So, don’t expect to find prospects that will anchor your team for the next decade but you might find some pieces that can fill gaps. Let’s check out what the Giants have going on in Fresno.

RF Nate Schierholtz – Nate is one of the most dividing Giants prospects. We can call him a prospect because despite playing in AAA, he’s only 24-years-old. Nate tends to divide people because of his plate approach. He gets good plate coverage and has the ability to make contact all over the zone but his lack of discipline could be a problem. In ’07 he walked just 17 times in 441 PA’s in Fresno. That’s a BB% of 4.5%, which is quite low. He grabbed 117 major league PA’s with the Giants in ’07 and he only walked twice. That’s a BB% of 1.7% which is really, really low. For example, Bengie Molina has a career BB% of 4.1% and he never walks. He’s physically strong but during game time, his power seems to border on a tick above average. He’s never hit more than 16 HR’s at any level. You usually want more firepower from your RF. During his time in the majors in ’07 he hit for high average (.304) but not much else. He was essentially a singles hitter with a double or triple occasionally sprinkled in.

On the other hand, Nate has raised his BB% to 6.3% — a career high — this year in AAA. He’ll never walk 50 times in a season but if he could be more selective at the plate his power might play better. Most scouting reports have Schierholtz as a solid defender in RF with a strong throwing arm. Schierholtz is also a good runner for his size and will surprise you with the occasional triple. He’s done a good job of reducing his strikeouts at each level that he’s played. I think the best case scenario for Nate is a Garret Anderson player type. A hitter that walks at most around 30 times a year but makes good contact, hits 30 doubles, and 15-20 HR’s all while playing a solid RF. Even though I’ve got some questions about Nate I’d love to see him play RF if Randy Winn is traded. The Giants need to find out what Nate can do at the MLB level and if they can move Randy Winn at the deadline, I think they’ll find out.

1B Scott McClain – Yeah, he’s old. But he hits laser-rocket-bombs! Even if you don’t like Scott McClain, you’ve got to admire him just a little bit. He’s a 13-year career (mostly) minorleaguer. Over those 13 years he’s hit (.270/.355/.478) with 270 home runs. He even played four seasons for the Seibu Lions in Japan. In ’07 he hit (.267/.349/.517) in Fresno with 31 home runs. This year he’s hit (.286/.362/.487) with 12 home runs. Because he’s 36-years-old he has no room left to grow, but man, was I on the McClain bandwagon last year. After watching Aurilia and Klesko struggle to produce from the 1B position, I was ready for some McClain. He did get called up but barely played and only got 11 AB’s. I’d love to see McClain get 500 AB’s in the majors to see what he could do. He might kill some German terrorists and that’s always awesome.

IF/OF Eugenio Velez – It’s everyone’s favorite speedster with bad defense and mental lapses, Eugenio Velez! The only thing more painful than watching the 2008 Giants was watching Eugenio get picked off, drop pop-ups, and perform a variety of other bonehead plays that would make Tom Emanski spin in his grave. He’s very fast but he looked overmatched at the major league level during his brief trail run earlier this year. The Giants mercifully sent him back to AAA and he’s done well. Since his demotion, Velez has hit (.312/.363/.488) in 125 AB’s. The first thing that jumps out at me about Velez’s slash-stats is that he’s slugging .488 in the PCL. If you ever needed proof that hitting in AAA isn’t the same as hitting in the majors, that might be it. He’s already 26-years-old and we might not ever see Velez in the majors for an extended period again. I think he’ll get a callup when rosters expand but barring an injury, I’m not expecting him to get major playing time with the Giants anytime soon. Godspeed Eugenio, godspeed. Those 121 AB’s you got with the Giants were thrilling.

SS Brian Bocock – Our sacrificial lamb. Bocock was called to the majors this year after barely hitting in the California League in ’07. He struggled to hit in the majors, which was expected, but it was really ugly. He hit just (.143/.258/.156) in 73 AB’s with the Giants. You rarely see a guys batting average almost as high as his slugging percentage. Instead of sending Bocock back to San Jose, or even Connecticut, the Giants sent him to AAA Fresno. He’s failed to hit in AAA as well, hitting just (.163/.254/.187) in a line that’s eerily similar to what he did in the majors. His glove is still top-notch but he’s hitting like a deadball shortstop and that’s not so good in the year twenty aught eight.

