1. Gary Brown (CF/San Jose) (High-A)
The Giants first round draft pick in 2010 out of Cal State Fullerton set a single-season batting average record for the Titians and has assaulted single-A pitching in 2011.
Brown’s batting average has been over .350 for much of the season, but a recent dry spell at the plate has caused it to dip to .316 entering Friday. Brown has just 7 hits in his last 37 at-bats (.189) which has accounted for his longest slump of the season.
One aspect of Brown’s game that hasn’t has a slump is his speed (graded 80/80 on the scout scale), a tool that has helped him swipe 33 bags in 73 games for San Jose as their leadoff hitter and centerfielder.
Projected out over an entire 162 game MLB season, Brown could be a player who steals 40-50 bases a season if he can hit around .300 consistently.
With a quick swing and up the middle approach that allows his to get the most of his ability, Brown could be the eventual replacement of Andres Torres as the Giants leadoff hitter and centerfielder.
2. Brandon Belt (1B/Fresno) (AAA)*
Belt is the only player on this list who has already tasted the big leagues, but his experience has been short-lived thus far after winning the first base job out of spring training.
He was sent back down to Fresno after being injured and hit just .211 with the Giants in 57 at-bats.
A return to the minors and regular playing time has served Belt extremely well, as he is hitting .333 with six home runs and 30 RBIs in 137 at-bats for Fresno since being demoted.
His .462 on-base percentage for Fresno is a great indicator of the quality at-bats Belt puts toghether on a nightly basis.
He has a great eye, solid understanding of the game and all of the tools to be a great hitter, both average and power.
He learned the game from a legend at Texas under Augie Garrido and was also a former pitcher in high school, so Belt has a solid foundation concerning his baseball intellect.
It’s not likely Belt is capable of matching the numbers he put up in single A San Jose two years ago (.352/23/112), but it is clear that it’s simply a matter of when, not if Belt will get his chance in San Francisco.
3. Zack Wheeler (RHP/San Jose) (High-A)
The Giants made Zack Wheeler the sixth overall pick in 2009, returning to a strategy of drafting pitching early and often that has yielded stars like Lincecum, Cain and Bumgardner.
A high schooler from Georgia, Wheeler possesses an upper 90s fastball and lanky frame that was too good for San Francisco to pass on.
Wheeler’s first two seasons have been solid but not spectacular, his first season in Augusta raising more concerns than his recent performances.
During 2009 in Augusta, Wheeler finished 3-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 58 2/3 innings pitched.
While he did strike out 70, Wheeler walked 38 batters which is a number that must go down as he progresses.
This season Wheeler was selected as a first-half All-Star and has gone 6-4 with an ERA of 3.76.
Wheeler continues to battle with his command having walked 45 thus far in 2011 (76 2/3 IP), but his strikeout numbers have remained solid at more than one per inning (80).
If Wheeler can cut down on the walks he has all the making of the next great Giants pitcher to come out of the system.
The only question being whether the Giants will trade him before the deadline for a bat, considering he is the top prospect on most teams lists who are talking with San Francisco about a trade before the 31st.
4. Thomas Neal (OF/Fresno) (AAA)
A 36th round draft pick in 2005, Thomas Neal flew under the radar as a raw, power-hitting junior college prospect from Riverside, CA.
The soon-to-be 24-year old has since established himself as one of the Giants most productive minor league hitters in the system, entering the 2011 midseason break hitting .311 with two home runs and 25 RBIs.
Last season Neal finished with more than 500 at-bats, hitting .291 with 12 home runs and 69 RBIs. He has hit double digit home runs three times in a season since 2005.
Neal’s best season came playing for San Jose where he hit .337 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2009.
Currently starting in Fresno, Neal is one of the first outfielders in line to get a shot if San Francisco decides to build from within the system in lieu of trading for another bat.
5. Ryan Verdugo (LHP/Richmond) (AA)
A ninth round draft pick out of LSU in 2008, Verdugo has put up staggering numbers in the minors since the Giants signed him as a slender left hander.
Over his first two seasons of pro ball, Verdugo went a combined 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA in 50 1/3 innings pitched while striking out 73 batters.
In 2010, his third season of pro ball, Verdugo posted an 8-1 record with a 1.87 ERA splitting time between Low-A Augusta and High-A San Jose. In 62 2/3 innings pitched, he allowed just 41 hits and struck out 94.
After being called up to AA Richmond, Verdugo has responded by going 5-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 73 innings of work as a starter. He has allowed 69 hits while striking out 76 in 14 starts for the Flying Squirrels. (Giants AA affiliate)
He was also named pitcher of the week for AA earlier this season on June 6th.
Verdugo could finish out the season in Richmond but don't be surprised if he is pitching in spring training for the big league club in 2012. Depending on what happens before the trade deadline with Johnathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgardner, Verdugo may get a promotion to AAA sooner than expected if SF wants to test his arm in Fresno.
Still just 24, Verdugo could be closer to making his Giants debut than Wheeler who is still being groomed in single A.
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