SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Yastrzemski was a hell of a find, and the Giants feel good about what they saw from Tyler Beede, Logan Webb, Tyler Rogers and others late in the year. But as they try and build a contender, the best developments in 2019 came at much lower levels.
For the first time in a decade, the Giants have a group of high-end prospects coming through the system, and a couple could arrive as early as next year. Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos finished the season in Double-A, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said on this week's Giants Insider Podcast that both will enter spring training with "the opportunity but not with a guarantee of starting the season in Triple-A."
Being in Sacramento in April would put Bart, a 22-year-old catcher, and Ramos, a 20-year-old outfielder, in position to debut next season.
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"They're going to have to earn that (promotion to Triple-A) and then we'll see where things go from there," Zaidi said. "One thing that we really wanted to emphasize and create a culture of this year was you earn your way through the system and there's no fixed timetables. Guys will be moved on merit and be given opportunities. That's true for guys that might be perceived as org guys and it's also true for the top prospects.
"Those guys will have the opportunity to earn their way potentially all the way up to the big leagues next year but it's going to be up to them."
Zaidi's first season showed that the Giants are willing to be aggressive. Webb made just one start in Triple-A before getting eight in the big league rotation. Beede and Shaun Anderson arrived early, and Mauricio Dubon was plugged in as an everyday starter before rosters expanded. For the first time, Rogers was given an opportunity, and he was a September standout.
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Bart and Ramos started the season in San Jose and both overcame injuries while reaching Richmond. Bart hit .278 with 16 homers in 79 games and now is tearing up the Arizona Fall League. Ramos hit .306 with 16 homers in San Jose but saw his OPS dip to .742 in Richmond. Still, he was one of the youngest players in both leagues.
Zaidi said he believes the Fall League will be a great experience for both top prospects. For more of his thoughts on his first season, the struggling core Giants, Madison Bumgarner, Dubon, the Joe Panik move and the trade deadline, you can stream the Giants Insider Podcast here or download it on iTunes here.