San Francisco Giants: Revisiting Some Past Top Ten Prospects
2014 Baseball America Organizational Rankings
The 2014 Rankings were composed in December of 2013 — coming off of the disappointing 2013 campaign that saw the reigning champion Giants barely scrape their way out of last place in the division thanks largely to injury.
As for the prospects, there were many that made strides in the minors and primed themselves for call-ups down the road. The clear leader of this group was — and still is — Joe Panik.
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A prospect drafted by the Giants out of St. John’s University in New York, Panik quickly rose through the ranks of San Francisco’s system. After tearing up the lower tiers, Panik started the 2013 season with the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels.
It goes on from there, but the picture being painted is obvious; he’s long been a defensive stalwart with quick bat speed that allows him to be a rock in any MLB lineup. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason that Panik’s 2015 All-Star selection can’t be repeated many times throughout his career.
As for the rest of the group, most have yet to prove themselves as booms or bust.
Young guns like Ty Blach, Clayton Blackburn, Christian Arroyo and Mac Williamson are all trending upwards as of late. Barring any major setbacks or flops, they should all be given a shot at the majors within the next year or two.
However, the same cannot be said for the remaining few of the group. Adalberto Mejia has been in AA Richmond for two seasons now, and hasn’t yet displayed what the Giants need to see to justify giving him a call-up.
Edwin Escobar and Heath Hembree were traded to the Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Jake Peavy in 2014. Chris Stratton is currently in AAA Sacramento, and has had his ups and downs thus far.
Kyle Crick is the biggest question mark out of all the prospects currently in the Giants system. He was ranked the top San Francisco prospect two years running, along with being a top-100 MLB prospect overall.
However, he’s encountered steep learning curves as well as health issues. If he can stay healthy, he may live up to his high billing. But his high status as a prospect only makes the pressure more intense.
Next: The Year That Started It All