The season’s underway and I’m sure you have questions about it. Hopefully, enough to fill up weekly Free For All Mailbags from here on out. Let me hear what’s on your mind!There R Giants is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Hi Roger, I'd be interested in your thoughts on where Villar might be after the deadline. It was only 14 months ago (!) when he was the presumptive 3B for the Giants going into the season, with the chance to make the position his for the short term at least. Now not only Chapman but Fitzgerald, Schmitt and potentially even Wisely and Luci are now ahead of him on the IF depth chart (and Wilmer got a start at 3B the other day). I feel like him playing the full season in Sacramento with a .900 OPS doesn't really help anyone. With Casey there he's not even getting lots of 3B reps. He should be hitting 20 HR for the Marlins or White Sox or somewhere! Do you think he has any value around the rest of the league?
I've lived in Norfolk for the last 7 years and I've really enjoyed watching the Orioles prospects roll through here. They really have an exciting young team. Conversely, watching the Norfolk Tides has reminded me how truly abysmal the Giants' farm system has been at producing above average to great position players. It seems like they've had a number of big prospects, but just aren't able to get them past the finish line. I know they hired Pete Putilla, who had great success with the Astros. But has the front office made any organizational changes within the minors to improve their player development, particularly on the position player front? E.g. hitting labs, new coaches, analytics, etc.
I’m a huge fan of Tyler Fitzgerald, especially after you noted he and Munguia are high character individuals. Tyler’s being developed to play 6 positions. Some positions he’s rarely/never played. He’s also served as position pitcher 2x. Is it asking too much of any rookie to learn so many positions at MLB level? Fans are already blaming him for errors/mental mistakes. Afraid if he’s sent down, fans will think he’s “failed.” ps. If my question is selected, feel free to heavily edit!
Two questions here, couldn't pick which one I wanted to send in more, sorry!
1) The major league players have had an issue with hitting fastballs stretching back to last year. Nearly all of the rookies (Casey, Wisely, Matos, Luci, Ramos) were all subpar against fastballs last year according to run value. I know part of that is just rookies looking bad when they come up, but I can't help but feel there's something else going on. Any insight on what the hitting development is doing to address hitting fastballs, or is this just something you'd expect to even out as players see more major-league stuff?
2) It feels like Heliot Ramos didn't really get a fair shake over the last couple years. I know he has a launch angle issue, but (albeit in a small sample size) that seems to be diminished this year. What do you think the organization's waiting on to give him an opportunity (outside of injuries)?
Any idea what kind of home schedule the River Cats are going to have next season since the Athletics will be moving into Sutter Health Park for, I assume, 81 home games?
Should Mat Olsen be getting more attention as a prospect? I started wondering when I saw the Giants named him to their Spring Breakout 2024 team (and didn’t include several other healthy pitchers that you and others have ranked in the 30s-40s). That surprised me because Olsen gets very little pub, so I thought maybe he made that roster as a tip of the cap for being a hard worker or solid teammate. But when looking into his performance, I wonder if the Giants might view Olsen as a legit prospect, someone deserving of being on that Spring Breakout team more than pitchers not included (such as Ryan Murphy, Jose Cruz, Tyler Myrick, Ben Madison and Haden Wynja). Olsen had a great K-BB% in Richmond last year (26.1%) after getting promoted, just about the best in the entire system, which is touted for its talented arms. But he wasn’t even on your lengthy Just Missed list. So, what gives?
1) Given that the career high innings for Harrison, Hicks, and Winn are all 100 or so (except once for Winn a long time ago), do you think there will be a hard inning limit for them this season, assuming they all pitch well?
2) I have not heard of Trent Harris at all until FanGraphs put him as our #12, higher than even guys like Black and Birdsong. Can you give us some intel about this guy?
Has the Giants kiddie glove handling of their minor league pitchers last year already blown up in their face? It was supposed to reduce injury, and yet FanGraphs just reported that they have so many injured pitchers at the moment that they’re not able to play full extended spring games. Meanwhile, at the major league level, we’ve just started to worry about how many innings we can ask out of Keaton and Kyle as they’re finding their stride and (specifically for Keaton) trying to stick in the rotation for the first time. I’ve seen numerous downsides to this strategy so far and none of the upside. Was the whole idea just flawed from the start? Or are the Giants doing something else that’s causing all their pitchers to break?
