2011 SF Giants Minor League Hitting Preview

For many years, the San Francisco Giants were known as a franchise that struggled to develop homegrown hitting talent. However, that distinction recently changed dramatically, most notably due to the emergence of Buster Posey on the 2010 World Series team after Pablo Sandoval's breakout year the season prior. Now entering the 2011 campaign, nearly all of the top prospects in the farm system are position players and several will be suiting up for teams in the upper levels of the organization as they look to take the next step in their professional careers.

2011 SF Giants Minor League Pitching Preview

Catchers -
With Posey solidifying this position at the big league level, the upper levels of the farm system this year will look to add quality depth to the organization. Former supplemental first rounder Jackson Williams has yet to enjoy a breakout year offensively, but given his outstanding defensive skills, he remains a name to watch this season. Williams finished 2010 with Triple-A Fresno, but hit just .224 with three home runs in 42 games played. If he makes himself into a serviceable hitter, Williams could certainly fill a role as Posey's back-up in the near future. Baseball America still rates him as the top defensive catcher in the entire San Francisco farm system.

Williams may be joined in Fresno this season by veteran backstop Chris Stewart. An offseason acquisition, Stewart has spent the majority of the last four seasons in Triple-A with four different organizations. He hit .248 with seven home runs in 85 games with San Diego's Triple-A affiliate last year and has 26 career games of major league experience (.187 AVG).

At the Double-A level, look for Johnny Monell to anchor the catching position. Monell endured a slow start last year with San Jose, but recovered to hit .330 with 14 home runs after the All-Star break. That second half resurgence should certainly be enough to earn a promotion to Richmond, where Monell's power bat from the left side makes him an intriguing prospect.

The only catcher in the system considered a better prospect than Monell is 19-year old Tommy Joseph. One of the best power hitters out of the high school ranks in the 2009 draft, Joseph had an up-and-down rookie pro campaign last year. With the Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A), Joseph hit just .236, but had solid power numbers with 22 doubles and 16 home runs while playing hurt with various minor aliments throughout the year. Joseph showed nice improvement as the season progressed batting .260 with 10 homers after the All-Star break (.211 with 6 HR in the first half) and that may be enough to receive a promotion to San Jose.

Essentially, Joseph split the catching duties with 21-year old Hector Sanchez last year (Joseph also saw significant time at DH when not catching), but it's unlikely that the two backstops will again play on the same team this year. Look for one to get the call to the California League while the other remains back in Augusta. Sanchez is a switch-hitter with a bright future as he batted .274 with five home runs in 89 games with the GreenJackets a season ago.

2010 draftees Joe Staley (eighth round) and Dan Burkhart (tenth round) could also earn spots with a full-season affiliate to begin the season. Staley hit five home runs with the AZL-Giants (Rookie) last summer to rank tied for first on the team while Burkhart hit an impressive .328 in 19 games with Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) to close out the year. Drew Biery, who hit .249 with 14 home runs playing first base and third base with San Jose last season, made the transition to catching during fall instructional league workouts. Biery will look to gain experience behind the plate with one of the Giants minor league squads this year.

Infielders -
One of the biggest questions surrounding Giants position player prospects heading into the 2011 season is how the shortstop and second base depth charts will shake out. With neither Miguel Tejada nor Freddy Sanchez signed past this season at the big league level, the opportunities for younger players to emerge in the upper levels of the system certainly exist.

At shortstop, Brandon Crawford and Ehire Adrianza were both rated among the top 10 prospects in the entire system by Baseball America, however neither showed much offensively last season. Crawford hit just .241 with seven home runs in 79 games with Richmond last year while Adrianza finished with a .256 batting average and three homers in a full season with San Jose. Ideally, both players will show enough this spring (they each received invitations to big league camp) to warrant promotions to Triple-A and Double-A respectively. Crawford has spent the last 1 1/2 years in the Eastern League and even though he's struggled to maintain a high batting average, the Bay Area native is still considered a top prospect thanks to his outstanding defensive abilities and power bat from the left side. Adrianza may be an even better defensive player than Crawford and has also shown the ability to steal a base (33 last season), but has just a career .246 batting average as a professional. Both players are still young (Crawford is 23, Adrianza is 21), so there's plenty of time to show that necessary improvement at the plate.

