Giants minor-league notebook: David Villar, Ismael Munguia and other under-the-radar prospects; San Jose clinches

Giants minor-league notebook: David Villar, Ismael Munguia and other under-the-radar prospects; San Jose clinches
By Melissa Lockard
Sep 13, 2021

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants’ 2021 minor-league season will be centered on the success of several high-profile prospects, such as Marco Luciano, Kyle Harrison, Jairo Pomares and Luis Matos. But those more well-known prospects are hardly the only Giants minor leaguers having seasons of note. 

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The goal of this series is always to highlight a broad range of prospects in each notebook, but with the minor-league regular season speeding to a close for Double-A Richmond, High-A Eugene, Low-A San Jose and in Arizona, it’s a good time to highlight a handful of prospects who have quietly had spectacular seasons but are flying under the national prospect radar. This isn’t an exhaustive list of impressive performances, of course, but rather a guide to a few more prospects to keep a very close eye on.

Hitting for power isn’t easy at The Diamond, and the Giants have had a long history of power-hitting prospects sputter when they reach Double-A Richmond. Not so for third baseman David Villar, who broke the team’s single-season home run record when he blasted his 19th of the season on Sept. 8.

This record-breaking feat came on the heels of a lost 2020 minor-league season, so perhaps it was only fitting that Villar hit that homer during the second game back from a lost week for Richmond, after the Binghamton RumblePonies had to cancel their series due to COVID-19 protocols. Villar didn’t miss a beat last week, going 9-for-21 with four walks in Richmond’s series against Akron.

An 11th-round pick out of South Florida in 2018, Villar was pushed to High A in his first full professional season in 2019. He had a .717 OPS during the first half of that season with then-High-A San Jose, but finished the season with a .779 second-half OPS. He played excellent defense throughout the season and saw his power numbers creep up as the year went on. 

Because there was no 2020 season, Villar is playing his Double-A season at age 24 rather than 23, so that may explain why he hasn’t received significant prospect buzz nationally. But his well-rounded offensive game has blossomed with Richmond this season — he’s batting .282/.384/.512 in 101 games — and he also brings defensive value and durability. He was named the Richmond team MVP on Sunday. Villar will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft for the first time this offseason. It will be interesting to see if the Giants can fit him on their 40-man roster, as he’s likely to draw interest if left unprotected.

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Villar wasn’t the only Richmond hitter to put up big numbers last week in the Akron series. Outfielder Diego Rincones went 8-for-22 with a home run and three walks. Rincones has had a remarkable season in his own right. He began the season with High-A Eugene, where he hit .300/.385/.533 with five home runs in 25 games. In 47 games with Richmond, he has a .304/.381/.538 line with 10 home runs. He’s struck out just 54 times in 261 total at-bats. 

Rincones, 22, has been one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in the Giants’ farm system since making his pro debut in 2016. However, before this season, he hadn’t hit for much power. Rincones is only 6-foot, 175 pounds and he has below-average foot speed, so his value as a prospect was limited somewhat if he remained mostly a singles hitter. His increased power production changes that equation. Like Villar, he will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter. With nearly a full season of Double-A ball under his belt, he, too, could be a target in that draft if left unprotected.

Ismael Munguia was batting only .257/.307/.390 for Eugene at the end of June, which may explain why his monster season has flown a bit under the radar. Since July 1, he’s been on a tear, reaching base in all but seven of 43 games played. He hit .311 in July, .538 in a truncated August that included two weeks missed with injury, and is batting .471 so far in September. Overall, he has a .334/.365/.497 line with 31 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases.

Munguia doesn’t have the plus power one associates with many outfield prospects, but he’s hit nine home runs this season after hitting only three combined in his first four pro seasons. He also doesn’t have elite plate discipline, but he rarely strikes out. In 78 games, he’s whiffed just 25 times and when he hits the ball, he usually hits it hard. He’s a good defender with above-average speed who can play all three outfield positions. Like Villar and Rincones, Munguia will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team like the Orioles or Pirates take a shot on a 22-year-old whose skills would play well off the bench with his speed and contact abilities.

Munguia’s stature (5-10, a listed 158 pounds, although likely heavier now) may also weigh down his national profile. That is certainly the case for utilityman extraordinaire Brett Auerbach, who is only 5-9, but hits like a 6-4 slugger. The undrafted free agent signing out of Alabama began his pro debut season with Low-A San Jose, but needed only 34 games and a .342 BA to get the promotion to High A. His batting average has dipped with the Emeralds (.250), but he’s smashed 14 home runs in only 49 games. He’s also swiped 16 bags (28 on the season in total). 

