Young arms

The Giants have gathered together an intriguing group of young starting pitchers. Three of them were drafted in 2018: Sean Hjelle (rd. 2, no. 45), Keaton Winn (5/130), and Ryan Walker (31/916). They’ve each had a taste of the majors. All of them are on the 40-man and are competing for the fifth starter spot. (Winn seems to have the inside track.) Tristan Beck, before his injury, was also in the mix. Beck came via the Mark Melancon trade and was also a 2018 draft pick (Braves, 4/112). Another youngster, Mason Black, was picked up in the third round (#85) in 2021. He was a non-roster invitee this spring but is definitely part of the team’s plans going forward.

The star pupil of the group is of course 22-year old southpaw phenom Kyle Harrison. He was selected in the 3rd round (#85 overall) of the 2020 draft. Harrison had seven starts last season. They plugged him in to the second slot in the rotation behind Logan Webb in the off-season and only the acquisition of 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell bumped him down a notch or two.

The Giants picked up a young (turns 28 in September) flamethrower in free agency named Jordan Hicks. They are converting him to a starter. He is intriguing because of his raw talent (tops 100 mph regularly) and his “fresh” arm (only 243-1/3 IP in five seasons). He was a third-round pick in the 2015 draft (Cardinals, 105). Another 27-year old (he’ll be 28 in November) anchors the staff. Ace Logan Webb is a fully established star.

That’s an enviable group for any ballclub to have all together at one time. Now mix in the aforementioned Snell and two capable veterans returning from injury and you have the potential for a great pitching staff. Rotation stalwart Alex Cobb has pitched his best baseball since donning the orange-and-black in 2022. The 36-year old is currently ahead of his rehab schedule and may join the team in May. Lefty Robbie Ray, like Snell a Cy Young Awardee (AL, 2021), is signed through 2026. He is recovering from TJS and likely won’t be ready until late in the season.

I’ll take a look at the bullpen next.

–M.C.