 games.
* Gary Brown, OF: .300 AVG (3-10), 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Brown is another non-roster invitee off to a good start this spring. The former first round draft pick delivered a two-RBI triple in today’s game and has three hits in 10 at-bats overall.
* Adam Duvall, 3B: .000 AVG (0-4), 0 HR, 0 RBI
A slow start for Duvall in limited action as last year’s San Jose co-MVP is hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts.
* Heath Hembree, RHP: 2 G, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
Hembree has worked a scoreless inning in each of his two relief appearances. He’s allowed two hits overall and has yet to record a strikeout.
* Roger Kieschnick, OF: .167 AVG (2-12), 1 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Kieschnick could force his way onto the opening day roster as a reserve outfielder with a big spring. Thus far, he’s knocked out a pair of hits, including a double, in 12 at-bats.
* Nick Noonan, INF: .125 AVG (1-8), 0 HR, 0 RBI
Noonan, who was added to the 40-man roster last offseason, could also earn consideration for a spot on the opening day roster if he excels this spring. After a week, the former San Jose infielder has one single in eight at-bats.
* Ricky Oropesa, 1B: .200 AVG (1-5), 0 HR, 1 RBI
In limited action, Oropesa has one single and an RBI in five at-bats.
* Francisco Peguero, OF: .600 AVG (6-10), 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Peguero is off to a sizzling start this spring. The former San Jose outfielder has six hits already, including a 2-for-3 effort in today’s game versus the A’s. Continued success this spring will keep Peguero in the discussion for a spot on the opening day roster.
* Brett Pill, 1B: .294 AVG (5-17), 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Pill has previous big league experience and is looking to earn a bench spot on the team this spring. He’s clubbed two homers – both in last Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers.
* Dan Runzler, LHP: 2 G, 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
Runzler is looking to reclaim a spot in the Giants bullpen this spring and is off to a good start. Through two outings, he’s worked a pair of scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
* Andrew Susac, C: .500 AVG (1-2), 1 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Susac has received limited playing time, but did come through with a double off the bench last Wednesday versus the Angels.
* Angel Villalona, 1B: .286 AVG (2-7), 1 HR, 1 RBI
Villalona made a splash in today’s game with a solo home run. He’s produced two hits in seven at-bats overall.
Joe Panik has yet to play in a game this spring due to a mild hamstring injury.
Over in minor league camp, all players were due to report by today. The first full workout is scheduled for Saturday.
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Middle Infield
By Joe Ritzo
Versatile middle infielder Bobby Haney is a candidate to return to San Jose this season
The two middle spots in San Jose last year were filled primarily by three players: Joe Panik at shortstop, Carter Jurica at second base and Bobby Haney in a utility role at both positions. Panik is headed for the upper levels of the Giants farm system this season, most likely Double-A Richmond, after a solid campaign in the California League that earned the former first round pick co-team MVP honors. Jurica and Haney also put forth quality efforts in San Jose last season, in particular at the plate, but there’s a strong chance that one of them will find himself back with the Giants in 2013.
On paper, Jurica would seem to be the most likely of the duo to earn a promotion to Richmond. After missing over two months of the 2011 season due to injury, Jurica returned to San Jose last year and hit an impressive .300 in 108 games. The former third round draft pick also produced 19 doubles, six home runs and 56 RBI’s while primarily batting out of the first or ninth position in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Haney also performed well when given the opportunity to play. While he only received roughly half of the at-bats that Jurica garnered, Haney did post a .310 batting average in San Jose. A former 22nd round pick, Haney added 16 doubles and 22 RBI’s, but went the entire year without connecting for a home run. He saw most of his action at second base (42 games), but also played some at shortstop (12 games) and third (12 games).
Given his draft pedigree, his over 1 1/2 years of experience in the California League and solid batting average with the Giants last season, a promotion to Richmond would figure to be a slam dunk for Jurica. Haney also could make a strong case for a call-up to Double-A as he’s a product of one of the elite college baseball programs in the country (University of South Carolina), he hit over .300 last season and has shown he can capably play multiple positions on the infield. But a potential logjam in the Richmond middle infield at the start of the year and the lack of top middle infield prospects coming up from the lower levels of the system will probably result in one of these players returning to San Jose, despite their 2012 success.
Last year in Richmond, former SJ Giants Ehire Adrianza and Ryan Cavan manned the shortstop and second base positions respectively. While both were major contributors on San Jose’s 2011 squad, they each struggled with their first taste of Double-A (Adrianza hit .220, Cavan .228). Despite his difficult season at the plate, Adrianza, who is on the 40-man roster, could still be pushed to Triple-A Fresno at the start of the year. However, even if that comes to fruition, with Panik now thrown into the Richmond mix, there likely wouldn’t be space for all of these middle infielders to continue their development in Double-A. As a result, look for one of Jurica (at second base) or Haney (at either second or shortstop) to return to San Jose, where they could play everyday and provide a veteran presence up the middle.
As for potential newcomers, Kelby Tomlinson will compete this spring for the starting shortstop position in San Jose. Tomlinson was a 12th round pick of the San Francisco Giants two years ago out of Texas Tech University. He burst onto the scene in 2011 at the Rookie-level when he batted .357 in 37 games, but often struggled last year in Augusta. Tomlinson led the GreenJackets in games played (123) and at-bats (450) while also scoring the second-most runs on the club (57), but a .224 batting average may give the organization pause as to whether he’s ready for a promotion to the California League.
Tomlinson doesn’t possess much power (nine doubles and one home run last year), but he can take a walk and runs very well as evident by his 36 stolen bases a season ago. With the shortstop position vacated in San Jose after Panik’s big year, it would seem to be Tomlinson’s for the taking provided he can show enough this spring. If he does in fact make the jump to San Jose, Tomlinson, a right-handed batter, would figure to hit near the bottom of the lineup, perhaps in the ninth spot where with his speed he could act as a second leadoff man.
Carlos Willoughby and Jose Cuevas were the primary second basemen last season in Augusta, but both disappointed offensively with identical .212 batting averages. Each has enjoyed significant past success, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough for either to get the call to San Jose this April.
Willoughby, another speedster, was the Dominican Summer League MVP as a 20-year old in 2009. He followed that up by hitting .295 in Rookie-ball the next season and then got off to a fast start in 2011 with Augusta to claim midseason South Atlantic League All-Star honors. A second half slump though with the GreenJackets lowered his final batting average two seasons ago to .240 (he did steal 33 bases) before a forgetful 2012 in which he batted just .212 with no homers and 10 stolen bases over 71 games.
Cuevas was the Arizona Rookie League MVP as a 23-year old in 2011 after batting .337 with league-high totals of nine home runs and 46 RBI’s in 46 games. However, it didn’t translate to much success in Augusta last season as he also batted just .212 while contributing 20 doubles and six homers in 99 games. Cuevas, a former 29th round draft pick, has also seen substantial playing time at third base throughout his career.
San Francisco didn’t draft a middle infielder last June until the 12th round when they selected shortstop Jeremy Sy out of Louisiana-Monroe University. Sy will make his professional debut this season. He was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year last spring after batting .330 in his final collegiate season. Ryan Jones (13th round, Michigan State University) and Matt Duffy (18th round, Long Beach State University) were also 2012 middle infield draftees of the Giants. Jones hit just .227 with eight doubles and one homer as the primary second baseman for Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) last summer and is an unlikely candidate to bypass Augusta and jump to San Jose for the start of this season. Duffy could potentially force his way to the California League this year, but it would probably take an enormous spring training to be given a serious look. As Salem-Keizer’s shortstop last season, Duffy hit .247 in 47 games. He showed almost no power (just four doubles and one home run), but did walk more than he struck out and also led the Volcanoes with 10 stolen bases.
2013 San Jose Giants Middle Infield Candidates
(2012 regular season statistics are listed)
* Jose Cuevas, 2B/3B
Augusta: .212, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 18 SB
* Matt Duffy, SS
Salem-Keizer: .247, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 10 SB
* Bobby Haney, 2B/SS
San Jose: .310, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 3 SB
* Carter Jurica, 2B
San Jose: .300, 6 HR, 56 RBI, 6 SB
* Kelby Tomlinson, SS
Augusta: .224, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 36 SB
* Carlos Willoughby, 2B
Augusta: .212, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 10 SB
2013 San Jose Giants previews will continue next week with a look at the corner infield positions.
Former SJ Giant Conor Gillaspie Traded
By Joe Ritzo
The San Francisco Giants made some news earlier today as Conor Gillaspie was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league pitcher Jeff Soptic. Gillaspie was the primary third baseman on San Jose’s 2009 team when he batted .286 with 31 doubles, four home runs and 67 RBI’s. The former supplemental first round draft pick has spent the bulk of the last two seasons playing for Triple-A Fresno. He’s received brief major league time with San Francisco in 2008, 2011 and 2012 combining for a .205 batting average with one home run (of the inside-the-park variety) in 44 at-bats.