Maybe Bocock should dress like this?

LHP Eugene Espineli – Careful with that axe, Eugene. Espineli has the coolest name on the Fresno roster, hands down. I have no idea what Espineli throws but he’s been having a decent year in AAA and at 25-years-old, he’s not ancient. He’s also a lefty and these guys always seem to be able to get work somewhere. He was drafted in the 14th round of the 2004 draft out of the Texas Christian University. This year in AAA he’s posting a K% of 21.8%, a BB% of 3.5%, and a modest GB% of 56%. He’s been tough on LHB’s who are OPS’ing just .396 against him. He could profile as a LOOGY-type reliever but with Taschner and Hinshaw, both lefties, already with the Giants, Eugene might stay in AAA for awhile. Still, not a bad backup option for some left-handed relief.

LHP Patrick Misch – I still like Misch even if he hit some speed bumps in the majors. He was super unlucky, giving up 10 HR’s in just 47 innings pitched. That’s a HR/F percentage of 23%. League average tends to be between 10-12%. In fact, most of Misch’s underlying peripherals were OK. Struck out 6.5 per game and walked 2.88 per game. Those aren’t bad stats at all from your 5th rotation spot and still better than what Zito has been giving us. He’s thrown just 34.1 innings in AAA since he went back down to the minors and he’s gotten knocked around a little, but I still like his arm. Either in a 5th starter role or a reliever.

—

Fresno isn’t stocked with talent but they do have some players that you might see on the Giants at some point in this year. Hopefully we’ll see Nate in the 2nd half of the season after Randy Winn is shipped off to the Braves from a prospect or two (oh-please-oh-please-oh-please). I doubt we’ll ever see McClain in a Giants uniform at the big league level. Possibly when rosters expand.

Velez and Bocock? Meh. I’m not really banking on either at this point. Velez is getting old and still really doesn’t have a position to play. Bocock has a position to play but he’s hitting terribly. If I had to choose between the two, I’ll take Bocock for now. He’s younger and might eventually figure out how to scrap by as a defensive specialist with a .250 batting average.

Our two lefties of Misch and Geno could get into the bullpen at some point in this season if we trade away any of the following: Taschner, Chulk, or Walker.

Comment Starter: Have a favorite Grizzly?

—

I’m adding a new weekly section to this site that I’ll randomly add to posts called “The Worst Bochy Quote of the Week” in which I’ll post the most absurd Bruce Bochy Quote I can find. This weeks’ WBQOTW is:

“He’s got power. He’s an intriguing player,” Bochy said. “He runs fairly well. I think he has the tools to be an everyday player. Now, that’s up to him. I think he’s improved his work ethic since he’s been here. I think he sees this as a great opportunity.”

Could Castillo be a long-term solution at third base?

“He has shown how talented he could be if he plays every day,” Bochy said. “I’d like to see what he’s done at the end of the year.”

My god. Bruce Bochy thinks Jose Castillo is “intriguing”.

The details of the strenuous relationship between the Giants and Connecticut are well known. Squabbles over the stadium and who should foot the bill for renovations, low fan attendance, and cool weather conditions are just a few of the problems. The contract between the Giants and Connecticut runs out after this season and the death rattle between the two may have already been heard. Prospects like Pablo Sandoval are expected to be skipped past AA and into the more friendlier environment of AAA Fresno.

Because of the pitching inclined environment and lack of Giants hitters past the lower levels, we’ll mostly find pitching prospects at this level but also a couple of surprising hitters making one last run at prospect status.

