A Minor Review of 2015: San Francisco Giants

by
December 11, 2015

Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

A Minor Review of 2015: San Francisco Giants
The Graduate: Matt Duffy, IF: Duffy’s amazing rookie season came out of nowhere. Considered a solid. professional hitter, he nonetheless lacked the standout tools that makes scouts drool and analysts run to their databases. He was a former 18th round draft pick who signed for just $50,000 in an age of multi-million-dollar deals being lavished upon 16 and 17 year olds. Give major kudos to Duffy for tirelessly working on his overall game and becoming a threat on both sides of the ball. Add in the fact that he’s produced almost 5 WAR for league minimum and you have a really winner here for the Giants and fans alike.

The Riser: Samuel Coonrod, RHP: Add another win for Giants’ scouts and coaches. Coonrod was an under-the-radar fifth round pick for the club back in 2014 as an inconsistent college performer but he’s been lights-out as a pro. His control has improved immensely, which helps his fastball-slider combination play up even more. His lack of a reliable third pitch could hinder the goal of remaining in the starting rotation but his stuff is good enough for Coonrod to develop into a shutdown reliever as a backup plan.

The Tumbler: Kyle Crick, RHP: At one point, this former 49th overall pick (2011) was going to be the next ace atop the Giants’ starting rotation. However, injuries and control issues have cast a shadow of doubt over Crick’s future role. He posted an ugly 66-73 BB-K rate in just 63 innings of work in 2015 at the Double-A level. Crick, 23, can still overpower hitters when he can find the plate but it’s looking more and more likely that his future will be in the bullpen.

The ’15 Draft Pick: Phil Bickford, RHP: The Toronto Blue Jays’ first round pick from 2013, Bickford was unable to come to terms and remained an amateur for two more seasons until the Giants took him 18th overall last year. He has excellent stuff but it’s been inconsistent. Because it plays up so much better when he’s pitched in relief, that may end up being his future role.

The Lottery Ticket: Lucius Fox, SS: The Giants don’t spray and pray the international free agent market like some teams (such as the Cubs or Yankees) but they jump in at opportune times and tend to make smart investments. Fox is raw as a baseball player but he has game-changing speed to go along with athleticism and the ability to hit from both sides of the plate. He’ll make his official pro debut in 2016 as an 18 year old.

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Marc Hulet has been writing at FanGraphs since 2008. His work focuses on prospects and fantasy. Follow him on Twitter @marchulet.

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DrBGiantsfan
9 years ago

Thanks for a great writeup. Matt Duffy’s story is indeed a great example of how hard work, both physical and mental can pay off. A coach once gave him a book entitled The Mental Side of Hitting. He reads from it every day like a devotional book and if he starts to slump, he spends extra time with it.

I’d like to point out the Giants also graduated Kelby Tomlinson who is kind of a Matt Duffy-lite and followed The Duffman around like a puppy dog.

The Giants also have the Johnsons, Chase and Jordan who are fast rising pitchers who throw about as hard as Coonrod and may be more advanced.

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