Meanwhile, the second base depth chart in the upper levels of the system also is up in the air to begin the season after Charlie Culberson's breakout 2010 and Nick Noonan's struggles. Both selected in the supplemental first round out of high school in 2007, Noonan had jumped a level in front of Culberson. However, Noonan hit just .237 with three homers for Richmond a season ago while Culberson blasted 16 home runs to go with 28 doubles, 25 stolen bases and a .290 average in the Cal League. He then ranked among the top five in hitting in the high-profile Arizona Fall League to further enhance his status as a top prospect. Now the decision has to be made about where to place both second basemen to start this season. Has Noonan done enough to earn a promotion to Fresno while Culberson takes over in Richmond? Could Culberson himself jump all the way to the Pacific Coast League after his stellar AFL performance? Like with the two top shortstop prospects in the system, how the season unfolds for these two second basemen will be watched closely within the organization.

Of course, the biggest infield prospect in the system is Brandon Belt after his spectacular 2010 season. Belt hit .352 with 43 doubles, 23 home runs and 112 RBI's, mainly between San Jose and Richmond last year before a brief stint with Fresno to finish the campaign. Belt should receive ample playing time during big league spring training games with the opportunity to make the club. If he struggles or a starting spot in San Francisco is not yet available to him, then a return to Fresno will be in the cards for the #1 prospect.

Belt or no Belt, there should be plenty of firepower coming from the first base/DH spots in Fresno this season. Brett Pill is no longer on the 40-man roster and has fallen behind Belt on the organizational depth chart, but he did hit 34 doubles and 16 home runs to go with a .275 batting average for the Grizzlies last season. Brad Eldred was also signed by the organization after hitting .264 with 30 home runs as the primary starter at first base for Colorado's Triple-A team last year. Eldred has 85 games of big league experience.

The remainder of the Fresno infield largely depends on which players don't make the major league team and where Crawford ends up. Conor Gillaspie is a logical candidate to take over at third base after hitting .287 with eight homers in Richmond a season ago. Gillaspie, a former supplemental first round pick, then ranked among the league leaders in home runs in the Arizona Fall League after finishing strong with the Flying Squirrels. If he continues to show improvement defensively and build on those power numbers, Gillaspie could turn himself into a top prospect this year.

Brock Bond is an on-base machine as the infielder walked (66) more than he struck out (63) with Fresno last season. Bond, who played mainly second base, but also saw some time at third, finished with a .285 average, but just one home run. A return to the Pacific Coast League is likely for Bond as he looks to improve on those numbers.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Rohlinger have visions of making San Francisco's opening day roster, but it seems unlikely that both will begin the year in "The Show." Burriss has battled injuries the last two seasons, but finished relatively strong in Fresno a season ago batting .282 in 67 games. Rohlinger hit .311 with eight homers for the Grizzlies playing both shortstop and third base, but has struggled mightily with the bat in San Francisco.

In San Jose, look for power hitters Chris Dominguez, Luke Anders and Ryan Cavan to garner starting spots. Dominguez led the South Atlantic League with 101 RBI's to go with 21 home runs and a .272 batting average as Augusta's everyday third baseman last season. The former third round draft pick is considered the top power hitter in the system according to Baseball America.

Anders plays across the diamond at first base and hit .285 with 14 homers in Augusta last year while Cavan, a second baseman, impressed offensively with 34 doubles and 17 home runs to go with a .283 average for the same GreenJackets squad.

If Crawford and Adrianza begin the year in Triple-A and Double-A respectively, then the shortstop position in San Jose may be open for last year's third rounder Carter Jurica. Drafted out of Kansas State, Jurica struggled to a .216 batting average and four home runs with Salem-Keizer after signing, but the possibility still exists for an aggressive promotion.

Josh Mazzola, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in game #3 last season with San Jose, will look to bounce back in 2011. Mazzola's primary position two years ago with Augusta was first base when he led the team with 16 home runs and 96 RBI's, but he can also play some third and corner outfield. Now with a clean bill of health, Mazzola could return to San Jose or be aggressively promoted to Richmond.

Jose Flores put himself on the radar last season after finishing third in the California League with a .331 batting average. Flores, a third baseman primarily, doesn't have much power (six home runs with San Jose) and isn't known for his defensive work, but he turned himself into one of the better hitters on last year's Giants club and should receive a promotion to the Eastern League.

