San Francisco Giants Top 50 Prospects (2022)

Giants Top 50 graphic design by @artbyMikeP on Twitter

The NL West Champion San Francisco Giants shocked a majority of the baseball world in 2021 with an outstanding season, finishing 107-55 and besting their bitter rival Los Angeles Dodgers by 1 win in the division. There are plenty of games to look back on and wonder who made major contributions and what led the Giants to post a franchise-record win total. Buster Posey has retired and the team will look to find a new face of the franchise.

While it will be hard to top 2021, there is still a lot to like moving forward from the Giants organization. The depth within the organization has grown immensely over the last few years and they now have several talented prospects to keep an eye on. With the intention and expectation some of these bright stars have, it’s easy to see why many fans are excited for the many years to come. I would expect them to remain as one of the best systems in baseball for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a look at my Giants Top 50 prospects for 2022.


San Francisco Giants Affiliates:
AAA Sacramento River Cats
AA Richmond Flying Squirrels
High-A Eugene Emeralds
Low-A San Jose Giants
Rookie ACL Giants Orange
Rookie ACL Giants Black
Rookie DSL Giants Orange
Rookie DSL Giants Black

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have a high likelihood of making the majors, but provide minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who have an outside chance of making a team’s 40-man roster.

Levels listed for each player are the highest-level player reached.

Tier 1

1. Marco Luciano, SS, 20, High-A
Marco’s first year as a top-flight prospect wasn’t as smooth as hoped, as he struggled with contact. Likely to be dropped down slightly in most rankings and you’re more than likely to find a dynasty manager willing to move him for cheaper. Buy! Marco is still the best prospect in the system, still maturing as a prospect, and nowhere near a final product. Expect him to come out strong in 2022 and prove he’s still worthy of the hype.

2. Luis Matos, OF, 20, Low-A
Matos has flourished since signing with the Giants in 2018 and is shooting up prospect lists and rightfully so. Matos has played in 169 games since making his debut in 2019 and has posted some exciting numbers. During that time, Matos has a .332/.388/.520/.908 slash line with a remarkable 85 extra-base hits, with 22 of those being HR. Even more impressive is he’s been able to chip in 42 SB with only 8 CS. While all of those numbers are worth noting, it’s more impressive that he can control the strike zone to a tune of 48:92 BB:K ratio. If Matos continues this torrid pace as he ascends, look out, star potential.

Tier 2

3. Joey Bart, C, 25, MLB
Seems like Bart is being pushed down prospect rankings and is slowly becoming a quiet prospect. Bart only appeared in 2 MLB games this year and you can thank Buster Posey for that. While down in AAA Sacramento, he played in 67 games, 63 of those were behind the dish. Joey posted a solid .294/.472/.831 with 10 HR. While he still has some swing and miss in his game, this is a good opportunity to buy lower on him. I expect him to contribute several games in SF this season as he takes over for Posey and looks for his first career MLB HR.

4. Kyle Harrison, LHP, 20, Low-A
Harrison has all the makings of becoming a frontline starter in the Bay. Starting to be noticed in prospect rankings, expect to see Harrison on several Top 100 lists and there’s more growth left in that left arm. Kyle missed bats at an impressive rate as he produced 157 SO (14.32 K/9) in only 98.2 IP in 2021, his first year in the organization. While he has some of the best stuff in the system, some believe he may have one of the best sliders in the minor leagues. I expect Kyle to continue working on his control as he continues to develop as he walked 52 (4.74 BB/9) hitters last year.

5. Heliot Ramos, OF, 22, AAA
Ramos has struggled throughout his brief career within the Giants organization, mired by injuries as the Giants brass continues to move him up the organizational ladder. Ramos ended 2021 with AAA and the Giants added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft which bodes well for his chances of potentially making his debut this season in SF, health and performance permitting. While there is still a lot to like with Ramos, there is still a lot of issues and mainly with his hit tool. He continues to strike out too much for my liking as we saw him post a career-worst 138 in 2021. The power/speed blend is still there, 14 HR/15 SB split between AA/AAA, maybe this is just who he is and some expected more from him as he continued to develop. He’s still young and has a chance to figure things out, but he’s likely being passed by other talent within the organization soon.

6. Jairo Pomares, OF, 21, High-A
Talk about a breakout! Pomares went from 3 HR in 2019 to hitting 20 HR split between Low-A and High-A in 2021. Pomares has some swing-and-miss to consider when looking at the young talent out of Cuba, but the power is massive. During 26 games in High-A, Pomares posted an ugly 1:33 BB:K ratio but was still able to crack out 6 HR in 104 AB. He is starting to gain traction in prospect rankings, and another monster year like this past year and he may be in SF sooner than you think.