1B Travis Ishikawa – If one prospect has turned himself around this year at AA, it’s Travis Ishikawa. The 24-year-old first baseman was drafted in 2002 and had a breakout season as a 21-year-old in the California League in ’05. That year Ishikawa hit (.282/.387/.532) with 22 HR’s. In ’06 he was promoted to AA and that’s where Ishikawa began to have problems. He failed to hit in AA, like many other hitters, and ended the year with a line of (.232/.309/.403). ’07 wasn’t much better for Travis, he went back to AA and did so poorly that the Giants moved him back to the California League as a 23-year-old. That’s never a good sign and even more troubling was Ishikawa’s performance in the Cal League. He hit for a ton of power — blasting 13 HR’s in a little under 200 AB’s — but he was striking out like Rob Deer. Ishikawa was striking out 35.1% while repeating a level against younger competition. Red flags went up everywhere. He had always stuck out — generally around the 25% per PA mark — but never like this before.

The Giants sent Ishikawa back to AA this year and he’s made some noticeable changes. Firstly, he cut his K% down to 16.1%, signaling to me that he’s potentially changed his swing in order to make more contact. Ishikawa’s swing has always considered to be a little long. He also raised his BB% to an excellent 13.6%. He does have noticeable splits but it’s encouraging that he’s hitting even just slightly at Dodd Stadium. Overall his line currently sits at (.291/.380/.467). Because of his struggles against LHP he will most likely max out as a platoon partner at 1B. But, after where he was heading a couple of years ago, he’s made some nice adjustments to his game. Let’s hope that they carry throughout this season and that the Giants move him to AAA before the year is done.

C Adam Witter – I admit, I’m a fan of Adam Witter. He’s got some warts: age, defense, contact issues. But, he’s a catcher that can hit for some power and can take a walk. Because he was a 5th year senior that signed with the Giants, he didn’t get into the minor leagues until he was 23. In his age 23 season he crushed the younger competition of Northwest League. In the NWL he hit (.280/.362/.575) with 16 HR’s. In ’07 he moved up a level to the San Jose Giants and hit (.260/.342/.481). His K% raised from 17.5% in the NWL to 22.5% in the California League. He’s struggled this year in AA, hitting (.216/.348/.414) but if you squint hard enough, his away line isn’t too bad (.239/.373/.420) he won’t be a starter in the big leagues because of his defense but he could profile as a offense first backup catcher that can pop the occasional home run and take a walk. That has some value.

RHP Adam Cowart – I’ve let my love for Cowart be known on this site. I really do love the guy. Cowart was drafted in the ’06 draft in the far reaches of the 35th round out of Kansas State University. Why do I love Cowart so much? He doesn’t blow away hitters with a 97mph fastball and some still wonder if he’ll ever make it to the major leagues but Cowart succeeds by pitching in an unorthodox motion, a sort of slinging, sidearm, diving motion, that’s given hitters fits ever since he entered the minor leagues. He works in the low-80′s and features a changeup and a slider that aren’t remarkable. He gets by on having amazing command — he’s never had a BB% higher than 4.7 — and by getting hitters to pound the ball into the ground. In 326 career minor league innings, he’s allowed just 6 home runs. Even though he’s still starting in the Giants system, he profiles as Chad Bradford-lite. A reliever that will come in, throw strikes, get ground balls, and give RHB’s loads of trouble.

RHP Joe Martinez – Another fringy starter in the Giants system — do we have a ton of these guys or what — that’s had success. Throws in the upper-80′s with the ability to touch 90-91mph now and then. Features a curveball that’s his “strike out pitch” according to Baseball America. For a guy with fringy stuff, he’s been getting enough strikeouts at the lower levels of S-K, Augusta, and San Jose. He’s a strike-thrower, posting solid BB%’s at each level he’s pitched. His K% has taken a dip this year — making me wonder if most of his K’s were coming off hitters chasing his curve at lower levels — but he’s boosted his GB%. At the moment, 60% of balls hit into play off of Martinez have been on the ground, that’s a great rate. The Giants have moved Martinez slowly, taking him through one level at a time and they’ll most likely let him finish the year in AA. His FIP is currently 2.96 and if he finishes the year strong, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be moved up a level to AAA. He’ll most likely profile as a reliever or a 5/6th starter at the major league level. Martinez provides nice organizational depth.

