Giants Prospect Primer: Beede on rise

Some players are on the verge of stardom, others are entering a crucial phase of their development and still others are getting their first tastes of full-season ball. With the 2015 season approaching, MiLB.com takes a look at the most intriguing prospects from each MLB organization.

Full-season debutant: Tyler Beede

A first-round pick by the Giants in the 2014 Draft out of Vanderbilt where he won a College World Series, Beede will likely start 2015 in Class A Advanced San Jose. The 21-year-old right-hander appeared in just six games across two Rookie and short-season leagues last summer, striking out 18 batters and issuing seven walks over 15 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-4 Massachusetts native enters the season as San Francisco's No. 4 prospect, with MLB.com rating all three pitches as at least average and his fastball considered above-average.

"He's coming from a great program in Vanderbilt and we have high hopes from him in San Jose," said Giants vice president and assistant general manager Bobby Evans. "We start a lot of college pitchers, especially high Draft picks, there. His fastball gets up to 95 [mph], and if he can get it to the point where he can command it consistently, we would like to see him face a higher level of competition."

Major League-ready: Andrew Susac

Susac made his Major League debut last year and with a .273/.326/.466 slash line, it's fair to say he held his own. The 24-year-old has shown growth in each of his three years in the Minors, setting new personal bests in average and on-base percentage every year while moving up a level each season. In the Pacific Coast League with Fresno last summer, Susac hit .268 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 88 at-bats over 63 games.  There's little left for him to prove at Triple-A, and it may only be a matter of Susac needing more seasoning before he's back in the bigs.

"I think Susac is ready, he just lacks experience," Evans said. "That's the only thing stopping him. We don't need to see anything else from him, because he is so refined defensively and offensively. The only way we can challenge him is to let him play. We have depth in Hector [Sanchez], but we've seen how capable and solid he is as a backup."

At the crossroads: Hunter Strickland

After eight years in the Minors, Strickland finally made it to "The Show" in 2014. Now the hard work of remaining there begins. Strickland, who turns 27 in September, has never pitched above Double-A in the Minors, but he has found success as a closer in the Giants organization since being picked up on the waiver wire two years ago. He began his career as a starter in the Red Sox organization and struggled to find a niche with the Pirates from 2009-2012. He'll need to flourish at the end of games in Fresno if he has hopes of sticking as a middle reliever in San Francisco.

"He came on quickly last year to make the playoff roster," said Evans. "This is a year he needs to stay healthy the whole year and he needs to make some adjustments to keep the ball in the park. The thing that's on his side is that he has Major League stuff. I think he has the chance to be a late-innings guy, but [manager Bruce] Bochy can use his pitchers in versatile roles to help the ballclub."

Breakout prospect: Keury Mella

A strained rotator cuff limited Mella's innings last year, but expect him to continue his rise through the system in 2015. Behind a mid- to high-90s fastball and power curve, the 21-year-old has struck out 199 batters over 191 1/3 innings in three Minor League seasons. He's surrendered just one homer since arriving in the United States from his native Dominican Republic and he's slated to start the year in San Jose.

"Mella's fine," Evans said of his shoulder injury. "He's another great arm for us and he's a guy we've been tracking closely. It's fun to watch him develop. He's still very young, but he wants to take his game to the next level. So he'll get the chance to pitch in the California League, where he'll face tougher and tougher competition."

Back and healthy: Mac Williamson

After crushing California League pitching to the tune of 25 homers, 89 RBIs and 58 extra-base hits in 2013, big things were expected from Williamson in Double-A Richmond in 2014. Right elbow and shoulder concerns forced him to serve exclusively as the designated hitter back in San Jose for 23 games -- there is no DH in Richmond -- before he finally succumbed to Tommy John surgery, ending his season. A MiLB.com Organization All-Star in 2013, Williamson is expected to get his shot at the Eastern League this season.

"He looks great," Evans said. "He's had a great camp. He looks strong and he's hitting the ball really hard. He'll need every opportunity to play on an everyday basis this year, so Double-A is a great fit for him. Some of the best pitching in the Minor Leagues is in Double-A, but he'll be ready for it."

More to keep an eye on: Christian Arroyo will stick in the middle infield for now and there's every chance he starts 2015 in San Jose, a team that's likely to be stacked with top prospects if 2014 second-rounder Aramis Garcia and Stanford product Austin Slater also begin there as expected. Outfielder Tyler Horan only saw 106 at-bats in the California League in 2014, but the organization hasn't ruled out moving him to Richmond to start the year. If he does go to Double-A, he'll be joined by southpaw Adalberto Mejia, who is repeating the level after struggling in his first trip through the Eastern League. Teenage shortstop prospect Kelvin Beltre will be a last-minute decision, but if a full-season league is the path they choose for him, it will be Class A Augusta, a promotion that leapfrogs the short-season leagues and would be what the Giants are calling a "big leap" for him. Outfielder Dylan Davis suffered an oblique strain in mid-March, so he might be held back in extended spring training with pitcher Clayton Blackburn, whose return from shoulder stiffness was delayed when he returned home following the death of his brother. Davis will start in either Augusta or San Jose.