Curious as to the lack of playing time for Alexander Suarez- I haven’t seen an injury report and with his athletic and physical ability I would think he’s a guy you’d want to play-
Whilst I'm excited about the numbers of prospect arms getting an opportunity I'm also concerned that the likes if Roupp and Teng will not be developed as starters which will potentially impede their progress. Are the Giants not better suited to using Avila, Rodriguez etc if they are looking more at 1/2 innings
Hi Roger, I'd be interested in your thoughts on where Villar might be after the deadline. It was only 14 months ago (!) when he was the presumptive 3B for the Giants going into the season, with the chance to make the position his for the short term at least. Now not only Chapman but Fitzgerald, Schmitt and potentially even Wisely and Luci are now ahead of him on the IF depth chart (and Wilmer got a start at 3B the other day). I feel like him playing the full season in Sacramento with a .900 OPS doesn't really help anyone. With Casey there he's not even getting lots of 3B reps. He should be hitting 20 HR for the Marlins or White Sox or somewhere! Do you think he has any value around the rest of the league?
I've lived in Norfolk for the last 7 years and I've really enjoyed watching the Orioles prospects roll through here. They really have an exciting young team. Conversely, watching the Norfolk Tides has reminded me how truly abysmal the Giants' farm system has been at producing above average to great position players. It seems like they've had a number of big prospects, but just aren't able to get them past the finish line. I know they hired Pete Putilla, who had great success with the Astros. But has the front office made any organizational changes within the minors to improve their player development, particularly on the position player front? E.g. hitting labs, new coaches, analytics, etc.
I’m a huge fan of Tyler Fitzgerald, especially after you noted he and Munguia are high character individuals. Tyler’s being developed to play 6 positions. Some positions he’s rarely/never played. He’s also served as position pitcher 2x. Is it asking too much of any rookie to learn so many positions at MLB level? Fans are already blaming him for errors/mental mistakes. Afraid if he’s sent down, fans will think he’s “failed.” ps. If my question is selected, feel free to heavily edit!
Two questions here, couldn't pick which one I wanted to send in more, sorry!
1) The major league players have had an issue with hitting fastballs stretching back to last year. Nearly all of the rookies (Casey, Wisely, Matos, Luci, Ramos) were all subpar against fastballs last year according to run value. I know part of that is just rookies looking bad when they come up, but I can't help but feel there's something else going on. Any insight on what the hitting development is doing to address hitting fastballs, or is this just something you'd expect to even out as players see more major-league stuff?
2) It feels like Heliot Ramos didn't really get a fair shake over the last couple years. I know he has a launch angle issue, but (albeit in a small sample size) that seems to be diminished this year. What do you think the organization's waiting on to give him an opportunity (outside of injuries)?
Any idea what kind of home schedule the River Cats are going to have next season since the Athletics will be moving into Sutter Health Park for, I assume, 81 home games?
Should Mat Olsen be getting more attention as a prospect? I started wondering when I saw the Giants named him to their Spring Breakout 2024 team (and didn’t include several other healthy pitchers that you and others have ranked in the 30s-40s). That surprised me because Olsen gets very little pub, so I thought maybe he made that roster as a tip of the cap for being a hard worker or solid teammate. But when looking into his performance, I wonder if the Giants might view Olsen as a legit prospect, someone deserving of being on that Spring Breakout team more than pitchers not included (such as Ryan Murphy, Jose Cruz, Tyler Myrick, Ben Madison and Haden Wynja). Olsen had a great K-BB% in Richmond last year (26.1%) after getting promoted, just about the best in the entire system, which is touted for its talented arms. But he wasn’t even on your lengthy Just Missed list. So, what gives?
Thanks for doing this again, Roger!
1) Given that the career high innings for Harrison, Hicks, and Winn are all 100 or so (except once for Winn a long time ago), do you think there will be a hard inning limit for them this season, assuming they all pitch well?
2) I have not heard of Trent Harris at all until FanGraphs put him as our #12, higher than even guys like Black and Birdsong. Can you give us some intel about this guy?
Has the Giants kiddie glove handling of their minor league pitchers last year already blown up in their face? It was supposed to reduce injury, and yet FanGraphs just reported that they have so many injured pitchers at the moment that they’re not able to play full extended spring games. Meanwhile, at the major league level, we’ve just started to worry about how many innings we can ask out of Keaton and Kyle as they’re finding their stride and (specifically for Keaton) trying to stick in the rotation for the first time. I’ve seen numerous downsides to this strategy so far and none of the upside. Was the whole idea just flawed from the start? Or are the Giants doing something else that’s causing all their pitchers to break?
Curious as to the lack of playing time for Alexander Suarez- I haven’t seen an injury report and with his athletic and physical ability I would think he’s a guy you’d want to play-
Whilst I'm excited about the numbers of prospect arms getting an opportunity I'm also concerned that the likes if Roupp and Teng will not be developed as starters which will potentially impede their progress. Are the Giants not better suited to using Avila, Rodriguez etc if they are looking more at 1/2 innings