7. Will Bednar, RHP, 21, Low-A
National Champion, College World Series MVP and 1st round draft pick all within weeks for the young righty out of Mississippi State. Bednar was taken with the 14th pick in the 2021 draft and the Giants let him work in 7 innings before the year concluded. Featuring a 93-95 mph FB that can be effective throughout the zone and a plus slider which he relied on this past season, Bednar also has a solid curveball and a developing changeup. All of which would allow Bednar to stay in the rotation for a long time.

8. Aeverson Arteaga, SS, 18, Low-A
Arteaga made his debut in 2021 and hit the ground running. He features a sweet swing from the right side, and he has the chance to stick at SS. He has good instincts and moves well thanks to his quick feet. In 57 GP, Arteaga blasted 9 HR while adding 8 SB with 0 CS. Potentially having the makings of another breakout candidate in 2022, Artega looks like he has the tools to succeed long term. Keep an eye on him as a potential sleeper in deeper formats.

9. Hunter Bishop, OF, 23, High-A
2021 was a lost year for Bishop as he dealt with a shoulder injury for the majority of the season. The Giants sent Bishop to the Arizona Fall League to finish up the year which allowed him to reach 107 AB. Bishop is known for power and even with the little AB he had this year, he didn’t hit a single HR. Something to monitor early in the spring to see if he’s overcome the shoulder injury and shake off the rust. Bishop is a good buy low candidate but I would rather wait until I see him back on the field consistently.

10. Ryan Murphy, RHP, 22, High-A
Murphy was drafted in the 5th round in 2020 out of LeMoyne College and showed this past season why the Giants loved him at that spot. Murphy broke out to a tune of 164:26 SO:BB in 107.1 IP as he finished the season in High-A where he performed better. Murphy displays a repeatable delivery and 4 quality offerings. Reports mention Murphy’s slider as low 80’s but when thrown harder it can look more of a cutter. In a Giants system that previously lacked SP depth, Murphy has a chance to become a solid contributor down the line.

11. Camilo Doval, RHP, 24, MLB
Doval finally made his MLB debut with the Giants this past year and showed how electric he can be, as he took over a late inning role down the stretch. While he’s still learning how to harness the emotions of being a late inning RP in the MLB, there is no doubting his talent to be in that position. Look for Doval to continue impressing in late innings as he looks to sure up the backend of the bullpen in 2022 and years to come.

Tier 3

12. Patrick Bailey, C, 22, High-A
Bailey had an interesting year as he spent most of his time in Low-A where he performed well after starting the year in High-A where it was the opposite. Bailey was able to finish 2021 in the AFL as he was selected to appear in the All-Star Game. With 2020 being a tough year for all prospects/players, maybe the start of the year was him shrugging off some rust and will need to continue to monitor his development in 2022 to see if he’s the hitter was saw at the end of the year or the one at the beginning of 2021. Bailey played 64 of the 82 G at C, so the organization still views him as a backstop.

13. Matt Mikulski, LHP, 22, Rookie (ACL)
Drafted in the 2nd round in 2021, Mikulski comes to the Giants organization from Fordham University where he performed extremely well. Mikulski cleaned up some mechanics and was able to lead the NCAA with a 16.3 K/9 in 68.1 IP. The Giants let him pitch in 5 innings before the year concluded. Look for him to start the year in Low-A.

14. Adrian Sugastey, C, 19, Rookie (ACL)
2019 International Signee from Panama, Sugastey comes to the Giants as an advanced catcher with the chance to be a solid contributor in most categories. While power still lags behind, Sugastey hit well in his first taste of pro ball. During 43 G, Adrian hit .358 but only 8 of his 53 hits went for extra bases. Impressively, he caught in 40 games and only had 3 errors which speaks to his advanced defensive skills and athleticism.

15. Randy Rodriguez, RHP, 21, Low-A
Rodriguez broke out in 2021 as an impact arm out of the bullpen and the Giants used him in several situations. Appearing in 32 games, Rodriguez threw 62 innings and posted an impressive 101:23 SO:BB ratio while not allowing a single HR. In context for his career, he’s only allowed 2 HR in 114.1 IP while facing 490 hitters during that time. The Giants placed Rodriguez on the 4o-man roster this past off-season to block teams from selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, potentially adding the chance to contribute in SF this year if he continues this type of success.

