With Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon and Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner cooling off from hot starts to the 2021 season, it bears reminding that there is more to come in the way of MLB Pack Pros. In particular, three prospects, all in the San Francisco Giants’ system, are a part of a wave of new blood for baseball in the city by the bay.
Patrick Bailey, catcher
Bailey was taken 13th overall by the Giants in the 2020 draft, though by then he already had competition to be the heir to long-time Giants backstop Buster Posey, as San Francisco selected catcher Joey Bart out of Georgia Tech just 11 picks prior. Despite occupying the same position on the diamond in the same organization, Bart and Bailey are valued prospects in the Giants’ system, ranking second and sixth in the organization’s top 30, respectively.
Bailey’s strengths are his above-average game management skills and his ability to hit from either side of the plate. With exposure to more seasoned pitchers in the minor leagues, the Giants anticipate Bailey will rise relatively quickly through the professional ranks towards his expected major league debut in 2023.
Bart is the higher-rated catcher prospect on paper but he and Bailey could still take the field simultaneously at the major league level. Both have been learning to play first base at the Giants’ alternate site in Sacramento, California, so the two could feasibly split time between the catcher and first base positions in the future.
Either way, Bailey will provide some much-needed youth to an aging Giants core that includes the 34-year-old Posey behind the plate and a 33-year-old Brandon Belt currently manning first base. With his cerebral defense and 20-25 home run potential, the switch-hitting Bailey is proving to be an exciting prospect for Giants fans and Wolfpack baseball fans alike.
Nick Swiney, left-handed pitcher
The idea of a Wolfpack baseball battery is also in the Giants’ future, as Swiney was drafted by San Francisco late in the second round of the 2020 draft. The Giants plan to use their 15th-best prospect as a starter, but Swiney will have to prove he can consistently throw strikes over the course of a season to keep that role.
If Swiney can improve his control, the main weakness in his game, the southpaw’s arsenal of a sharp curveball, above-average changeup and a solid fastball should be enough to take him to the show. Like Bailey, Swiney is projected to make it to the bigs in 2023, so a more accurate version of the southpaw accompanied by a talented defensive catcher like Bailey is well within the realm of possibility.
Will Wilson, shortstop
Unlike Swiney and Bailey, Wilson was drafted in 2019 by the Los Angeles Angels. The shortstop was dealt to the Giants in December 2019 in a trade headlined by Zack Cozart, but Wilson has proven to be a valuable acquisition for San Francisco in his own right.
Ranking 12th in the Giants’ prospect pool, the 22-year-old possesses solid all-around capabilities, though where exactly he fits on the field is yet to be determined. Wilson has quick enough reactions for a shortstop, but his lackluster speed and arm strength could force him to transition second base.
In either case, Wilson will seek to fill the shoes of one of two more veteran San Francisco infielders upon making his projected major league debut in 2022, as starting second baseman Donovan Solano and starting shortstop Brandon Crawford are entering their age-33 and age-34 seasons, respectively.