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What might be most intriguing about Auerbach is his defensive versatility. Signed as a catcher, he has logged significant playing time at catcher, second base, third base and all three outfield positions this season. He turned 23 in August, so he isn’t a young prospect, but Auerbach’s combination of power and defensive versatility could move him up the chain quickly.

Right-hander Ryan Murphy has begun to get some national notice lately, as he had climbed to the top of the minor-league leaderboard for strikeouts until a recent injury cost him his last start on Sept. 2. Murphy was a low-profile draft pick in 2020, a fifth-rounder out of LeMoyne who wasn’t on the predraft prospect radar before he was selected. All he’s done since debuting this season is dominate. In 76 innings with San Jose, he had a 2.96 ERA and an absurd 116:18 K:BB. Then in five starts with Eugene, he’s been even better — 1.65 ERA and a 40:8 K:BB in 27 1/3 innings.

He’s primarily a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, slider, curveball), but does have a developing changeup. Murphy isn’t overpowering, topping out at 95 mph, but he locates extremely well to both sides of the plate and sequences his pitches well. His command makes his stuff play up and gives him a good shot of staying in the big leagues as a starter long-term.

Randy Rodriguez and Chris Wright are strictly relievers, but both have been quietly spectacular in that role this season. Rodriguez, who was named the San Jose Giants’ relief pitcher of the year last week, has a 1.84 ERA in 58 2/3 innings this season with a 95:23 K:BB. He hasn’t allowed a home run all season and hasn’t allowed a run period since July 29. Rodriguez can run his fastball up to 97 and has a plus slider that is a swing-and-miss weapon. The 22-year-old is in his first season pitching at a full-season level.

Wright, a left-hander, was a 2019 12th-round pick. He made six appearances for San Jose to start the season before moving up to Eugene, where he has dominated at the back end of the Emeralds’ bullpen. In 35 High-A innings, he has a 1.03 ERA and 56 strikeouts. Opposing batters have hit .128 against him and he has 15 saves. Wright was mostly a first baseman before moving to pitching full-time his junior season at Bryant. His fastball sits in the low 90s, but hitters have trouble picking it up and often swing at it like it’s coming in at 100 mph. He also has an outstanding curveball and has worked in a tighter breaking ball this season.

Beyond this list, there are many more performances worth noting of late in the Giants’ system. Let’s see who else has been making waves recently …

Triple-A Sacramento River Cats

Record: 48-60

Minor-league games have been canceled for a myriad of reasons this season, ranging from positive COVID-19 tests to facilities issues to inclement weather. The Sept. 12 game between the River Cats and the Tacoma Rainiers added an odd reason to the ledger — the game was postponed due to a city-wide power outage in Tacoma. They will play a doubleheader on Monday.

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It has been a dizzying two weeks for the River Cats, who have seen eight different players recalled to San Francisco and 23 transactions overall since the start of September. The River Cats’ pitching staff has been especially impacted by all the moves, which has led to several bullpen games. 

On Sept. 3, one such bullpen game made history. Norwith Gudino got the start and threw four hitless innings to begin the game, striking out nine. Conner Menez followed with three no-hit innings of his own. Tyler Cyr retired all three batters he faced in the eighth and then Trevor Gott got the ninth. He struck out the first two batters and then got this groundout to shortstop to secure the first nine-inning no-hitter in River Cats history. Here’s legendary River Cats broadcaster Johnny Doskow on the call for the final out:

Sacramento remains buried in the Triple-A West’s West division standings, 16 1/2 games back of first-place Tacoma, but the River Cats continue to play a big role in the Giants’ success this season, with the big-league team getting huge contributions from recent Sacramento callups, including Thairo Estrada and Steven Duggar. Reliever Kervin Castro was the latest former River Cat to make his major-league debut when he threw two scoreless innings at Coors Field on Sept. 7. Castro hadn’t pitched above the short-season level before this season, when he had a 2.86 ERA in 44 innings with Sacramento.

It remains to be seen who else currently on the River Cats’ roster will make an impact for the Giants this September. Veteran starter Scott Kazmir could be next up. He went six innings in his last start on Sept. 7 against Salt Lake, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out five and walking none. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker put together his best start of the season on Saturday, tossing seven shutout innings at Tacoma, allowing just two hits and one walk and striking out 11.

Joey Bart caught all nine innings of the Sept. 3 no-hitter and had two hits in that game. He’s had only one hit in his other five games this month and has seen his season average dip below .300 to .293. He’s played only 59 games for Sacramento this season due to a couple of short stints in the big leagues and a three-week stay on the injured list, but he has 10 home runs and an .831 OPS for the season.