Gillaspie was one of Fresno’s top hitters last year as he batted .281 with 14 homers and 49 RBI’s in 108 games, however it was unlikely that he was going to make San Francisco’s opening day roster this season. Gillaspie was also out of minor league options.
At the conclusion of the 2012 regular season, Gillaspie was one of a remarkable 14 players from San Jose’s record-setting 2009 championship team that had already reached the major leagues. Half of those 14 players are still in the Giants organization in Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Crawford, Dan Runzler, Eric Surkamp, Francisco Peguero and Steve Edlefsen. Brian Bocock, Darren Ford, Scott Barnes, Thomas Neal, Ryan Verdugo, Tyler Graham and Gillaspie have also made it to “The Show” from that ’09 club.
Meanwhile, Soptic figures to be a candidate to open the 2013 season in San Jose’s bullpen. Chicago’s third round draft pick in 2011 out of Johnson County (Kansas) Community College, Soptic pitched last season at the Class-A level with Kannapolis (South Atlantic League). In 27 relief appearances, he compiled a 3-2 record with a 5.40 ERA. Soptic struck out 36 batters in 43 1/3 innings and limited the opposition to an impressive .176 batting average, but also struggled with his control issuing 29 walks.
Baseball America ranked Soptic the #29 overall prospect (and fifth-highest relief pitcher) in the White Sox organization entering the 2013 season. BA also considered Soptic to possess the best fastball in their system. They note that he “had one of the best arms in the 2011 draft, hitting 100 mph and showing easy mid 90′s heat” in college. He’s certainly an intriguing power arm, albeit one that appears to be very raw, and would seem to be a logical candidate to move up to the Class A advanced level this season.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 8
Listen below:
In Episode 8, Joe and Ben broadcast from the Municipal Stadium stands while discussing the top San Francisco Giants Minor League camp storylines. The two also examine San Jose roster possibilities as they preview the prospect-laden Giants starting rotation.
2013 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Starting Pitchers
By Joe Ritzo
Clayton Blackburn is one of several top prospects that could begin the year in San Jose’s starting rotation
No team in the California League can match San Jose’s success on the mound over the last two decades. A remarkable 10 Giants hurlers have won the California League Pitcher of the Year award since the team’s inception in 1988 while San Jose has led the league in ERA seven times over the last nine seasons. Now looking ahead to this year, the San Jose Giants could feature one of their most prospect-laden starting rotations in recent memory.
A bevy of exciting young arms are projected to join the club in April as the Giants look to continue their tradition of producing top flight starting pitchers. Baseball America recently noted that San Jose should have “one of the minors’ most talented rotations” as former first round draft picks Kyle Crick and Chris Stratton along with last year’s playoff star Clayton Blackburn are all strong candidates to begin the season in the California League.
Crick would be the rotation headliner this spring if he were to open the year in San Jose. Last season as a 19-year old in Class-A Augusta, Crick fashioned a 2.51 ERA in 22 starts to go with a 7-6 record and a whopping 128 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings. Crick also allowed just one home run for the entire year while limiting the opposition to a paltry .193 batting average. For his efforts, Crick has been named the #1 prospect in the entire San Francisco Giants organization according to Baseball America and MLB.com. Crick was selected in the supplemental first round in 2011 out of Sherman High School in Texas.
Crick possesses an electric arm with a fastball that reportedly sits anywhere between 92 and 98 mph. A pitcher with enormous potential, Crick also features a hard curve ball that was rated the top breaking pitch in the South Atlantic League last year according to league managers. With the continued development of his change-up, Crick figures to have all of the tools to eventually become a #1 or #2 starter in the big leagues down the road.
Crick did issue a team-high 67 walks last season (5.4 per nine innings), but with improved control and consistency of his pitches, he could shoot through the Giants farm system in the coming years. For now, it’s almost certainly a spot at the top of San Jose’s starting rotation.
While Crick is essentially a lock to join the SJ Giant starting rotation after his terrific 2012 in Augusta, Stratton will have to prove he’s ready for a promotion to the California League with an impressive showing during spring training. The 20th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Mississippi State University, Stratton debuted professionally with the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Pitching in a limited role after a heavy workload in college, Stratton made eight appearances (five starts) with the Volcanoes totaling just 16 1/3 innings. He posted a 2.76 ERA and struck out 16 batters.
Stratton worked himself into the first round of the draft after a season at Mississippi State that earned the right-hander 2012 SEC Pitcher of the Year honors. In his final collegiate season, Stratton went 11-2 with a 2.38 ERA over 17 games. He struck out 127 batters compared to just 25 walks in 109 2/3 innings while holding the opposition to a .211 batting average.
Stratton isn’t quite as overpowering as Crick, but can still throw his fastball in the 90 to 95 mph range. With a plus-slider, a solid change-up and a developing curve ball, Stratton, like Crick, projects as a pitcher who could advance quickly through the system. Given his tremendous success in an elite college baseball conference last spring and subsequent draft position, Stratton would seem to have a great chance at opening the 2013 campaign in the San Jose starting rotation.
Crick and Stratton would be new faces to San Jose Giants fans at the start of the season, however Blackburn has already shown what he can accomplish in the California League. After a stellar regular season in Augusta that saw the right-hander rank second in the South Atlantic League with a 2.54 ERA over 22 starts, Blackburn was promoted to San Jose for the playoffs. The 19-year old was thrust into the Game 1 starting role versus the Modesto Nuts and he did not disappoint. In seven spectacular innings, Blackburn allowed just one run on three hits with nine strikeouts to pick-up the win.
Blackburn is a control-artist on the mound as he issued only 18 walks compared to a league-best 143 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings last season with the GreenJackets. Armed with a sinking fastball that sits in the upper 80’s to low 90’s, Blackburn surrendered only three homers for the year and owned the highest groundout rate of any hurler on the Augusta staff. With an above-average curve and change-up, Blackburn has been praised for his advanced feel for pitching. While Crick may be grabbing more of the headlines with his #1 prospect ranking and status as a former first round pick, it was Blackburn that earned the promotion to San Jose for the playoffs and then produced one of the finest postseason performances in club history. Look for Blackburn, a former 16th round draft pick, to anchor the Giants starting rotation at the beginning of the season.
In case that’s not enough star power, the San Jose rotation could feature a few more top prospects this year. Left-handers Edwin Escobar and Adalberto Mejia both enjoyed solid 2012 seasons with Augusta GreenJackets and appear poised for promotions to the California League.
Escobar, who was acquired via trade from the Texas Rangers in 2010, struggled in Rookie-ball two seasons before taking a huge step forward in the GreenJackets rotation last year. Over 22 starts, the southpaw ranked third in the South Atlantic League with a 2.96 ERA while also collecting 122 strikeouts compared to just 32 walks in 130 2/3 innings.
Escobar’s fastball will generally reside in the low 90’s while he changes speeds effectively with a solid curve ball and change-up. The Giants organization feared losing Escobar to another organization in the Rule 5 draft last December, so he was protected on the big league 40-man roster.
Mejia was only 18 years old when he began last season in the Augusta starting rotation. After two dreadful starts to begin the year, Mejia was sent to the bullpen for a couple of months where he was able to gradually get back on track. The left-hander returned to the rotation in mid-June and thrived in that role for the remainder of the year. Overall, Mejia led Augusta with 10 wins last season to go with a solid 3.97 ERA. Another pitcher with above-average control, Mejia walked only 21 batters with 79 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings. He possessed a 3.22 ERA after returning to the rotation in June, including a 1.58 mark over his last six starts of the regular season.
Mejia’s fastball has good life and movement and he’ll usually throw the pitch between 89 and 93 mph. He complements it with an above-average change-up and a developing slider. After finishing last year strong combined with his ability to throw strikes consistently, it would not be a surprise if Mejia earned a promotion to San Jose, even at just 19.
If there’s room in the Giants starting rotation and he shows enough during spring training, it’s also possible that 2012 second round draft pick Martin Agosta could begin the year with San Jose. Agosta has little professional experience as he worked just 10 2/3 innings late last summer in the Arizona Rookie League after signing his professional contract, but he also is considered one of the top starting pitching prospects currently in the system.
