The future Giants opportunities to show their stuff may be complicated by how long the Giants remain in contention (a good-news, bad-news angle) in addition to the glut of OF's the Giants now have. But here are the players I would most like to see at some point down the stretch.
GIANTS TOP MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECTS
1. Conor Gillaspie 6-1,200 3B Lefty bat, has not progressed as quickly as some may have liked, but still shows promise as a hitter.
2. Brandon Belt 6-5,185 1B Lefty bat, solid hitting prospect across the board. Plate discipline, contact, power #'s are all solid
3. Thomas Neal 6-1, 225 OF R-R Great pure hitter, seems to be cutting down on his K% each year, has battled wrist injuries. 2009 BA California League Best Hitting Prospect, Best OF Arm in organization
4. Roger Kieschnick 6-3, 215 OF Lefty bat, potential five-tool corner OF who could hit for power and steal some bases. Plays fearless defensively and shows a good arm. Above average speed. Power is a plus skill. Swing is a bit long but has good plate discipline and draws walks.
5. Francisco Peguero 6-0, 175 OF solid hitter, needs more plate discipline to advance, his speed is near off the charts
6. Brandon Crawford 6-2, 200 SS has shown promise as a hitter, needs more plate discipline, less K's to move into eilte prospect turf.
7. Nick Noonan 6-0, 180 2B another who may have slipped a bit from early reviews, still grades out well with the bat, patience and plate discipline are hurting him. Otherwise, a solid prospect.
8. Ehire Adrianza SS slick fielder, shows some pop with bat
There really are not any young pitchers ready to make significant contributions. Most of the prospects are either here, too old or too young. The top four listed are the players I would like to get a read on the most. We need to find out what Conor Gilaspie can do at the ML level. Brandon Belt is taking some reps in the OF to open up a spot for his bat. He is making almost Sandoval/Posey like strides through the system. He appears to be a serious hitter with great stats across the board. He has not hit a significant speed-bump at any one of his minor league stops. Thomas Neal and Roger Kieschnick may be the odd-men out in a crowded OF situation.
September call-ups are always complicated. Right now, Bochy's priority #1 is winning. He has to go to the whip and see if these guys can bring a playoff berth home. Secondarily, he needs to find out how guys like Huff, Burrell, Guillen and Ross fit for next year. My guess is Burrell, Huff and perhaps Ross are safe bets to stay if they'd like. After that, if you can get a good look at some of these more mature prospects, the need to make patchwork moves is diminished.
Also, in 2011 I would be very happy if we don't have another "I didn't know that Buster Posey could play at this level" moments.
If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there in no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. - Winston Churchill
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