In 40 games since his promotion from Richmond, outfielder Heliot Ramos has a .245/.308/.381 line with three home runs. He had three hits on Sept. 2 but is just 4-for-31 since then.

The River Cats’ offense has recently gotten a boost from two in-season acquisitions. Will Toffey joined the team in early July when he was acquired from the Mets for Anthony Banda. Toffey has played sparingly but is 9-for-18 with four walks and seven runs scored in seven games since Aug. 23. Wyatt Mathisen, signed as a minor-league free agent on Aug. 29, is 9-for-32 with five extra-base hits in 10 games since joining the River Cats. He had only five extra-base hits in 32 games with Tacoma earlier this season.

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Right-hander Logan Ondrusek also joined the team as a minor-league free agent signing in August. He’s gone five innings in three of his last four starts and was outstanding on Friday, allowing just one run on one hit in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Sean Hjelle had his best Triple-A start on Sept. 4, when he went six innings and allowed two runs against Salt Lake. He struggled in his next outing, however, allowing nine runs (three earned) in three innings at Tacoma. He has a 6.19 ERA in 32 innings for Sacramento with a 17:16 K:BB after posting a 3.15 ERA in 65 2/3 innings for Richmond earlier this season.

Notable transactions: With the River Cats’ bullpen depleted by big-league promotions, the Giants elevated right-hander Ronnie Williams to the Triple-A roster last week. A minor-league Rule 5 selection out of the Cardinals’ organization last December, Williams was a longman in the Richmond bullpen for much of the season. In 62 1/3 innings over 24 appearances, he had a 2.45 ERA and a 61:28 K:BB. He threw a scoreless inning on Thursday in his Triple-A debut. He was the Flying Squirrels pitcher of the year for 2021.

Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels

Record: 55-52

With only one more six-game series left in the 2021 regular season, the Flying Squirrels aren’t playing for a postseason spot, as they sit 12 games back of first-place Akron. But a better-than-.500 record is on the line this week, as they conclude their season against Erie.

Richmond showed a lot of spunk last week when they played Akron to a 3-3 series draw after missing an entire week of games the week prior while the Rumble Ponies went through COVID-19 testing and contact tracing protocols. The Flying Squirrels scored in double-digits in two of their wins over the RubberDucks — a 15-run outburst on Friday and a 10-run barrage on Sunday. They closed out their home schedule at The Diamond with a 32-28 record.

Frankie Tostado had a forgettable August (.567 OPS in 17 games), but he had a nice rebound against Akron, collecting seven hits in 25 at-bats, including two home runs. The 23-year-old has a .749 OPS for the season and 12 home runs in 94 games. Interestingly, the left-handed hitter has an .896 OPS against southpaws and only a .688 OPS versus righties.

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Sandro Fabian had seven hits in 20 at-bats against the RubberDucks, carrying over his strong August (.887 OPS) into September. Despite playing only 83 games this season, Fabian has a career-high 13 home runs. He has a .762 OPS.

On Friday, Jacob Heyward drew his 33rd walk of the season, moving him into a tie for the Richmond franchise career record for walks with 113. Heyward had a Richmond single-season franchise record 80 walks in 2019. In 71 games this season, Heyward has equaled his 2019 home run total with 11. He hit those 11 in 2019 in 127 games (125 of those with Richmond). He’s hitting only .201 in 2021 but has a .342 OBP thanks to those 33 walks and a .770 OPS for the season. In 2019, he had a .697 OPS for Richmond.

Infielder Will Wilson had a two-hit game on Thursday, but he’s still hitting only .198/.294/.328 in 177 at-bats since his midseason promotion from Eugene. He had an .837 OPS in 49 games with the Emeralds to start the season. Strikeouts have been a big issue for Wilson, who has struck out 71 times with Richmond and 127 times in 372 at-bats overall this season.

After putting together two solid starts to finish off August, Matt Frisbee allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in his outing on Thursday. He struck out seven and walked only one but allowed seven hits — two of them home runs. Since returning to Richmond from Sacramento, Frisbee has allowed 19 runs in 25 innings and he’s given up eight home runs. 

Michael Plassmeyer’s streak of six-straight starts of at least five innings came to an abrupt end on Aug. 24 when he allowed four runs in 2/3 of an inning. He made two starts last week against Akron, allowing four runs in three innings in the first outing and then rebounding with a solid 5 1/3-inning outing on Sunday when he allowed three runs and earned the win. He has a 5.04 ERA in 75 innings since joining the Giants organization in the Matt Wisler trade, but has an 84:14 K:BB. In an interesting quirk, Plassmeyer finished each of his first two professional seasons having thrown exactly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes. He’ll go into his final start with a 70 percent strike rate for this season, as well.

