A Few Thoughts on Developmental Pace

Photo Credit: Mick Anders | Richmond Flying Squirrels

In the week leading up to Memorial Day of this year, I got what I considered to be a special treat. As an observer of all things Giants-prospect related, it always puts a little extra skip in my step when I can watch the best of the Giants’ group going up against elite competition.

As the Eugene Emeralds got set to host the Vancouver Canadians for that May series, word came out that Toronto was promoting its 1st round pick from 2024 up to the NWL, where he would immediately take the mound against his counterpart from the Giants, James Tibbs III, and the sky-rocketing pop-up prospect Bo Davidson. In fact, as Trey Yesavage took the series opener, we would get to watch him make two starts in Eugene that week. Fun!

As it happened, Yesavage was pretty sensational that week, allowing just three hits and two runs over eight innings, and striking out 19 batters (including punching out Tibbs four times in four trips to the plate). But, hey, shout out to Charlie Szykowny for taking Yesavage deep — the only Emerald who made him look mortal that week!

Yesavage’s dominance of the Emeralds was hardly unusual. The right-hander with the funky arm slot and nasty splitter would pitch his way out of the NWL after just two more appearances, and — you know the rest of this story — spend his October helping the Blue Jays’ push for a World Series (where either they or the Mariners will try to save humanity). Still, I’ve been thinking of that week in May a lot over the last few weeks, after Yesavage’s dominant start against the New York Yankees in the ALDS prompted a piece in Baseball America entitled: MLB Draft Picks Are Reaching the Majors Faster Than Ever. Or, at least, Yesavage’s historic playoff start was one data point in that compelling piece. As it happens, Yesavage wasn’t even the only member of the 2024 draft to take part in this year’s postseason — though the Reds’ Chase Burns was limited to a much less dramatic appearance against the Dodgers. Moving from post- to regular season, the A’s massive Nick Kurtz put up a stunning 36-homer 5-WAR season within a calendar year of going 4th overall in 2024. In all, eight members of that draft class played in MLB before the 2025 season had concluded.

As the Giants’ Vice-President of Player Development, Randy Winn, has spent much of the last year talking about slowing down the pace of player development, it seems reasonable to ask some questions about this: are the Giants zigging as the rest of the industry zags? If so, is this a good idea? And finally, is there an ‘ideal’ pace at which to push players up the development ladder?