Agosta dominated as a starting pitcher at the collegiate level for the Saint Mary’s Gaels last spring where he compiled a 9-2 record with a 2.18 ERA in 14 starts. The right-hander struck out 95 and walked 27 over 103 1/3 innings. With a low 90’s fastball that reportedly tops out at 96, a good slider and cutter, Agosta has the tools to move quickly through the organization. The development of his change-up will be critical if he’s to remain a starting pitcher down the road.
The San Jose rotation this year could have a youthful feel to it given the ages of these starting candidates (Mejia 19, Blackburn, Crick and Escobar 20, Agosta 21, Stratton 22). Crick (#1), Stratton (#3), Blackburn (#6), Mejia (#10), Escobar (#14) and Agosta (#15) are all ranked among the top 15 prospects in the organization according to Baseball America.
Other starting pitchers from last year’s Augusta team that are candidates to join the San Jose rotation include Bryce Bandilla, Chris Marlowe and Paul Davis. Bandilla endured a pair of stints on the disabled list last season that limited the hard-throwing lefty to just 11 appearances (nine starts) with the GreenJackets. However when he was healthy, Bandilla, a former fourth round draft pick, impressed with a 3.05 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings.
Marlowe began the year in the GreenJackets rotation and made 14 starts before finishing the campaign working in relief. A former fifth round pick, Marlowe logged a 4.20 ERA overall and averaged over a strikeout per inning (86 SO in 83 2/3 IP). Baseball America considers Marlowe to have the best curveball of any pitcher currently in the San Francisco Giants farm system.
Bandilla and Marlowe were both relatively high draft picks as each throw pretty hard and are considered strikeout pitchers. With Bandilla’s injury issues last year and Marlowe enjoying more success late in the season as a reliever, the more likely scenario could have these two pitching out of the bullpen, presumably in San Jose.
Meanwhile, Davis went back-and-forth between the Augusta rotation and bullpen last year making 15 appearances in each role. The right-hander was a solid contributor recording a 3.69 ERA overall while his 114 2/3 innings were third on the club. Davis could fill a similar role in San Jose this season.
It’s unlikely that there will be carryover from last year’s San Jose starting rotation to this season’s. Taylor Rogers (12-11, 4.13 ERA) and Kelvin Marte (2-1, 3.47 ERA) were two anchors to the Giants rotation late in the year and are logical candidates to fill similar roles in Richmond this season. Ryan Bradley (10-7, 4.90 ERA) and Jack Snodgrass (10-8, 4.62 ERA) each had ups-and-downs with San Jose, but figure to compete for spots on the Flying Squirrels pitching staff this spring, either as starters or relievers.
2013 San Jose Giants Starting Pitching Candidates
(2012 regular season statistics are listed)
* Martin Agosta, RHP
AZL-Giants: 5 GS, 0-0, 4.22 ERA
* Bryce Bandilla, LHP
Augusta: 11 G, 9 GS, 2-4, 3.05 ERA
* Clayton Blackburn, RHP
Augusta: 22 GS, 8-4, 2.54 ERA
* Kyle Crick, RHP
Augusta: 23 G, 22 GS, 7-6, 2.51 ERA
* Paul Davis, RHP
Augusta: 30 G, 15 GS, 6-8, 3.69 ERA
* Edwin Escobar, LHP
Augusta: 22 GS, 7-8, 2.96 ERA
* Chris Marlowe, RHP
Augusta: 30 G, 14 GS, 1-9, 4.20 ERA
* Adalberto Mejia, LHP
Augusta: 30 G, 14 GS, 10-7, 3.97 ERA
* Chris Stratton, RHP
Salem-Keizer: 8 G, 5 GS, 0-1, 2.76 ERA
2013 San Jose Giants previews will continue next week with a look at the middle infield.
Giants Minor League Camp Storylines
By Joe Ritzo
Spring training is underway down in Scottsdale and we’re only seven weeks from the San Jose Giants season opener. The San Francisco Giants (all members of the 40-man roster plus the 30 non-roster invitees) will hold their first official full team workout of the spring on Saturday while all remaining minor leaguers report to camp by March 1.
With over 160 players expected in minor league camp, there are a bevy of questions regarding personnel and roster decisions. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the major storylines in Giants minor league camp this year, involving both former and potential future San Jose players:
The Shortstop Logjam In Double-A
Two of San Francisco’s brightest position player prospects are shortstops in the upper levels of the system. Joe Panik had a solid year in San Jose last season batting .297 with 27 doubles, seven homers, a .368 on-base percentage while also ranking as the toughest player in the California League to strikeout. Additionally, the former first round pick was recognized by league managers as the top defensive shortstop in the California League. A promotion to Double-A is certainly in the cards for Panik. But what about slick-fielding shortstop Ehire Adrianza? Adrianza, who is on San Francisco’s 40-man roster and thus his clock is ticking, had a less-than-impressive year offensively with Double-A Richmond last season. In 127 games with the Flying Squirrels, Adrianza batted just .220 with 22 doubles, three homers and 16 stolen bases. Given his subpar batting average, does Adrianza repeat in Richmond which could accelerate Panik’s move to second base, a position many in the organization feel he’ll eventually end up at. Does Adrianza receive a promotion to Triple-A Fresno thereby making room for Panik to play shortstop in Richmond? It would be a big jump for Adrianza given his lack of success at the plate, but maybe a move to the more hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League could jump start his bat again. A less likely possibility might be moving Panik all the way to Fresno, which would allow Adrianza to remain in Richmond for another year. That would show a lot of confidence in Panik and would be an unusual, but not totally unprecedented, promotion for a top prospect in this organization.
Will top catching prospect Andrew Susac return to San Jose or receive a promotion to Richmond?
With Hector Sanchez established in San Francisco as Buster Posey’s back-up and Tommy Joseph now in the Phillies system, there’s no question that 2011 second round draft pick Andrew Susac is the top catching prospect in the Giants organization. Susac had his share of growing pains last season as a rookie in San Jose where he hit a pedestrian .244 with 16 doubles and nine home runs. Adjusting to the professional game – both offensively and defensively – was a major challenge for Susac, but he improved as the season progressed (a .333 batting average in August being one example of that). With his skill set, many feel that Susac still projects as an everyday catcher in the big leagues. Now the question for the start of 2013 is will he return to San Jose and try to build on his late-season surge? Or, will Susac receive a promotion to Richmond, where the pitching-rich Eastern League would be a stern test for a prospect that has yet to enjoy sustained success as a professional?
The Angel Villalona Situation
Angel Villalona is back in the United States after his Visa was approved and now the question is where does the organization decide to play the slugging first baseman this season? Villalona’s situation is a unique one as he hasn’t played baseball in this country since his time in San Jose during the 2009 season. After sitting out all of 2010 and 2011 due to his legal issues, Villalona returned to the field last season in the Dominican Summer League where he hit .303 with seven homers in 44 games (albeit against much younger competition). Villalona was once regarded as perhaps the top power hitting prospect in the Giants farm system and he’s still only 22, so there’s time to continue his ascension through the organization. As for 2013, does Villalona pick up where he left off and return to San Jose? Or given his current standing on the 40-man roster, does the organization show more of a sense of urgency and move him to Richmond? The Giants don’t currently possess many top first base prospects, so he isn’t necessarily blocked by anyone else. It is noteworthy though that Ricky Oropesa, who hit 16 homers and collected 98 RBI’s last year in San Jose, could be ticketed for Richmond at the start of this season. Deciding how to handle Villalona and how it might affect where Oropesa is placed will certainly be a major storyline in minor league camp as spring training progresses.
High Draft Picks
The placement of recent high draft picks on the various minor league rosters is always a notable storyline in camp. Going back to the 2010 draft, it’s expected that first round pick Gary Brown will earn a promotion to Fresno for the start of the season. Second rounder Jarrett Parker has had his ups and downs the last two years in San Jose (28 home runs and 48 stolen bases, but also 319 strikeouts with a .250 combined batting average). Does Parker finally get a shot at Double-A? Top 2011 picks Panik, Susac and Oropesa have already been mentioned in this post, but what about last year’s top selections? Chris Stratton (first round) and Martin Agosta (second round) are two exciting starting pitching prospects that will enter 2013 with almost no professional experience. Outfielder Mac Williamson (third round) had a terrific stint with Short-Season Salem-Keizer last summer where he hit .342 with seven home runs in 29 games. The organization has certainly not been shy in recent years about pushing players in their first full seasons to San Jose. Will Stratton, Agosta and Williamson all earn that jump to the California League or will one (or more) start the year in Augusta?