RHP Kelvin Pichardo – Another relieving prospect in the Giants system. Amazingly, he was acquired in the Michael Tucker to the Phillies trade. Pichardo has a big arm that he uses to run fastballs into the mid-90′s and a curveball that can be a plus pitch for him at times. He blew through the lower levels of S-K, Augusta, and San Jose before making it to AA Connecticut in the second half of the ’07 season. He struggled with control, walking 16 hitters in 21 innings and the Giants left him at AA to start this year. He’s still had some control problems this year — BB% of 12% — and his K% has dropped to 18.8% when it was at a ridiculous 36% in San Jose. But, Pichardo is only 22-years-old and his arm has a lot of promise. Anyone that can throw in the mid-90′s has a good chance of making it to the majors. I think his upside would be late inning relief, maybe in the setup role.

RHP Sergio Romo – Romo dazzles opposing hitters with a variety of pitches coming out of a variety of arm slots and angles. On a pure “stuff” level, Romo’s “stuff” isn’t off the charts, it’s rather pedestrian. He works in the upper 80′s and his curveball is an average pitch but similar to Cowart, he has amazing control that allows him to spot his pitches wherever he wants them. Toss in some deception from his pitching motion — he sort of slings the ball in a low arm slot — and you’ve got Sergio Romo. He doesn’t walk hitters — BB% of 5.1 — and despite not having a huge velocity, has never had trouble striking out hitters — K% of 29.3 in AA this year. His ’07 line from San Jose is just ridiculous: 65.2 IP, 33 H, 9 ER, 15 BB, 104 SO. He briefly had some struggles in AA when he came off of a injury — I believe it was a knee problem — but since giving up 3 earned runs on May 31st, he’s made 5 straight strong appearances. Over those 5 appearances his line looks like this: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO. That’s a positively small sample but I’d like to think he’s adjusted from his injury and is back to pitching well again.

The AA level doesn’t have the same talent or upside that the lower levels have, but it does have some players that could profile as the next members of the Giants bullpen array. Cowart, Romo, and Pichardo could all be relievers in the Giants bullpen at some point down the line. I think of the trio, Romo might have the most upside in the bullpen and I’d love to see him make it as a late inning reliever. Martinez might be more suited to a long relief role or be an occasional spot starter.

On the hitting side, Ishikawa and Witter aren’t perfect prospects but they do have some positives going for them. Ishikawa’s season this year in Connecticut has saved his status as a prospect. He might not project as a starting first baseman any more, but he could end up as a platoonmate for someone who can mash lefties. Or, he might not ever make it to the majors but even as a skeptic of Ishikawa’s, I’ve been happy with the adjustments he’s made.

Next, we’ll head to AAA Fresno (aka Scott McClain Country) and check out the last level of our Farm Review.

Let’s take a look at some of my favorite San Jose prospects.

San Jose Giants (A+)

C/1B Pablo Sandoval – If you made a habit of reading Top-10 prospect lists over the years for the Giants you probably never saw Pablo Sandoval’s named listed. After this year, that might change. The 21-year-old switch-hitting catcher and first baseman has been tearing the cover off the ball for the San Jose Giants. He leads all of A+ ball in OPS and has made some dramatic improvements in his game. He’s already surpassed his walk total from last year. In ’07 for San Jose, Sandoval only walked 16 times in 427 PA’s for the SJ Giants. That’s a BB% of 5.2%, but he’s already walked 20 times in ’08 in 227 PA’s for the San Jose Giants. That’s a BB% of 9.3%, a remarkable improvement. He’s also improved his power from an ISOP of .188 in ’07 to .248 in ’08. Even if he’s repeating A+ ball, he’s not overly old at 21. In ’07, the average age of hitters in the Cal League was 22.9 years old and the average age of pitchers was 23 years old. He sports a strong throwing arm at catcher and has been working on footwork and positioning with Steve Decker. The Giants, in the past, have moved Sandoval between 3B and 1B/C in order to get his bat going, but they’ve played him mostly this year at catcher. He’ll get the occasional start at first but I think it’s mostly an attempt to save some wear and tear on Pablo. Sandoval is probably ready to move up a level but the Giants have stated that they’ll most likely skip AA with him and move him straight to Fresno. If he can stick at catcher, you might start reading about Sandoval in prospect lists. Easily one of the best surprises of this year. A switch-hitting catcher with pop? Yes, please.

