Kyle Harrison Promoted!
The first bump up of the year for a major prospect is here!
The rumors started circulating early this morning, following Kyle Harrison’s red eye flight across country: the Giants’ top pitching prospect — the top pitching prospect they’ve had since the days of Madison Bumgarner — was moving up, receiving his very first in-season promotion six weeks into the young year.
It’s a move that keeps Harrison’s development apace with the remarkable ascent of the legendary MadBum — in experience, if not age. Bumgarner, also drafted out of high school, made his professional debut in Low A, just as Harrison did with San Jose in 2021. The following season, Bum spent just five games in High A before receiving an early May promotion to the AA Connecticut Defenders. Harrison was ever so slightly behind Bumgarner, throwing seven games this spring in High A.
He becomes one of just three pitchers, 20 or younger, in the three Double A leagues. Only the Marlins’ Eury Perez (who turned 19 in April), is currently pitching in Double A at a younger age than Harrison.
A quick look at this week’s Stats Review tells the story of why the Giants were forced to find new challenges for Harrison. His ridiculous 50% K rate was the best in the minor leagues for any qualified pitcher, and second best for anyone with a minimum of 20 IP. He led the Northwest League in FIP (1.42), K% (50%), K-BB% (41.5%), and swinging strike rate (17.8%). He was third in ERA with 1.55, a low mark that was nonetheless inflated by a single disastrous start he made while under the weather, in which he allowed four of his five earned runs on the season. In five of his seven starts with Eugene, he’s allowed no runs.
Significantly, he’s also slashed his walk rate this year, from 11.8% in Low A San Jose in 2021, to 8.5% so far with Eugene. Throwing more strikes was Harrison’s number 1 goal entering 2022, and he’s certainly making great strides towards checking that box.
Next challenge on the list: the big step up to advanced upper minors hitters. Success there, and the prodigy might really force the Giants to start thinking about the MadBum development timeline:
And yet, KyHar just doesn’t have the same ring.
Hairy K?