Prospect-Laden Starting Rotation
A lot of the discussion throughout the offseason has been about the exciting possibilities for the San Jose starting rotation in 2013. 2011 supplemental first rounder and #1 prospect Kyle Crick had an excellent year in Augusta and is poised for a promotion to the California League. Clayton Blackburn was arguably the most consistent Augusta starter and dazzled in his playoff appearance with San Jose. Edwin Escobar gave the GreenJackets a third terrific starter and was rewarded with a spot on the 40-man roster. 18-year old Adalberto Mejia was statistically as impressive as anyone in Augusta’s rotation during the closing weeks of the season. When healthy last year, Bryce Bandilla was a dominant strikeout pitcher as a starter for the GreenJackets (although many feel his future could be as a reliever). Not to mention, Stratton and Agosta expected to burst onto the scene in 2013 after their high draft selections last June. Baseball America has ranked Crick (#1), Stratton (#3), Blackburn (#6), Mejia (#10), Escobar (#14) and Agosta (#15) all among the top 15 prospects in the farm system entering this season. One of the biggest questions concerning the San Jose Giants this spring is which of these top prospects will be on their way to Municipal Stadium? Is there enough room for all? Will one or two get a jump to Richmond or have to start the year in Augusta? The San Jose starting rotation has a chance to be as prospect-rich as any in recent memory here and this spring will determine the initial make-up of the staff.
Pitchers and Catchers Report Today
By Joe Ritzo
San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale today signifying the official start of spring training. Here is part 2 of our spring training preview focusing on the former San Jose pitchers in big league camp:
The organization hopes there is little drama with the club’s vaunted starting rotation this spring. Former San Jose starters Chris Heston and Justin Fitzgerald though are both in big league camp and will be looking to position themselves as the “next in line.” Heston had a stellar 2011 campaign in San Jose before taking his game to another level in Richmond last season where he earned the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year award. Heston, who has won 21 games over the last two seasons, possessed a spectacular 2.24 ERA and struck out 135 batters over 148 1/3 innings with the Flying Squirrels. For his efforts, he was placed on the 40-man roster after the season and figures to anchor the Fresno starting rotation with a shot at a big league call-up should a starter be needed.
Fitzgerald isn’t on the 40-man, but has enjoyed back-to-back solid seasons as a workhorse in the Richmond starting rotation (3.51 ERA in 2011, 3.22 ERA in 2012). With uncertainly in the San Francisco rotation moving past 2013 (Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito are free agents), it’s a pivotal year for starting pitchers in the upper levels of the system to prove that they should be considered for future big league roles.
Eric Surkamp could also be among this group, but the left-hander, who made six starts with San Francisco late in 2011, is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery on his elbow last summer.
Former San Jose relievers Heath Hembree, Dan Runzler and Dan Otero are among the top candidates that will compete for a final bullpen spot this spring. Hembree isn’t yet on the 40-man roster, but is rated the top relief pitcher prospect in the system by Baseball America (#7 overall). He’s amassed 53 saves over the last two seasons, including a team-high tying 15 a year ago with Fresno despite missing time due to injury. Armed with a mid 90’s fastball and averaging well over a strikeout per inning throughout his minor league career, Hembree will be watched closely throughout upcoming spring games to see if he might be ready for a bullpen role at the major league level.
Runzler and Otero have prior big league experience and will be looking to impress this spring so that they can return to “The Show.” The hard-throwing Runzler was a key part of San Francisco’s bullpen in 2010 (3.03 ERA in 41 games), but was ineffective throughout much of 2011 and endured an injury-plagued 2012. He threw well with the Giants during a September call-up last year, but still has a lot to prove. Meanwhile, Otero has excelled in the minors with 86 career saves and a 2.13 ERA over six seasons. He doesn’t project as a closer in the majors and often struggled with the Giants last season (5.84 ERA in 12 games), but is still among those pitchers competing for a bullpen spot.
Veterans Steve Edlefsen and Mitch Lively are other former San Jose relievers that will be in camp as non-roster invitees. Edlefsen has some prior big league experience, but both right-handers spent the majority of last season in Fresno. Jake Dunning has an opportunity to make a positive impression for the future as the right-hander was placed on the 40-man roster after last season. Dunning, San Jose’s co-Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2011 (with Hembree), had a 4.10 ERA out of the Richmond bullpen last season.
Finally, 2012 San Jose relievers Edward Concepcion, Josh Osich and Jose Valdez are each making their first appearances in big league camp. Osich, with his mid-to-upper 90’s fastball from the left side, is considered the top prospect of the bunch and could move quickly through the upper levels of the system if he can remain healthy.
San Francisco’s first exhibition game is scheduled for Saturday, February 23 against the Los Angeles Angels in Scottsdale. The 37-game Cactus League schedule concludes on Saturday, March 30 before the regular season opener on Monday, April 1 in Los Angeles. San Jose’s season is set to begin on Thursday, April 4 at Visalia.
Gearing Up For Spring Training – A look at the former San Jose hitters in big league camp
Giants pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale on Tuesday
San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers will report to Scottsdale on Tuesday to signify the official start of spring training. A few days later, all 69 players invited to camp will have arrived with the first full squad workout scheduled for Saturday. Of the 69 players, 40 are former San Jose Giants with many of those attempting to earn spots on the opening day roster while others will be appearing in their first big league camp looking to make a good impression.
As you would expect for a team coming off of a World Championship, there aren’t many questions this spring with regard to the opening day roster. San Francisco has welcomed back 21 out of the 25 players that were on the World Series roster, including the entire starting rotation, the majority of the bullpen and the eight primary starting position players. Barring injuries, there should be few spring roster surprises this year.
Despite the lack of roster turnover, there are still a handful of former SJ Giants with opportunities to break camp with the big club for the first time. San Francisco is set with their four primary outfielders of Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres, but a fifth outfielder will almost certainly find himself on the opening day roster. The remaining outfielders currently on the 40-man roster vying for that coveted spot are all former San Jose Giants in Francisco Peguero, Roger Kieschnick and Juan Perez.
Peguero is the only one of the trio with previous major league experience after his late-season call-up in 2012. While he wasn’t on the playoff roster, Peguero did appear in 17 regular season games last August and September, mainly as a pinch-runner. He recorded three singles in 16 at-bats overall and also stole three bases during his stint in “The Show.” Peguero has enjoyed tremendous success at the minor league level earning California League All-Star honors with San Jose in 2010 before leading Double-A Richmond in hitting the following season. He owns a career .305 minor league batting average with 128 stolen bases and was recently rated the #8 overall prospect (#2 outfielder) in the organization by Baseball America. Peguero has split time between center and right field throughout his minor league career before playing mainly left during his brief stint in San Francisco last year.
Kieschnick would give San Francisco a left-handed power bat off the bench if he were to make the team out of camp. The slugging corner outfielder led Triple-A Fresno in home runs last season with 15 in just 55 games played (he missed nearly three months with a shoulder injury after crashing into the outfield wall). While his strikeout numbers throughout his professional career have been high, Kieschnick has connected for 58 home runs over four minor league seasons – two of which were significantly cut short due to injury. Baseball America ranks Kieschnick the #9 prospect in the system – just one spot below Peguero.
Meanwhile, Perez enters camp as the least likely of the outfield trio to make the team as he’s yet to play above the Double-A level. Perez was added to the 40-man roster last offseason after leading the Richmond Flying Squirrels with a .302 batting average and 11 home runs. He was also second on the team with 18 steals. Perez has shown versatility in the outfield throughout his career seeing action at all three spots. He owns a .277 minor league batting average with 37 homers and 75 stolen bases in four seasons.
Peguero (2009, 2010), Kieschnick (2009) and Perez (2010) were all major contributors on recent San Jose championship teams.
Top prospect Gary Brown will participate in big league camp this year
On the infield, the starting quartet of Brandon Belt, Marco Scutaro, Brandon Crawford and Pablo Sandoval has little to prove this spring, but a back-up spot or two could exist for other former San Jose Giants this spring. Conor Gillaspie and Nick Noonan, two starting infielders on San Jose’s record-setting 2009 championship team, enter this spring with realistic goals of making the opening day roster.
Gillaspie has seen sparse big league action the last two seasons combining for just 21 games and 39 at-bats. The majority of the last two years have been spent in Fresno, where he’s performed well combining for a .289 batting average, 40 doubles and 25 home runs. Almost exclusively a third baseman throughout his professional career, Gillaspie also saw some action at first base in Triple-A a year ago.
Noonan endured back-to-back difficult campaigns mainly at the Double-A level in 2010 and 2011 to lose his top prospect status. The infielder though bounced back in a huge way last season when he established himself as the primary shortstop in Fresno batting .296 with 26 doubles and nine home runs. Noonan isn’t an elite-level defensive player, but has shown the ability to play second and third, in addition to shortstop, throughout his professional career. While Gillaspie has a longer record of success offensively in the minor leagues, Noonan’s versatility will be a factor in his chances to make the team. Both players are left-handed hitters.