2B Matt Downs – Downs is something of a personal favorite. He’s definitely not a blue chip prospect but he is an interesting story. He was drafted late in the 2006 draft — 36th round — out of the University of Alabama where he pitched both pitched — was a reliever in ’04 and ’05 — and played the field — became a position player in ’06. He put together a nice season in ’07 with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes when he hit (.338/.410/.537) winning him the organizations batting crown. He played 1B/2B/3B in that year. This year he’s moved up to San Jose and is hitting (.279/.352/.500) with 11 HR’s and 21 walks to 25 strikeouts. Sure, he’s old for his level and he probably lacks a true position — he’s played mostly 2B this year — but he’s a interesting player to keep your eye on. If he makes the majors, he might have a career as a utility man with a little pop that can play the corners.

1B Andy D’Alessio – The point of this prospect list is to find guys I like and attempt to remain positive, but D’alessio has some blemishes to overcome before he can raise his stock. Drafted out of Clemson in the 19th round of the ’07 draft, D’Alessio dominated the Arizona Rookie League. As a 4-year collegiate player, he was beating up on younger and more inexperienced competition. But, he did what he was supposed to do against younger players, he hit. He finished with a line of: (.306/.376/.624) that included 15 HR’s in 210 PA’s. A red flag after his debut was a high K%, especially when you consider his age and competition, of 20.5%. His K% has climbed to 27.9% this year in San Jose with 56 strikeouts in 201 PA’s. His line of (.296/.340/.495) might look alright, but you need to remember that first basemen really have to hit well to have value and that he needs to cut down on his K%. When he was drafted there were some rumors that he had a hole in his swing. His strikeout totals lead me to believe that those rumors might have something to them.

RHP Kevin Pucetas – The Giants seem to have a ton of guys like Pucetas in their system right now. Finesse pitchers who’ve had pretty good results. Pucetas doesn’t run his fastball much past 90mph but he moves his pitches around and has good command. In 63.2 innings pitched for San Jose, Pucetas has an ERA of 2.54 which translates into a 3.28 FIP. His BB% is low at 5.6% and he’s getting a decent amount of K’s for a guy without overpowering stuff — a K% of 19.5. I like Pucetas but I’d like to see the Giants move him up a level this year but I’m not so sure they will. They tend to move finesse guys slower than guys with more velocity. Last year, Pucetas pitched the entire year in Augusta after clearly being ready to go up a level. He dominated A-ball, posting an ERA of 1.83 for the Greenjackets. Because finesse guys have much less wiggle room than the higher velocity guys, they can be risky gambles for the major leagues but I’d like to see the Giants move a few of their finesse guys up a level this year to see what they’ve got. In a perfect world Pucetas would end up as a back-of-the-rotation starter that can eat innings.

LHP Ben Snyder – Snyder is another finesse pitcher, much like Pucetas, but he’s got the advantage of being a lefty. He throws in the mid-to-upper 80′s, occasionally touching 90, and works a big slow curve into the mix. Also like Pucetas, he was a part of the terrific ’07 Greenjackets staff. You could argue that Snyder has been the best pitcher on the San Jose Giants staff this year with a 1.91 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched. He’s not walking guys — BB% of 4.2 — and is striking out hitters — K% of 22.9%. He’s only 22-years-old so he’s in the age range for his league but I wouldn’t mind seeing the Giants promote him as the season unfolds.

