Minor League round up, September 28

Sep 29, 2022 - 7:32 PM

Well, I’m sad. The season is officially over for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Soon we’ll have the Arizona Fall League to look at, and the Rule 5 Draft to consider, and the Community Prospect List to debate about, but we have to wait more than six months before we get to see our sweet, beautiful Giants prospects back on the MiLB diamond.

Sigh.

Let’s dig into the final day.

Link to the 2022 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions are the positions played in that game.

AAA Sacramento (65-83)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 5-0
Box score

Well, the River Cats ended the season in style, at least!

The pitching in this game was fantastic. It started with RHP Wei-Chieh Huang, who has been excellent since returning from injury. He went 5 strong innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 7 batters.

Huang is 29, so not exactly a prospect per se, but it will be interesting to see if the Giants keep him around and incorporate him into the roster next year. In his 11 games since returning from injury, he posted the following line: 43 innings, 33 hits, 13 walks, 10 earned runs, 48 strikeouts. Good stuff, especially considering the bandbox league that Sacramento plays in.

The bullpen was nothing short of phenomenal, with LHP Enmanuel De Jesus and and RHPs Michael Stryffeler, Ryan Walker, and R.J. Dabovich (No. 16 CPL) all striking out 2 in scoreless innings, with only Walker allowing baserunners.

De Jesus finishes the year with a 4.54 ERA, a 4.71 FIP, and 118 strikeouts to 51 walks in 101.2 innings; Stryffeler with a 7.88 ERA, a 5.73 FIP, and 25 strikeouts to 17 walks in 16 innings; Walker with a 6.14 ERA, a 3.04 FIP, and 9 strikeouts to 3 walks in 7.1 innings; and Dabovich with a 4.38 ERA, a 4.42 FIP, and 31 strikeouts to 20 walks in 24.2 innings.

On offense, the best day came from center fielder Bryce Johnson, who tripled and doubled. He ends the year with a .770 OPS, a 97 wRC+, and 31 stolen bases. And, most importantly, having made his MLB debut.

Shortstop Dixon Machado hit 1-2 with a double and a walk, while right fielder Heliot Ramos (No. 4 CPL) hit 1-4 to end the year with a 3-game hitting streak. He showed some flashes down the stretch, and will try and bounce back from his tough season — .654 OPS, 64 wRC+ — next year.

And thus ends the season. The River Cats will be back in action in 183 days, when they visit the Salt Lake Bees on March 31. Calling it now: a Kyle Harrison masterpiece and a multi-homer day by Ramos.