There may not be room for both Gillaspie and Noonan on the opening day roster, but there would seem to be a good chance that one will find himself in San Francisco this April with a solid spring performance.
First baseman Brett Pill also enters spring training on the 40-man roster. The former San Jose Giant made the opening day roster last year after an impressive spring, but struggled to a .210 batting average in 105 big league at-bats before spending most of the year in Triple-A. Pill has hit 52 home runs over the last three seasons in Fresno, but faces a steep climb to make the team this spring with Belt’s emergence as the primary first baseman and the necessity for Buster Posey to also play the position.
Other former San Jose infielders in big league camp include 40-man member Ehire Adrianza and non-roster invitees Brock Bond, Adam Duvall, Ricky Oropesa and Joe Panik. It’s highly unlikely that any of these players make the team, but the chance to make a strong impression on the big league coaching staff exists. Given his past offensive success in the upper levels of the system, Bond would seem to have the best chance to work himself into the discussion. The former San Jose second baseman hit an impressive .332 with Triple-A Fresno last season. Bond has little power with just 86 doubles and four homers in six professional seasons, but he does possess a career .313 batting average and .410 on-base percentage while garnering significant playing time at both second and third base.
Ehire Adrianza is on San Francisco’s 40-man roster
With Hector Sanchez likely retaining his role as Posey’s back-up in San Francisco, the competition among other catchers in camp will be more about jockeying for position. Former San Jose backstops Jackson Williams and Johnny Monell will both be in big league camp and each have substantial experience in the upper levels of the farm system. Williams’ career minor league batting average is just .217, but he’s still considered an excellent defensive player. He enjoyed career-high totals of 11 home runs and a .247 batting average with Fresno last year. Monell has spent the last two seasons in Richmond combining for a .252 batting average, 51 doubles and 21 home runs. Monell provides the unique asset of a power-hitting left-handed catcher, but has yet to play above the Double-A level in his career. The two could both end up in Fresno at the conclusion of spring training.
Andrew Susac will also be in big league camp as the top catching prospect currently in the system. The former second round pick had an up-and-down rookie professional season in San Jose last year when he hit .244 with nine home runs, but is still very highly thought of in the organization. This spring will give Susac a chance to work with some of San Francisco’s top pitchers along with the coaching staff before moving back to minor league camp.
Posey and Sanchez are the only catchers on the 40-man roster.
Tomorrow, I’ll take a look at the former San Jose pitchers in big league camp.
Prospect Rankings
By Joe Ritzo
Joe Panik is rated the #2 prospect in the system by Baseball America and #4 by MLB.com
Baseball America Top 30 – Former SJ Giants
2. Joe Panik, SS
4. Gary Brown, OF
6. Clayton Blackburn, RHP
7. Heath Hembree, RHP
8. Francisco Peguero, OF
9. Roger Kieschnick, OF
11. Adam Duvall, 3B
13. Andrew Susac, C
17. Chris Heston, RHP
20. Josh Osich, LHP
22. Juan Perez, OF
23. Nick Noonan, SS/3B
24. Ehire Adrianza, SS
25. Eric Surkamp, LHP
26. Cody Hall, RHP
27. Ricky Oropesa, 1B
28. Jacob Dunnington, RHP
29. Shawn Payne, OF
MLB.com Top 20 – Former SJ Giants
2. Gary Brown, OF
4. Joe Panik, SS
5. Heath Hembree, RHP
6. Francisco Peguero, OF
8. Chris Heston, RHP
9. Eric Surkamp, LHP
11. Clayton Blackburn, RHP
13. Conor Gillaspie, 3B
15. Ehire Adrianza, SS
17. Andrew Susac, C
18. Ricky Oropesa, 1B
20-year old phenom Kyle Crick is rated the #1 prospect in the system by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Crick dominated in the South Atlantic League last season with Augusta and is expected to earn a promotion to San Jose this year. He was recently ranked the #86 prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com.
The two lists have differing opinions on the top position player prospect currently in the organization. Baseball America has 2012 San Jose co-MVP Joe Panik in the #2 overall slot while MLB.com puts Brown, the 2011 San Jose Most Valuable Player, in the second position. Panik is fourth according to MLB.com while Brown is #4 on Baseball America.
2012 first round draft pick Chris Stratton, another candidate to open this season in the SJ Giants starting rotation, is rated the #3 prospect in the system on both lists.
Former San Jose standouts Heath Hembree and Francisco Peguero received top 10 mention by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Hembree and Peguero each have realistic goals of making an impact in San Francisco this season.
Chris Heston shot up the prospect rankings after his outstanding season with Double-A Richmond
Conversely, Andrew Susac has dropped on the prospect charts this year after his up-and-down 2012 campaign in the California League. The backstop is ranked #13 by Baseball America and #17 by MLB.com. Susac is considered the top catching prospect in the system in both rankings.
Significant differences between the two prospect lists include their evaluations of Roger Kieschnick, Adam Duvall and Eric Surkamp. Kieschnick, who led Fresno in home runs last season (15) despite missing over half the year due to injury, is rated #9 by Baseball America, but unranked on MLB.com’s top 20. A year after blasting a San Jose Giants record 30 home runs, Duvall received the #11 prospect distinction by BA, but is also unranked by MLB.com. Meanwhile, Surkamp is still highly thought of by MLB.com with a #9 prospect ranking despite missing all of 2012 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Surkamp, however, is only Baseball America’s #25 prospect. He’s not expected to return until midseason this year.
Looking ahead to this season, Baseball America, in their individual prospect descriptions, notes that four of the top 10 could open the year in San Jose: #1 Crick, #3 Stratton, #6 Blackburn and #10 Adalberto Mejia – all starting pitchers. #13 Susac, #14 Edwin Escobar (LHP), #15 Martin Agosta (RHP), #16 Mac Williamson (OF), #18 Steven Okert (LHP), #19 Chris Marlowe (RHP), #26 Hall and #29 Payne are also candidates to begin this season with the San Jose Giants. Last year, seven out of Baseball America’s top 30 were on San Jose’s opening day roster (#4 Panik, #6 Susac, #15 Jarrett Parker, #17 Oropesa, #23 Osich, #25 Stephen Harrold, #28 Duvall).
Former SJ Giants Receive Spring Training Invites
2012 California League All-Star Adam Duvall has been extended a non-roster invitation to big league spring training
Seven players who suited up for the San Jose Giants during the 2012 season, including co-team MVP’s Adam Duvall and Joe Panik, received invitations to major league spring training today. Catcher Andrew Susac, infielder Ricky Oropesa and pitchers Edward Concepcion, Josh Osich and Jose Valdez were also extended non-roster invitations to San Francisco’s big league camp.
It’s highly unlikely that any of these players will be considered for spots on San Francisco’s opening day roster. However, the experience of participating in major league camp and seeing action in a handful of exhibition games provides a great opportunity to make a positive impression within the organization. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on February 12 with position players scheduled to report on February 15. The Giants’ first spring training game is set for February 23 versus the Los Angeles Angels.
Duvall and Panik headline the list of 2012 San Jose Giants in big league camp after each shined in the California League a season ago. Duvall established a San Jose Giants record with 30 home runs last year while also producing 24 doubles, 100 RBI’s and a .258 batting average. He’s hit 52 homers over the last two seasons and was recently ranked the top third base prospect in the Giants farm system according to Baseball America.
Panik hit .297 with the SJ Giants last season while also contributing 27 doubles, seven home runs and 76 RBI’s. The former first round draft pick, who batted .337 after the All-Star break, was third in the California League in hits (159). Baseball America has ranked Panik the #2 overall prospect (and top position player) in the San Francisco organization.
Susac and Oropesa each debuted professionally last year after their selections in the 2011 draft. Susac served as San Jose’s primary catcher and hit .244 with nine home runs and 52 RBI’s. It was an up-and-down year for the young backstop as he struggled mightily at the plate in June (.207) and July (.189) before batting at a .333 clip during the month of August. Defensively, Susac threw out 32 percent of attempted basestealers – the second-highest mark of any catcher in the California League. Baseball America considers Susac the top catching prospect in the system.
Oropesa was one of the best run-producers in the California League last season as the slugging first baseman collected 98 RBI’s to go with 16 homers and 30 doubles. Oropesa finished the year with a .263 batting average.