LHP Jesse English – English is a very interesting story. Coming out of high school the lefty had the eye of many scouts because of his low-90′s velocity. He was drafted in 2002, the same year as Matt Cain, and looked to be the better pitcher initially. English struggled with health, pitching just 91 innings over parts of the next three seasons. In ’07 he started to get healthy again and pitched 34.1 innings for the Volcanoes and the San Jose Giants out of the bullpen. Over those 34.1 innings he stuck out 57 hitters, showing that he still had something left to prove. The Giants left him in San Jose to start this year and moved him into the rotation — most likely in an effort to build some innings and try to get his development back on track — and the early results have been great. So far this year, English has thrown 59.1 innings, more than any other year since his 2002 debut in the Arizona League. He’s struck out nearly a quarter of the batters he’s faced — K% of 24.1% — and his control has been acceptable — BB% of 7.8%. English is someone everyone should keep their eyes on. If he can regain some of the promise he showed way back in 2002, the Giants could end up very happy that they’ve stuck by him.

RHP Tim Alderson – Tim Alderson was drafted in the 1st round, 22nd overall, in the 2007 player draft. The prep school star featured uncanny control in high school, a low-90′s fastball, a potential plus-pitch in his curveball, and a promising changeup. Alderson got his feet wet in the Arizona League with 5 innings before the season ended. To the surprise of many, the Giants skipped Alderson a level to the California League to start the ’08 season. The aggressive promotion by the Giants speaks volumes on the amount of polish that Alderson already has. He’s held his own in the California League for a 19-year-old pitcher, posting an 3.39 ERA or a 3.13 FIP. Alderson’s control is bordering on average — BB% of 8.3 — but that’s a minor knock against him. Facing the older competition — remember that the average hitters age is just under 23, nearly 4 years older than Alderson — might be a challenge that Alderson is still adjusting to. He’s also had to learn to pitch out of a windup because he pitched exclusively out of the stretch in high school, that might have also affected his control. A ton to like about Alderson right now.

RHP Henry Sosa – As I started going through this list it really hit me, the Giants are loaded with pitching depth at San Jose. Henry Sosa could be among the best of the pitchers and that’s saying something. Sosa got a lot of press after his 2007 in which he struck out 139 hitters in 125.2 innings pitched split between Augusta and San Jose. He made the Futures Team as well. Knee surgery over the 2007 offseason delayed the start to his year but he’s finally made two starts in San Jose and the early results are encouraging. The tall, skinny Dominican throws in the mid-90′s and sports a plus-curveball. He’s been developing a changeup and it could be the key to his development as a starter, that needed third pitch in the arsenal. So far in 2 starts he’s struck out 10 in 8.1 innings pitched while giving up 1 earned run. If Sosa can get some traction in the California League and stay healthy, he could end up in AA by years end.

LHP Clayton Tanner – Tanner, another successful starter in that ’07 Greenjacket rotation, has hit some bumps this year in San Jose. He’s similar to Snyder in that he doesn’t blow anyone away, but unlike Snyder he throws a couple of ticks harder, generally working around 90mph, and he showed some nice groundball tendencies last year and this year. He had a GB% of 58 in Augusta in ’07 and a GB% of 56% this year in San Jose. It’s not Brandon Webb level — elite groundballers usually work in the 60%+ range — but he does get more outs on the ground than in the air. Like Snyder, Tanner’s window is small-ish because of his lack of pure “stuff”, but unlike Snyder he’s almost 3-years younger at 20-years-old. I still like Tanner as a back-of-the-rotation starter that can get the occasional groundball. Even though his ERA is currently at 4.47 his FIP is at 3.42.

The Giants are packed with pitching talent at this level. Alderson and Sosa give the Giants potential front of the rotation starters. Pucetas, Snyder, and Tanner give the Giants potential back-of-the-rotation starters and honestly, I’m not sure where English will end up, be it reliever or starter. He’s got a bunch of upside, thats for sure, but his health will play a huge factor in his ability to remain a starter.

On the hitting side, there isn’t a whole lot in San Jose that could translate to the majors but Pablo Sandoval’s development gives us a lot of encouragement. He’s played amazingly well this year and could finish the year in AAA. Downs and D’Alessio have their problems and could go either way, but keep an eye on them anyways.

Next, we’ll stop by and check out AA and see what’s happing in the cold air of Connecticut.

