2024 Giants' Organization Best Tools!
Taking a look at some of the best physical ingredients in the org plus a look at those who flash the leather
Photo Credit: Mick Anders | Richmond Flying Squirrels
We’ve looked at the players who had the best seasons in 2024, on both the position player and pitcher sides. But now it’s time to look at something more fundamental: who has the kind of physical tools that succeed in the big leagues. I’m going back to that Joey Votto quote again — “the big leagues are a heavyweight fight. There’s limited tactics at that level. The physical trumps everything.”
So who brings the physical in the Giants’ system. That’s what we’re here to find out. Today, I’ll look at a wide variety of physical tools and give my best assessment at who’s leading the farm, and I’ll also name an All-Defense lineup for the org. It’s a toolapalooza!
One quick note: I’m only looking at prospects here, not guys who are major leaguers. I mentioned in last week’s mailbag how many players graduated this year, but just to put them back in one spot for you, the list of guys who are no longer prospects, includes:
None of those guys will be mentioned in today’s post, which means we’ll need a new “Best Curveball” candidate, among other things. One player who I noted last week was closing in on graduation is Grant McCray. It now looks like he won’t quite leave the prospect lists, but I’m going to leave him in the “big league” ranks for today’s exercise — in part, because we can now see on a daily basis what those tools are and how they play, and in part because it’s just fun to uncover some new names. So, McCray may be part of the Top 50, but he won’t be part of our Best Tools list, even though he would certainly top the “Best Defensive OF,” “Best Speed” and maybe even “Best OF Arm” categories. Got it? Ok, let’s dive in….
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