Concepcion, Osich and Valdez were all members of the San Jose bullpen last season. Concepcion struggled to a 6.10 ERA with the Giants, but did strike out 51 batters in 48 2/3 innings while limiting the opposition to a .218 batting average. Osich logged a 3.62 ERA and struck out 34 in just 32 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Valdez recorded seven saves and posted a 2.83 ERA in 53 appearances. Valdez struck out a whopping 78 batters in 57 1/3 innings and was honored as San Jose’s Relief Pitcher of the Year at the conclusion of the season. All three hurlers throw hard as Concepcion and Osich both reached 98 MPH with their fastballs last year in San Jose.
Other former San Jose Giants extended non-roster invites include outfielder Gary Brown, infielder Brock Bond, catchers Tyler LaTorre, Johnny Monell and Jackson Williams and pitchers Steve Edlefsen, Justin Fitzgerald, Heath Hembree and Mitch Lively. Brown and Hembree are considered the best prospects among this group after each excelled with San Jose during the 2011 season. Brown spent all of last year at Double-A Richmond where he batted .279 with seven homers and 33 stolen bases while Hembree registered 15 saves and had a 4.74 ERA while working out of the Triple-A Fresno bullpen.
Of the 30 total non-roster invitees, 18 have once played for the San Jose Giants.
All players on the 40-man roster will also open the spring in big league camp. That includes new additions to the 40-man roster from this offseason in former SJ Giants Jake Dunning, Chris Heston, Nick Noonan and Juan Perez.
San Francisco will begin camp next week with 69 players. 40 of those 69 are former San Jose Giants. As spring training progresses, players will be sent to minor league camp before the Giants set their 25-man opening day roster in advance of their first game on April 1.
The first workout at San Francisco Giants Minor League camp is scheduled for March 2.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 7
Listen below:
In the latest Inside the San Jose Giants podcast episode, Joe and Ben react to Baseball America’s list of Top 10 San Francisco Giants prospects, discuss other players who they’d be excited to see in San Jose this year and look ahead to the start of Spring Training!
Gary Brown Ranked Among Top 100 Prospects In Baseball
Former San Jose Giant Gary Brown has been rated among the top 100 prospects in baseball according to MLB.com
Former San Jose Giant Gary Brown received mention on the MLB.com Top 100 prospects in baseball list released last week. Brown, who garnered the #100 overall prospect ranking, is coming off of a season at Double-A Richmond where he hit .279 with seven home runs, 32 doubles and 42 RBI’s in 134 games. Brown, who started slow last year but managed to hit an even .300 from June 1 through the end of the regular season, was the only position player in the San Francisco farm system that was ranked among the top 100 prospects.
MLB.com notes that, “Brown’s best tool is his plus speed, which allows him to be a terrific center fielder as well as a major basestealing threat, though he needs to learn to be more efficient on the basepaths.” Brown led the Flying Squirrels with 33 stolen bases last year, but was also caught 18 times. He hit considerably better against left-handed pitching (.319) compared to versus right-handers (.264) while ranking fourth in the Eastern League in hits (150).
Brown’s breakout year in the minor leagues came with the San Jose Giants in 2011 when he was named team MVP and the California League Rookie of the Year. Brown hit .336 with San Jose while also producing 34 doubles, 13 triples, 14 home runs, 80 RBI’s and 53 stolen bases. His 188 hits established a new San Jose Giants single-season record. MLB.com adds that Brown “has an understanding that his job is to be a catalyst at the top of the lineup, one who can get on base and let his speed work for him.”
Brown will likely open the 2013 season with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.
Kyle Crick was the only other Giants prospect on the top 100 list as the flame-throwing right-hander was placed at #86 overall. Crick had a terrific 2012 campaign with the Class-A Augusta GreenJackets logging a 2.51 ERA and a 7-6 record over 22 starts. He struck out a whopping 128 batters in just 111 1/3 innings and limited the opposition to a .193 batting average.
MLB.com describes Crick’s fastball as “easily plus, though he’s still learning to command it” and that “all the pieces are there for him to be a frontline starter.”
Baseball America also rated Crick the top prospect in the San Francisco organization last week. After his stellar year in the South Atlantic League, it’s expected that Crick will begin this season as a member of the San Jose starting rotation.
Last year, Brown (#48) and Francisco Peguero (#98) were ranked on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects list.
MLB.com is scheduled to announce their top 20 San Francisco Giants prospects on Friday.
Previewing the 2013 San Jose Giants – What’s Ahead
By Joe Ritzo
February is upon us which means the start of baseball season is just a few days away. It’s hard to believe as it feels like it was just yesterday that we were soaking in the World Series parade down Market Street. Pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale on February 12 while San Francisco’s first spring training game is scheduled for February 23.
As it relates to the San Jose Giants, opening day in Visalia (April 4) is now in just a little over two months. In the meantime, this blog will be busy as we get set for the start of the next Giants baseball season.
First and foremost, in the coming weeks, our Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast will be taking a closer look at some of the players you can expect to see suit up at Municipal Stadium this year. Ben Taylor and I will have our next podcast ready to go on February 6 and then every other Wednesday until the start of the season. We’ll be having a special guest or two stopping by as well. And then don’t worry, the podcast isn’t going anywhere once baseball returns to Muni as we’re planning on hosting a new show every homestand throughout the 2013 season.
Don’t forget, if you have a question you’d like answered on a future podcast episode about the San Jose Giants, whether it be about a player (past, present or future), the California League or anything else surrounding the team, be sure to email the show at bentaylor@sjgiants.com.
My 2013 San Jose Giants preview series will also be coming to this blog over the next several weeks. I’ll have detailed position-by-position breakdowns of a possible opening day SJ Giants roster. The first preview article will be a look at an expected Giants starting pitching rotation and it will be posted here on Tuesday, February 19. You’ll then be able to find the remaining previews every Tuesday through the conclusion of spring training.
The season preview schedule is as follows:
February 19 – Starting Pitchers
February 26 – Middle Infield
March 5 – Corner Infield
March 12 – Outfield
March 19 – Catcher
March 26 – Bullpen
San Francisco’s minor league camp officially begins on February 27 with exhibition games starting two weeks later. San Jose Giants Spring Training Schedule
Of course, all of this leads up to the official announcement of the 2013 San Jose Giants roster, which we expect will occur over the weekend of March 30/31. Stay tuned for details on a date and time for FanFest at Municipal Stadium, which will be your first opportunity to meet the new team.
A full 2013 San Jose Giants schedule will all game times can be found here.
Top Prospects Know The Way To San Jose
By Joe Ritzo
Clayton Blackburn could be one of several top prospects in the Giants starting rotation this season
2012 San Jose Giants co-MVP Joe Panik was rated the top position player prospect in the system according to Baseball America as he garnered the #2 overall ranking. Other former SJ Giants on the top 10 list include #4 Gary Brown, #7 Heath Hembree, #8 Francisco Peguero and #9 Roger Kieschnick.
With the quartet of Crick, Stratton, Blackburn and Mejia leading the way, Baseball America proclaims that the San Jose Giants should have “one of the minors’ most talented rotations” this year. Stratton was rated the #3 prospect in the organization while Blackburn checked in at #6 and Mejia at #10.
Last year, the San Jose Giants opened the season with two players on Baseball America’s top 10 prospects list: Panik (#4 prospect entering 2012) and catcher Andrew Susac (#6). Susac is not ranked among the top 10 prospects in the system this year.
Crick received the #1 prospect ranking due to a mid 90′s fastball that can reportedly reach 99 mph and a hard curve ball that was rated the best breaking pitch in the South Atlantic League last season by league managers. The 20-year old right-hander fashioned a 2.51 ERA and struck out 128 batters in just 111 innings for the Class-A Augusta GreenJackets last year. The former supplemental first round draft pick also limited the opposition to a .193 batting average, but did issue a team-high 67 walks. Baseball America notes that Crick is a “frontline starter in the making” and that “San Francisco won’t be far off if he improves his control and consistency.”
Stratton could give the San Jose Giants starting rotation another power right-handed arm this season. The 22-year old was the SEC Pitcher of the Year last spring at Mississippi State before making eight appearances late last summer with the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Armed with a low 90′s fastball that BA describes can “touch 95,” Stratton also has a good feel for two different breaking pitches and a change-up.
Blackburn perhaps gave San Jose fans a glimpse into the 2013 season with his dominant effort in the playoffs last year. The 20-year old right-hander excelled in the Augusta rotation as arguably their staff ace compiling a 2.54 ERA with a remarkable 143-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Blackburn led the South Atlantic League in strikeouts and WHIP (1.02) before earning a promotion to San Jose for the postseason where he defeated the Modesto Nuts in Game 1 of the North Mini-Series with a spectacular seven-inning stint on the mound (one run allowed and nine strikeouts). Blackburn isn’t overpowering with a high 80′s-to-low 90′s fastball, but BA notes his advanced feel for two breaking pitches and mound presence, which has resulted in his lofty prospect ranking. Baseball America also considers Blackburn to have the best command of any pitcher in the Giants farm system.