Headlines have alternated between ‘Giants lose another tough one’ and ‘When will Rich Aurilia pass his kidney stone?’. Clearly if any season has ever existed for us to look at other places for encouragement, this is the one

That’s why I’ve been addicted to reading minor league box scores so much this year. I’ve always had a great interest in the farm system — or lack of — but this year I’ve found myself checking minor league box scores before the big club’s box scores. Strange that I’d rather read about anyone with a slight chance of upside than looking at Castillo’s latest o-’fer.

Load up the van, we’re taking a road trip through the Giants minor league system! Use the bathroom, buckle up, and let’s find some signs of encouragement!

Today we’ll make our first stop at the Augusta Greenjackets. The Greenjackets are one of the more exciting minor league teams in the Giants system because of the high number of draft picks in ’07 and the ever-popular Angel Villalona. The Greenjackets are currently 33-23 and only 6.5 games out of first place in the South Atlantic League.

Here are some players that I’ve been keeping an eye on and so should you.

Augusta Green Jackets (A)

1B Angel Villalona – Mr. Villalona is the top prospect in the Giants organization. The kid from the Dominican Republic won’t turn 18 until August and his bat holds unrivaled potential among minor leaguers. His plate approach could use some work — 12 walks to 47 strikeouts — but when you consider his age, you’ve got a lot to like. His power potential is still enormous and he’s shown flashes of brilliance already this year. The Giants can move Angel along slowly and he could still make it to the majors by his early 20′s.

LHP Madison Bumgarner – Not only is the left-handed Bumgarner one of the youngest pitchers in the South Atlantic League, he’s been one of the best. The 10th overall pick of the 2007 draft has been phenomenal in his first pro-season. He’s striking out 28.2% of hitters faced and only walking 4.3%. That’s good for a K/BB ratio of 6.56, meaning that for every 6.5 K’s, Bumgarner walks 1 hitter. That’s an excellent ratio that puts him 7th in the SAL for K/BB among starters. Other things to like about Bumgarner is that when hitters do make contact, it’s been predominately on the ground — a GB% of 52. Add in reports that he’s been making progress with his breaking pitch — a slurvy breaking ball — and showing some promise with a changeup and you’ve got tons of encouragement. Bumgarner is making a run as a top prospect in the Giants system.

2B Nick Noonan – The ’07 draft injected a lot of talent into the lower portion of the Giants minor league system. Noonan was picked by the Giants 32nd overall in the 1st round of that draft. The prep shortstop held his own in the AZL in ’07 with a line of (.316/.357/.451). He started this year in the SAL and has had mixed results. His line of (.273/.298/.411) has shown that Noonan is still a young player — only 19 — with some kinks to work out in his game. He came out of high school as a very polished player. Scouts loved his makeup and hitting approach and he even got some comparisons to Chase Utley, albeit with less power potential. Noonan has moved off shortstop and is now playing 2B full time. He isn’t walking much — just 6 walks in 209 AB’s — but his upside is still very high. He fits the mold of an offensive minded 2B with some speed. Noonan has plenty of time to mature as a player and hopefully we’ll see him make some progress as the season unfolds.

RHP Daniel Otero – My obscure pick for this level. Otero was drafted in ’07 in the 21st round out of the University of Southern Florida. He racked up 19 saves for the Volcanoes that year in 22.1 innings pitched. Most everything I’ve read about Otero, stuff-wise, indicates that he’s got a fringey fastball and a slider that he uses as a chase pitch. What Otero does have is great control. He’s yet to walk a hitter this year with the Greenjackets in 22.1 innings pitched. In 44.2 career innings pitched he’s only walked 2 hitters. So far as the Greenjackets closer, Otero has collected 14 saves. He’s getting some swing-throughs with a K% at 24.4% and he’s kept the ball on the ground with a GB% of 69%. Because of Otero’s fringey stuff, he’ll have to prove himself every step of the way — similar to Sergio Romo or Adam Cowart — but the early results look great.

That’s it for today’s Farm Review. Tomorrow we’ll be heading across the country to San Jose to check out the San Jose Giants. See you then.

Comment Starter: Got a personal favorite Greenjacket? Let’s hear it.