Top Giants Prospect Had His Best Game Yet
The San Francisco Giants, at 26-26, are in sort of a contention limbo.
Still, their intention is to compete in 2023.
To do that, they need all the help they can handle, as their -14 run differential is indicative that they are far from the top teams in the National League.
There are always ways to improve, though.
For them, one of those ways would be calling up pitching prospect Kyle Harrison.
The problem is that he might not be ready to start in the majors just yet, because he has handed out 28 walks in just 30.2 innings at Triple-A.
It’s hard to ignore his 56 strikeouts, though.
Harrison, a left-hander with power stuff, had his best start of the year yet on Tuesday.
Kyle Harrison gems are back 💎
4 IP
0 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K (season high)MLB’s top-ranked LHP prospect (@SFGiants‘ No. 1) turns in his best Triple-A outing yet for the @RiverCats: pic.twitter.com/SqTILmCLLJ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 24, 2023
If it weren’t for a walk, he would have been absolutely perfect for four innings.
He didn’t allow any hits or runs, and struck out nine hitters.
He looked in control for the entire outing, and took another step forward with a 2023 call-up in mind.
The Giants would probably love to see him for a few more starts in Triple-A and to see that walk rate come down, though.
Harrison throws hard and has diverse fastball utility.
His great secondary stuff gives him a good ceiling, too.
While he is more likely to be a mid-rotation starter when he is fully developed, his ceiling is that of an ace.
Whether or not he will reach it will depend on his ability to throw strikes in The Show.
Expectations, at least for 2023, should be somewhat tempered but it’s hard to ignore Harrison’s strikeout prowess.