Reliever Joey Marciano got off to a fast start this season when he didn’t allow a run in 10 1/3 innings in May. He struggled for a stretch in late June into July but quietly had a strong August, allowing one earned run in 12 1/3 innings. He gave up one run in three innings in the Akron series and goes into the final week of the season with a 3.22 ERA in 44 2/3 innings and a 54:16 K:BB.

Notable transactions: After more than a month on the injured list, reliever R.J. Dabovich returned to the active roster on Sept. 8. He made three appearances in the Akron series, tossing a scoreless inning in each outing, striking out five in total and walking none (he did hit a batter). Dabovich had a 1.42 ERA in 12 2/3 innings with Eugene before a midseason promotion. That ERA has jumped to 4.08 with the Flying Squirrels in 17 2/3 Double-A innings, but he has a 30:7 K:BB. Overall, he’s struck out 58 and walked 13 in 30 1/3 innings in his professional debut season.

High-A Eugene Emeralds

Record: 65-49

The Emeralds wrapped up the home portion of their first season as a Giants affiliate and as a full-season affiliate on Friday with a double-header that closed out a five-game series against Everett. They head into their six-game series against Tri-City with a one-game lead over Spokane for first place in the High-A West. They hold a 3 1/2 game lead over third-place Everett (the top two teams qualify for the postseason). Eugene will play the remainder of their games — regular season and postseason — on the road, as they have had to vacate PK Park so the Oregon Ducks can begin their fall baseball schedule.

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Munguia and Auerbach have done a lot of damage at the top of the Emeralds’ order, and Jairo Pomares has been punishing opposing teams in the middle of the order since his callup from San Jose. He’s batting .287 and has five home runs and 11 total extra-base hits in 22 games with the Emeralds. On the season, he has 19 home runs in just 73 games. The only blemish for Pomares has been his plate discipline since moving up to Eugene. He’s struck out 27 times and has walked just once.

Shortstop Marco Luciano, who turned 20 on Friday, has also struggled with his plate discipline since his promotion from San Jose. After striking out 68 times in 266 at-bats with the Giants, Luciano has 50 strikeouts and just eight walks in 117 at-bats with the Emeralds. He’s hitting .214/.277/.291 in High A. Luciano hit 18 home runs in 70 games with San Jose and was named the team’s offensive MVP.

Sean Roby knows a thing or two about struggling to adjust to High A, as he hit just .188 over the first three months of this season. He’s been red-hot since then, hitting .330 with eight homers in August and .273 with another two homers so far in September. He’s raised his season OPS from .651 at the end of July to .784.

After hitting just .203 in July, Armani Smith hit .307 in August and he’s already homered twice in nine games in September. In 65 games with Eugene, the De La Salle alum is batting .281/.357/.455 with eight home runs.

Tyler Fitzgerald has been the Emeralds’ most productive hitter since the start of June, but he’s in a little slump in of late, with one hit in his last 31 at-bats. His average has dropped from .284 to .264 with the slump, but he still has an .843 OPS overall this season.

Murphy may have missed the last series with an injury, but that didn’t stop the Emeralds’ rotation from racking up strikeouts. Kai-Wei Teng struck out a season-high 13 on Thursday in a six-inning outing when he allowed one run on three hits. Teng has four double-digit strikeout games this season and 130 in 88 2/3 innings. Conner Nurse collected his first 10-strikeout game on Friday when he went all seven innings in game one of the double-header. He’s allowed just six runs over his last 29 1/3 innings.

Seth Corry has thrown six scoreless innings since returning from a stint in Arizona to work on his mechanics. In his latest start, he went three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Corry hasn’t walked a batter over his last two outings (four innings). Blake Rivera has allowed 10 runs in nine innings over three starts since joining Eugene after a rehab stint in Arizona.

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Notable transaction: On Sept. 8, catcher Robert Emery was placed on the injured list. Taking his place on the roster was Fabian Pena, who joined the team from San Jose. Emery, an undrafted free agent signing out of USF in 2020, has played just 28 games this season due to injury but has hit .326/.417/.506. Pena has yet to make his Eugene debut but has played 39 games this season between San Jose and Sacramento.

Low-A San Jose Giants

Record: 72-42

The San Jose Giants became the first team in the organization to punch their ticket to the postseason when they clinched a spot on Friday.

It’s been a remarkable season for San Jose. They’ve established team records for most strikeouts by their pitchers and most home runs by their hitters, and they’ve done it despite the season being 20 games shorter than normal due to the late start.