Ydwin Villegas, rated the #3 shortstop prospect in the system by Baseball America, probably returns to Augusta after managing just a .189 batting average as a 19-year old. An outstanding defensive infielder, Villegas may be joined up the middle by switch-hitters Carlos Willoughby, who hit .295 with a team-best 23 steals for the AZL-Giants and/or Julio Izturis (.281 AVG in Salem-Keizer).

Outfielders -
One of the top prospects in the entire system is expected to anchor the Fresno outfield this season as Thomas Neal looks poised for his first taste of Triple-A. After a slow start in Richmond last year, Neal came on strong during the closing months to finish with a .291 average, 40 doubles and 12 home runs. A power-hitting left fielder, Neal is still just 23 and could certainly put himself in contention for a major league call-up in 2011 with a big season in a Grizzlies uniform.

Darren Ford may again join Neal in the outfield after receiving a cup of coffee with San Francisco last September. Ford hit just .251 with Richmond as their everyday center fielder, but his incredible speed earned him a call to "The Show" where he made an impact as a late-inning pinch-runner. Ford likely will return to the minors as his bat needs more seasoning before he's ready for significant playing time with the Giants and Fresno would seem to be his most likely destination.

Veteran Terry Evans may join Neal and Ford in the Fresno outfield after signing with the Giants this past offseason. Evans, who has 20 games of big league experience with the Angels, has spent the majority of the last four seasons in Triple-A. With Salt Lake last season (Angels' AAA affiliate), he batted .283 with 15 home runs and 19 stolen bases.

The headliner of the Richmond outfield this season is expected to be top prospect Francisco Peguero. Peguero had a terrific 2010 with San Jose ranking among the Cal League leaders in several offensive categories. Overall, the speedster, who can play both center field and right field, hit .329 with 16 triples, 10 home runs and 40 stolen bases. Peguero should again be joined in the outfield by Juan Perez, who also impressed with San Jose a season ago. Perez, who alternated with Peguero between center and right, batted .298 with 37 doubles and 13 home runs. The duo again should find their names near the top of the lineup in 2011.

Roger Kieschnick also figures to garner a starting spot in the upper levels of the system, with a repeat in Richmond most likely. Kieschnick suffered through an injury-plagued 2010 campaign batting just .251 with four home runs in 60 games with the Flying Squirrels - a fry cry from his '09 season in San Jose when he hit .296 with 23 home runs. If Kieschnick can come close to returning to that offensive production this year, he'll reclaim his status as a top prospect.

Tyler Graham will look to build on an impressive 2010 when he hit .343 with two homers and 35 steals as a member of Fresno's outfield. Graham's speed can certainly change a game and he figures to once again add depth to upper levels of the system.

In San Jose, 2010 first round pick Gary Brown is expected to receive most of the playing time in center field. Brown also possesses outstanding speed and was rated as the fastest baserunner in the system according to Baseball America. Brown will enter the year with only 12 career games of professional experience, but is considered the #3 prospect in the organization by BA.

2010 Augusta outfielders Nick Liles and Ryan Lollis could also receive promotions to San Jose. Liles ranked among the league leaders with a .316 batting average. He didn't hit a home run the entire year, but recorded 28 doubles and stole 29 bases. Lollis, who plays right field, batted a solid .288 with three home runs.

Wendell Fairley could return to San Jose or perhaps get the call to Richmond to begin the year. The former first round pick hit just one home run and had 15 doubles throughout all of last season in the California League, but did post a .292 batting average.

Some of the top young outfield prospects in the system may be headed to Augusta to open the year, including 2010 second rounder Jarrett Parker. Parker, who was drafted out of the University of Virginia, will be making his professional debut this season. Chuckie Jones, a seventh rounder out of high school last June, hit .279 with a team-high tying five home runs for the AZL-Giants and could start the year with the GreenJackets. Additionally, Rafael Rodriguez, who signed for $2.5 million as a 16-year out of the Dominican Republic in 2008, could also get his first crack at the South Atlantic League. Rodriguez hit .301 with a pair of home runs in 31 games with the AZL-Giants last summer.

Be sure to check sjgiants.com throughout spring training for detailed position-by-position previews of the 2011 San Jose Giants.