16. Will Wilson, SS, 23, AA
Wilson had a tougher year in 2021 than he had in years past. The Giants were aggressive with him this past year as they let him jump to AA Richmond to finish the season. While results were not what we expected, there is still a lot to like moving forward for the young and talented Wilson. Power continues to shine as he was able to hit 15 HR in 100 G split between the two levels. While it can be expected to see an uptick in swing and miss as a prospect jumps levels, I’m looking forward to seeing how Wilson responds to the 137:46 K:BB he posted in 2021. Interesting to note, Wilson played almost exclusively at SS in the minors before playing 10 of 19 games in the Arizona Fall League in the OF.

17. Diego Rincones, OF, 22, AA
Rincones continues to impress with the stick and 2021-2022 has been no different. While he only saw game action in 76 games, Diego spent the majority of that time in AA Richmond where he excelled playing RF. Throughout his minor league career, including his time in the Venezuelan Winter League with Bravos de Margarita, Rincones has only 231 strikeouts in 442 games. We saw this last year again as he posted an impressive 56:26 K:BB in 320 plate appearances. Lastly, Diego posted a career best 15 HR in 2021 and will look to better that total in 2022.

18. Ricardo Genoves, C, 22, AAA
Ricardo spent 2021 split between 3 levels, Low-A/High-A/AAA with a majority of the time spent in High-A Eugene. While results were better in Low-A San Jose, there is still a lot to like moving forward for the young backstop out of Venezuela. Big bat, Ricardo had 39 extra-base hits with 14 of those as HR and was able to maintain a solid .275.359/.453/.812 in 109 games.

19. Ryan Reckley, SS, 17, International signee
Reckley signed with the Giants as an International Free Agent out of the Bahamas. Reckley is a switch hitting SS with the chance to stick up the middle as he develops over the next few years. Very athletic and disciplined, Reckley has more power currently as a right handed hitter compared to his short contact oriented stroke from the left side.

20. Casey Schmitt, 3B, 22, Low-A
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft, Schmitt came to the Giants as an advanced prospect who could pitch and hit. While the Giants decided to let him develop as a hitter, the potential to pitch could be an option if it doesn’t work for him. All signs point to him being able to contribute as a hitter and his glove may be his calling card. The Giants announced that Schmitt was named the best defensive prospect in their system. Schmitt also hit 8 HR in 64 games in 2021.

21. Prelander Berroa, RHP, 21, Low-A
Berroa performed admirably in Low-A San Jose in 2021 as he posted 135:53 K:BB ratio in 98.2 IP in 24 games. Almost doubled the number of innings he’s pitched in prior years, the Giants let him run and was able to show why the Giants coveted him from the Twins in a 2019 trade. Small in size, only 5’11”, Berroa can run his FB up to 98 mph and he couples that with a solid slider. Expect him to continue developing a third pitch but if that doesn’t work, he’ll be heading to the bullpen which will allow his other offerings to play up.

22. R.J. Dabovich, RHP, 23, AA
Dabovich had a tremendous year as he fanned 62 in 32.1 IP while limiting his walks to only 13. The Giants sent him across two levels from High-A to AA and then let him finish the season in the Arizona Fall League where he was named to the All-Star game. In context, Dabovich faced 127 hitters and 62 were sat down via SO, which is good for 48% K rate. In the AFL, Dabovich saw his walk rate jump as he walked 12 in 10.2 IP. He has the makings of an impact arm out of the bullpen and is setting himself up for a strong 2022. Keep an eye on his control and if that walk rate remains high.

Tier 4

23. Kervin Castro, RHP, 22, MLB
24. Carson Ragsdale, RHP, 23, Low-A
25. Nick Swiney, LHP, 22, Low-A
26. Sammy Long, LHP, 26, MLB
27. Matt Frisbee, RHP, 25, AAA
28. Logan Wyatt, 1B, 24, High-A
29. David Villar, 3B/1B, 24, AA
30. Ismael Munguia, OF, 23, High-A
31. Gregory Santos, RHP, 22, MLB
32. Luis Toribio, 3B, 21, Low-A
33. Esmerlin Vinicio, LHP, 19, Rookie (ACL)
34. Alexander Suarez, OF, 20, Rookie (ACL)
35. Brett Auerbach, C/2B/3B/OF, 23, High-A
36. Juan Perez, C, 17, International signee
37. Armani Smith, OF, 23, High-A
38. Sean Hjelle, RHP, 24, AAA
39. Dennys Riera, SS, 17, International signee
40. Tyler Fitzgerald, 2B/SS/3B, High-A