Finally, Mejia could give this year’s San Jose rotation a fourth top 10 prospect. A 19-year old left-hander, Mejia started slow last season in Augusta, but rebounded to post a solid 3.97 ERA with just 21 walks compared to 79 strikeouts over 106 innings. He finished the year on a high note recording a 1.64 ERA in five August starts. Mejia possesses a high 80′s-to-low 90′s fastball that can “touch 93,” and he’s expected to gain velocity as he matures. Another pitcher with tremendous control and an impressive off speed repertoire, Mejia would be one of the youngest players in the California League this season if he were to open the year with San Jose.
Joe Panik is rated the #2 prospect in the San Francisco organization according to Baseball America
Peguero and Kieschnick were both standout players on past San Jose championship teams and will be looking to make an impact in the big leagues this season. Peguero, a San Jose Giant during the 2009 playoffs and throughout all of 2010, is rated as having the “best outfield arm” in the system. He received 16 at-bats in San Francisco last year as a September call-up. Meanwhile, Kieschnick, a California League All-Star in 2009, led Fresno in home runs last season (15) despite missing three months due to a shoulder injury.
Finally, Hembree is still regarded as the top relief pitcher prospect in the system despite an up-and-down year in Fresno. He’ll be looking to make his major league debut at some point in 2013.
Pitcher Mike Kickham (#5), who has never played in San Jose, rounds out the top 10. Kickham skipped over the California League and went straight to Richmond at the start of last season. He enjoyed a terrific year in the Flying Squirrels rotation with a 3.05 ERA and a staff-best 137 strikeouts.
Baseball America’s Top 10 San Francisco Giants Prospects
1. Kyle Crick, RHP
2. Joe Panik, SS
3. Chris Stratton, RHP
4. Gary Brown, OF
5. Mike Kickham, LHP
6. Clayton Blackburn, RHP
7. Heath Hembree, RHP
8. Francisco Peguero, OF
9. Roger Kieschnick, OF
10. Adalberto Mejia, LHP
Notes:
* Adam Duvall, who set a San Jose Giants single-season record with 30 home runs last year, is regarded as having the “best power” in the system according to BA’s Best Tools list.
* Chris Marlowe, who is a candidate to join the San Jose bullpen this season, possesses the “best curveball” in the Giants farm system. Marlowe logged a 4.20 ERA with Augusta last year and struck out 86 batters in 83 innings.
* Other former SJ Giants on the Best Tools list include: Chris Heston (best change-up), Jeff Arnold (best defensive catcher), Ehire Adrianza (best defensive infielder) and Chris Dominguez (best infield arm).
* Of the 10 players on Baseball America’s top prospects list, six are pitchers, three are outfielders and one is a middle infielder. Three catchers were on the top 10 list last season (Tommy Joseph, Susac and Hector Sanchez), but there are none this year.
* Brown (#1), Hembree (#3), Panik (#4), Peguero (#5) and Crick (#8) were all ranked on last year’s top 10 prospect list. Joseph was #2 entering last season, but was traded to Philadelphia in July. Susac (#6), Eric Surkamp (#7 – missed all of 2012 due to injury) and Adrianza (#9) dropped out of the top 10 while Hector Sanchez (#10) graduated to the big leagues.
Former Managers: Where Are They Now?
Checking in on the whereabouts of former San Jose Giants managers as the 2013 season approaches:
Many former San Jose managers are still with the Giants as their time in the California League provided a stepping-stone for a higher position in the organization. After directing the Giants in 2008, Steve Decker was elevated to the manager spot in Double-A and then Triple-A before his current position as San Francisco’s Coordinator of Minor League Hitting. Meanwhile, Shane Turner, who managed the San Jose Giants to their first California League championship in 1998, is set to begin his sixth season as San Francisco’s Coordinator of Instruction. Turner has been in the Giants organization for 18 years. Both Decker and Turner play integral roles on the player development side of the organization.
Former San Jose skippers Ron Wotus (1991-92) and Bill Hayes (2002) have enjoyed lengthy stints on the San Francisco coaching staff. 2013 will mark Wotus’ 16th year on the big league staff as he currently serves as bench coach, while also handling infield defense. Wotus is one of only five individuals since 1900 to serve as a Giants coach for at least 10 years. Hayes has spent the last 10 seasons as San Francisco’s bullpen catcher.
Elsewhere, 2010 manager Brian Harper joined the Cubs organization immediately after winning the California League championship with the SJ Giants. He managed Chicago’s Class A advanced affiliate Daytona last season and will now serve as Triple-A Iowa’s hitting coach this year.
Lenn Sakata and Duane Espy, two of the most successful managers in San Jose Giants history, will continue to work in the Colorado Rockies organization. Sakata returned to the California League last year as he managed the Modesto Nuts to a berth in the Championship Series. San Jose’s skipper in 1999, 2001 and 2004-07, Sakata is the winningest manager in California League history. Espy was the first manager in SJ Giants history spending two years with the club in 1988 and 1989. He directed the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate Tulsa last season. The Rockies have yet to announce their minor league coaching staffs for the 2013 season.
Other former San Jose managers still in baseball include Frank Cacciatore (1997) as hitting coach of the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies system) and Keith Comstock (2000) as Rehabilitation Pitching Coordinator for the Texas Rangers.
Over the 26-year history of the club, the San Jose Giants have had 14 different managers.
In other news, the Augusta GreenJackets (A) announced their 2013 coaching staff today with Steve Kline returning to the team as pitching coach. Kline served as San Jose’s pitching coach in 2012 after a three-year stint in the same role with the GreenJackets.
Projecting the 2013 Roster – High Draft Picks
By Joe Ritzo
Taking a look at the top five rounds of the last two San Francisco Giants drafts and examining which players could end up in San Jose this season:
2012 DRAFT
- 1st round: Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State
- 2nd round: Martin Agosta, RHP, St. Mary’s
- 3rd round: Mac Williamson, OF, Wake Forest
- 4th round: Steven Okert, LHP, Oklahoma
- 5th round: Ty Blach, LHP, Creighton
The Giants went pitching-heavy with their top picks in last June’s draft. In fact, they took pitchers with their sixth, seventh and eighth round selections as well. Among the top 5, Stratton and Williamson figure to be the most likely to start this season with San Jose. Stratton was the SEC Pitcher of the Year last spring at Mississippi State (11-2, 2.38 ERA, 127 SO in 109 2/3 IP) before working 16 1/3 innings for the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (2.76 ERA). The 22-year old right-hander is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the organization thanks to a polished four-pitch mix that includes a low-to-mid 90′s fastball and two above-average breaking balls.
Williamson burst onto the scene last summer with Salem-Keizer after his third round selection in the draft. The right fielder hit .342 in 29 games to go with seven home runs, 25 RBI’s and a .596 slugging percentage. Williamson, who will turn 23 in July, is a logical candidate to ascend to the California League if he impresses during spring training. He has a big frame at 6’3″, 240 lbs. and is one of the top power hitting prospects in the system.
Among the others from the 2012 class, Okert has the most professional experience. The left-hander was a key member of the Volcanoes bullpen last summer after signing his professional contract posting a 2.36 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. Okert has good size and a nice arm (high 80′s to low 90′s fastball) as he held left-handed hitters to a .143 average last season and didn’t allow a single home run the entire season. The 21-year old should compete for a spot in the San Jose bullpen this spring where he could fill a role as a late-inning situational lefty.
Agosta had a standout year with St. Mary’s over in the East Bay earning the right-handed starting pitcher a second round draft selection. Due to a heavy workload in college, he was limited to 10 2/3 innings with the Arizona Rookie League club and thus enters 2013 with little professional experience. Agosta has a smallish frame, but a good fastball primarily in the low 90′s with an above-average slider, curve and change-up. Like Stratton, he’s another polished arm from the college ranks who could move quickly through the organization. Agosta boasted a 2.18 ERA over 103 1/3 innings last season at St. Mary’s. He should begin the year in the starting rotation for either Augusta or San Jose.
Finally, Blach is probably the least likely of this group to open the season in San Jose despite also posting stellar numbers in college. A left-handed starting pitcher, Blach fashioned a 2.69 ERA in 120 1/3 innings last spring at Creighton. With his very high inning total, Blach was shut down by the Giants over the summer after signing his contract and will make his pro debut in 2013. A spot on the Augusta pitching staff is his most likely destination this spring.
