Season Wrap: San Jose Giants
Things went well!
This is the fourth of a series of season wrap ups for the Giants system. Before we start looking forward, it’s always good to look back and remember the year that was! Today we check in on the longest-running affiliate relationship in the organization, and probably the most successful affiliate the Giants have ever had.
2021 San Jose Giants
76-44 (2nd place in Low A West, North Division, Won League Championship Series)
Overview
How high were expectations for the San Jose Giants at the start of the year? Alex Pavlovic, of NBC Sports Bay Area, openly wondered if this was “the best collection of high upside prospect talent” the Giants had ever sent to one affiliate. San Jose’s move to Low-A status as a result of MLB’s reorganization (and significant reduction) of minor league baseball coincided perfectly with a wave of young talent just getting ready to start their full-season careers. The roster included nearly half of the Giants’ top 15 prospects as ranked by Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook prior to the season: #1 (Marco Luciano), #4 (Luis Matos), #5 (Kyle Harrison), #8 (Alexander Canario), #11 (Luis Toribio), #14 (Casey Schmitt), and #16 (Nick Swiney). If that wasn’t enough to get the prospect lovers licking his proverbial lips, there were more high-upside surprises in store once the season got going. By the end of the year, 18 members of Baseball America’s mid-season Top 30 had appeared on the San Jose roster.
Comparisons were made to the great 2009 San Jose club and expectations were high that this group might be able to deliver the franchise’s 7th league title as a Giants’ affiliate — and their first since winning their fourth in six years back in the magical season of 2010.
So, how’d it all work out?
Yup. Pretty, pretty good!
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