After dropping the first game of their six-game set against Stockton last week, the Giants ran off five straight wins and scored 50 runs in the process. They are a season-high 30 games over .500 heading into the final series of the regular season. They’ll square off against Fresno to close the season and then play them again for the Low-A West title starting Sept. 21.

They’ll enter this final stretch with outfielder Luis Matos red-hot at the plate. After a rough stretch from Aug. 19-Sept. 9 that saw his average drop from .326 to .298, Matos went 9-for-11 with two doubles, two home runs and three walks over the final three games of the Stockton series. He’s batting .311/.353/.487 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 104 games this season. 

Things have finally clicked at the plate for 2020 Giants top pick Patrick Bailey, who hit .333 in 63 at-bats in August and has 17 hits in 39 at-bats for the Giants so far in September. After hitting just .185 in 33 games with Eugene to start the season, Bailey has a .333/.426/.564 line with seven home runs in 42 games for San Jose. 

With Casey Schmitt sidelined, third baseman Yorlis Rodriguez has filled in well. He has 11 hits in 36 at-bats since joining the Giants from Arizona on Aug. 4 and he’s homered four times. Shortstop Ghordy Santos has also played well since joining the team from Arizona. He’s hitting .302/.362/.406 with a home run in 22 games.

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The Giants’ pitching staff as a whole has shined all season, and they go into the final week leading the league with a 3.61 ERA and 1,368 strikeouts in 1,081 1/3 innings. Among that group, right-hander Prelander Berroa was honored as the team’s starting pitcher of the year. Berroa has a 3.28 ERA and a 133:48 K:BB in 96 innings this season. He leads the league in ERA among qualified pitchers.

The top four pitchers on the strikeout leaderboard for the Low-A West are from the San Jose staff, with Carson Ragsdale leading the group with 162 in 108 2/3 innings. Ragsdale rebounded from a tough start on Sept. 4 to throw five scoreless innings against Stockton on Friday.

Kyle Harrison has allowed just two runs in 16 innings over his last three starts, and he’s struck out 29 during that stretch. He has a 3.36 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings in his pro debut season.

Nick Swiney, the Giants’ second pick in 2020, has been nearly perfect since rejoining the Giants after a rehab stint in Arizona. In 16 1/3 innings, he’s allowed just two unearned runs and has 27 strikeouts.

Notable transactions: On Wednesday, Giants 2021 top pick Will Bednar joined the roster from Arizona. He debuted on Sunday, allowing an unearned run in two innings, striking out one. Bednar had two one-inning starts in Arizona before joining the Giants.

The Giants also welcomed back right-hander Tristan Beck last week after he completed a rehab stint in Arizona. Beck, who pitched for San Jose in 2019, allowed three earned runs in three innings on Sunday. He began the season with Richmond but was placed on the injured list after a May 21 start and didn’t return to the mound until Aug. 14 in Arizona.

Rookie-level Giants

Records: ACL Giants Orange (32-22); ACL Giants Black (26-28); DSL Giants Orange (19-18); DSL Giants Black (15-21)

As the ACL season heads into its final week, Giants prospects Alexander Suarez (.924) and Avereson Arteaga (.915) are in the top five in the league in OPS. Arteaga is one off the league lead in home runs with nine and he leads the league in RBIs with 41. Catcher Adrian Sugastey currently leads the league in BA with a .365 mark in 39 games.

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Starter Esmerlin Vinicio currently leads the ACL in ERA with a 2.50 mark in 54 innings. He has a 66:27 K:BB. He also leads the league in strikeouts. Trevor McDonald (64 in 61 2/3 innings) is second, while Sonny Vargas (62 in 51 innings) is third and Manuel Mercedes (55 in 49 innings) is tied for fourth.

Among their DSL pitchers, Rolfi Jimenez has impressed with a 1.23 ERA in 36 2/3 innings. Mikell Manzano is 12th in the league in strikeouts with 48 in 33 2/3 innings.

At the plate, Jose Ramos (.899 OPS), Cesar Quintas (.870 OPS), Elian Rayo (.869 OPS) and Onil Perez (.864 OPS) have stood out for the Giants’ Dominican squads.

(Photo of David Villar: Kirk Nawrotzky / Richmond Flying Squirrels)

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Melissa Lockard

Melissa Lockard is a senior editor and writer for The Athletic. She edits MLB content and focuses her writing on MLB prospects and draft coverage, with a particular focus on the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. Before joining The Athletic, she covered baseball for a variety of outlets, including Scout.com, 2080baseball.com and FoxSports. She is the founder of OaklandClubhouse.com. Follow Melissa on Twitter @melissalockard