Every year, San Jose’s opening day roster features a handful of players from the previous draft. Last April, Joe Panik (1st round), Andrew Susac (2nd round), Ricky Oropesa (3rd round), Josh Osich (6th round), Jack Snodgrass (27th round) and Phil McCormick (31st round) were on the team after their selections in the 2011 draft. It remains to be seen which players from the 2012 draft class will begin this season in San Jose, but the top picks are usually a good place to start when making projections.
2011 DRAFT
- 1st round: Joe Panik, SS, St. John’s
- 1st round (supplemental): Kyle Crick, RHP, Sherman HS (Texas)
- 2nd round: Andrew Susac, C, Oregon State
- 3rd round: Ricky Oropesa, 1B, USC
- 4th round: Bryce Bandilla, LHP, Arizona
- 5th round: Chris Marlowe, RHP, Oklahoma State
San Jose Giants fans are already very familiar with Panik, Susac and Oropesa as the trio were all key contributors on the team last season. Panik certainly is headed for the upper levels of the system after hitting .297 and earning San Jose’s Co-MVP award in 2012. Oropesa will probably get a shot in Double-A Richmond this year after clubbing 16 home runs to go with 98 RBI’s and a .263 batting average for the Giants. Susac didn’t enjoy nearly as much success batting .244 with nine homers and is a strong candidate to return to San Jose in the spring.
Among the other top 2011 selections, supplemental first round pick Kyle Crick could make a significant impact with the Giants this year. Crick spent his entire first full professional season with Augusta last year and dominated in the starting rotation. The 19-year old right-hander (he turned 20 last November) logged a 2.51 ERA in 22 starts with 128 strikeouts in just 111 1/3 innings. Crick also allowed just 75 hits and one home run while holding the opposition to a paltry .193 batting average. Crick’s fastball is an electric pitch as he’ll throw it in the 92-to-98 MPH range. With the continued development of his secondary pitches, he could emerge as the next great power arm to advance through the Giants farm system. Crick is regarded by many as the top pitching prospect in the organization and he would unquestionably be one of the headliners of San Jose’s staff in 2013.
Bandilla and Marlowe are also strong candidates to make the jump to the California League after pitching all of last year with Augusta. Bandilla was used mainly as a starting pitcher, but multiple injuries limited the southpaw to just 11 appearances and 44 1/3 innings for the entire year. When healthy, Bandilla was impressive posting a 3.05 ERA and averaging over a strikeout per inning. With an excellent low-to-mid 90′s fastball from the left side, Bandilla could move quickly through the system, especially if he transitions to the bullpen (which was his primary role in college). It remains to be seen whether this talented left-hander will work as a starter or a reliever in 2013.
Marlowe also possesses a big fastball in the low-to-mid 90′s range to go with a plus-curve offering and while he sometimes struggled as a starter for the GreenJackets early in the year, the right-hander seemed to find his role while pitching out of the bullpen in the second half. He finished the campaign with a 4.20 ERA and struck out 86 batters in 83 2/3 innings.
Bandilla and Marlowe possessed some of the highest high walk rates last season on the Augusta staff, but there’s no question that they each have tremendous pure stuff (as you would expect from high draft picks). Both hurlers could be valuable members of the San Jose pitching staff this season.
Former SJ Giants To Participate In World Baseball Classic
By Joe Ritzo
Five former San Jose Giants have been included on preliminary rosters for the upcoming World Baseball Classic headlined by World Series Most Valuable Player Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval will suit up for his native country Venezuela while his San Francisco teammates and former San Jose pitchers Ryan Vogelsong and Sergio Romo are on the United States and Mexico rosters respectively.
Other former San Jose Giants on preliminary WBC rosters include catcher Tyler LaTorre for Italy and pitcher Clayton Tanner with Australia.
First round pool play for the World Baseball Classic is scheduled to begin on March 2. The tournament concludes with the semifinals and finals from March 17-19 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Vogelsong, Romo and LaTorre are all in Pool D to be played in Phoenix, Arizona. The United States opens their WBC run versus Mexico on Friday, March 8 at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Italy and Canada are the other Pool D participants. Each team is scheduled to play three games in round-robin action with the top two clubs advancing to the second round of the tournament.
Sandoval’s Venezuela team is in Pool C with the Dominican Republic, Spain and host Puerto Rico. Venezuela’s first game is set for March 7. Meanwhile, the Australian team will begin action in Pool B against host Taiwan on March 2.
All five players were members of the Giants organization in 2012. Sandoval, Vogelsong and Romo were key contributors on San Francisco’s World Series championship team. Meanwhile, LaTorre and Tanner both played for the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Fresno.
Sandoval and Romo were teammates on San Jose’s 2007 California League championship team. Sandoval, LaTorre and Tanner then all played together with the SJ Giants in 2008. Tanner also spent the 2009 campaign in the California League while Vogelsong’s tenure with the San Jose Giants dates back to the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
Preliminary rosters allow up to 28 players to be listed, creating a pool of players who are eligible to be named to the individual team’s final roster. Final rosters must be submitted by February 20.
San Jose Giants To Play 15-Game Spring Training Schedule
By Joe Ritzo
Giants minor league spring training begins February 27
With the calendar having turned to a new year, the start of baseball season is now fast approaching. Major league spring training is set to begin in less than a month, but what about the minor leaguers? All players that are not on San Francisco’s 40-man roster or been extended non-roster invitations to big league camp are scheduled to report to Scottsdale by the first week of March before a 2 1/2 week exhibition game slate against other farm teams.
San Francisco’s minor league spring training officially begins on Wednesday, February 27 when all international players are due to report. U.S. players will report on Friday, March 1 before the first full workout on Saturday, March 2. The Giants will participate in several workouts and intra-squad games over the following days before their exhibition opener on Wednesday, March 13.
Minor league spring training is an ultra-competitive setting as over 150 players will be fighting for roster spots on the four teams scheduled to begin their seasons in early-April (Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels, High-A San Jose Giants and Low-A Augusta GreenJackets). Beginning on the 13th, the San Francisco front office will put players on the four individual teams: a Triple-A squad, a Double-A team, a High-A team and a Low-A club. Those four teams will play either a 15-game or 16-game exhibition schedule over the following 2 1/2 weeks against other organizations in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.
Here is the full spring training game schedule for the “High-A” team, or the players most likely to begin the season in San Jose:
Wednesday, March 13 – at Diamondbacks
Friday, March 15 – vs. Rockies
Saturday, March 16 – at LA Angels
Monday, March 18 – at Rockies
Tuesday, March 19 – vs. Cubs
Wednesday, March 20 – at Diamondbacks
Thursday, March 21 – at A’s
Friday, March 22 – vs. LA Angels
Saturday, March 23 – vs. A’s
Monday, March 25 – at Cubs
Tuesday, March 26 – vs. Diamondbacks
Wednesday, March 27 – vs. A’s
Thursday, March 28 – at LA Angels
Friday, March 29 – vs. Cubs
Saturday, March 30 – at A’s
All games begin at 1:00 PM. Giants home games are played at the Giants Baseball Complex in Scottsdale (8045 E. Camelback Road). Diamondbacks and Rockies home games are in Scottsdale, A’s home games are in Phoenix, Angels home games are in Tempe and Cubs home games are played in Mesa.
12 of San Jose’s 15 spring training games are against teams from the California League with four contests against Stockton (A’s), three games against Visalia (Diamondbacks), three games versus Inland Empire (Angels) and two games against Modesto (Rockies). The three remaining games will be played against Daytona – the Cubs’ High-A affiliate from the Florida State League.
The rosters for the four clubs within the San Francisco farm system during spring training are fluid meaning several players will shift up-and-down throughout the exhibition season. A strong spring training performance during these games can certainly help a player’s cause whether it’s attempting to earn a promotion up the minor league chain or perhaps just make a team out of spring for the first time. Unfortunately, spring training can also have negative consequences for minor league players with a handful likely to be released at various times during March.
An official announcement of the 2013 San Jose Giants roster will not occur until after the final exhibition game. Be sure to check sjgiants.com throughout spring training for position-by-position projections of the new Giants team.
The San Jose Giants open the 140-game regular season on Thursday, April 4 in Visalia.
Inside the San Jose Giants Podcast – Episode 6
Listen below:
In the first episode of 2013, Joe Ritzo and Ben Taylor debate their Top 10 San Francisco Giants prospects lists. Their in-depth analysis includes a breakdown of players in the Giants system, while also looking ahead to which prospects could be in San Jose this season.
For past episodes of Inside the San Jose Giants, click here.
