San Francisco Giants Minor League Major Performers: July 1st, 2018
As the San Francisco Giants completed a sweep, their minor league affiliates went 5-2 on the day thanks to some big performers:
The San Jose Giants were involved in an offensive shootout, and first baseman Gio Brusa was a big part of the San Jose offense in Sunday night. He picked up two hits, both for extra-bases, and drove in four runs.
Brusa was retired in his first at-bat, but the switch-hitter launched a three-run blast in the third inning as a left-handed hitter. The blast, Brusa’s 12th of the year and 11th against right-handers, momentarily put the Giants ahead 6-2. The Visalia Rawhide rallied to take a 12-6 lead, but Brusa cut into that deficit with an RBI double in the fifth, also as a lefty.
Brusa’s calling card throughout his minor league career has been his big-time power. He led the San Jose offense with 17 home runs last season, and appears poised to set a new career-high this season. He’s hit 12 dingers already, a number that leads the Giants and ranks him tied for sixth in the Cal League despite missing a few weeks earlier in the year on the disabled list. His 44 RBI also leads the squad and is tied for sixth in the league, and his 16 doubles rank third on the Giants.
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The Augusta GreenJackets had one of their best offensive performances of the year, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits to beat the Columbia Fireflies Sunday night. In the middle of that performance was their first baseman, Ryan Kirby. The Giants’ 12th-round pick back in 2016 had three hits, his fourth three-hit game this season, and drove in a pair while scoring twice.
Kirby delivered the first big hit of the game for Augusta, lining a single to left field to score a pair, giving the GreenJackets a 2-0 lead in the first. He followed that up with a double in the second inning, then singled and scored as part of a four-run fifth inning.
Much like Brusa, Kirby’s best tool is his pure, raw power despite a rather low batting average. He doesn’t connect as much as he would probably like, but when he does, his strength shines through. His 11 home runs this season are tied for eighth-most in the South Atlantic League, while his 19 doubles are tied for third-most. His .225 average is nothing special, but a .202 ISO that ranks 14th in the league speaks to the big power.
Young, exciting right-hander Gregory Santos continued a good start to his season for the short-season A-ball Salem-Keizer team. He threw seven stellar innings against the Vancouver Candians, giving up two runs while spreading out nine hits. He struck out six batters and didn’t walk one.
Santos allowed a run on a couple hits in the first inning, then worked through a two-out single in the second. He retired the side in order in both the third and fourth, then stranded a runner on third in the fifth. The second run allowed came in the sixth, then he was able to finish the seventh with no further damage. Santos needed just 79 pitches (57 strikes) to finish those seven innings.
Santos was the lottery ticket player in the Eduardo Nunez trade last season, and the Giants gave him a big challenge by sending him to Salem-Keizer this year. At just about two months shy of his 19th birthday, Santos is the second-youngest player in the Northwest League, but isn’t pitching like such a youngster. In four starts, he has a 2.86 ERA and 1.045 WHIP, but most impressively for a young player with a big fastball, he’s walked only three in 22 innings.
Next: Minor League Major Performers 6-30-18
Others of Note:
Kelby Tomlinson (SAC): 1-3, BB, 2 R, 2 SB
Taylor Hill (RICH): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Heath Quinn (SJ): 2-5, 2 2B (12), RBI (21)
Jacob Heyward (SJ): 3-5, 2B (14), HR (6), RBI (26), 3 R
Robinson Medrano (SK): 2-5, HR (5), 3 RBI (10), R
Jasier Herrera (AZLO): 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 6 K
Alexander Canario (AZLB): 2-3, 3B (1), RBI (2), R, BB
Israel Cruz (AZLB): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K