CastroLong, and Santos will all likely appear in San Francisco in some fashion in 2022. Long likely is the only starter of the group….. Ragsdale and Swiney both performed at a high level in San Jose and I expect that trend to continue. Both have quality offerings and the ability to miss bats at a high clip….. Frisbee dominated in short fashion in AA Richmond before being promoted to AAA. However, he returned to Richmond to finish the year after struggling to continue his dominance….. Wyatt has shown virtually no power since being drafted in 2019. I do like how Wyatt was able to post a 60:62 BB:K ratio which fits his profile of years past, so there is still hope….. Villar belted 20 HR and hit .275/.374/.421 in 106 games in AA Richmond last year. The 20 HR were a career best, keep an eye on him early as he looks to keep pace….. Munguia had an outstanding season last year as he slugged 9 HR and 34 extra-base hits and posted a 13:27 BB:K ratio in 81 GP….. Vinicio was signed out of the DR in 2019 and was able to play his first season of competitive baseball showing fans why the Giants coveted him. Vinicio appeared in 15 games and sat down 70 hitters via SO in 58 IP….. Auerbach played mainly C and 2B in 2021 but showed his versatility as he played 3B and all 3 OF positions on occasion. If you can swing it (17 HR in 87 GP), they’ll find a spot for you and that is exactly what is happening for Auerbach….. Perez and Riera both signed with the Giants in the 2022 International Signing period, place both on your watch list as they develop….. Fitzgerald and Smith combined to hit 27 HR in High-A Eugene in 2021. Keep an eye on both, especially Fitzgerald as he hit 19 of those 27 HR.

Tier 5

41. Chris Wright, LHP, 23, High-A
42. Cole Waites, RHP, 23, Low-A
43. Sean Roby, 3B, 23, High-A
44. Ghordy Santos, SS/2B, 22, Low-A
45. Victor Bericoto, 1B/OF, 20, Rookie (ACL)
46. Manuel Mercedes, RHP, 19, Rookie (ACL)
47. Eric Silva, RHP, 19, Rookie (ACL)
48. Javier Francisco, 1B, 19, Rookie (DSL)
49. Erick Arosemena, OF, 16, International signee
50. Seth Corry, LHP, 23, High-A

Wright was impressive while striking out 79 in 45 IP across two levels….. Waites racked up 31 SO in 13.1 IP….. Roby cranked out 19 HR while playing 97 games which was both a career high….. Santos posted an impressive .326/.392/.488 in 34 games….. Bericoto missed almost the entire year with an injury as he only appeared in 7 games, look for him to return to health in 2022….. Silva a 4th round draft pick in 2021, only appeared in 2 games this past year. Look for him to contribute more this season as he matures….. Arosemena, an OF from Panama, signed with the Giants at the beginning of this years International Signing period….. Corry had a rough 2021 and had a difficult showing in 11.2 IP during the Arizona Fall League before the year concluded.

My name is Paul Aiton and I’ll be covering the San Francisco Giants prospects. I grew up in Yorktown, Virginia until 2014, where I’ve since been traveling the country the last few years in attempt to chase a dream, working in professional baseball. I played 3 years in college, one season at New River CC and another two at Averett University after a shoulder injury derailed my dreams of playing professionally. Since then, I’ve gone on to coach high school and collegiate baseball. I also worked with Inside Edge Baseball for 5 years while working in their advanced scouting department. Outside of baseball I like to spend my mornings either on a golf course or taking my puppy Ace on hikes through Arizona. You can follow me @Paul_8en on Twitter. I’m always available to talk about Giants prospects, anything fantasy related or baseball!




5 Comments

  1. Will Luis Gonzalez still be ranked in the third tier whenever he signs with a team? I believe he was ranked that way during the mid-season update but now he’s been released. Does that change your opinion of him?

  2. Luis Gonzalez has been excellent for the Giants this year. I’m glad I didn’t cut him because he didn’t make this Giants organizational top 50. Why did he not make this list? He was a top 10-15 prospect for the Giants even after the season ending injury as indicated by your previous mid-season list. So what happened to make you remove him from the top 50? Did any thing change with Luis Gonzalez or did something change with you?

  3. Apparently, Luis Gonzalez was only a free agent for a day and re-signed just before the lockout. Is this the reason? You didn’t know he re-signed with the club even though he was back with the organization two months before your article?

  4. i’m keeping my eye on a new kid out of Maine of all places. 2b name is Quinn Mcdaniel. should be at single A this year

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