Giants’ Victor Bericoto Builds Confidence Against Double-A Competition
Victor Bericoto has always had power and plate discipline.
It’s just that the 22-year-old corner outfielder has had “little inconsistencies,” according to Giants farm director Kyle Haines, since signing out of Venezuela in 2018.
Bericoto earned his first full-season assignments in 2022. He hit 12 home runs in 107 games for Low-A San Jose while batting .265/.353/.395.
Those little inconsistencies became much less frequent in 2023, when Bericoto put together an impressive season at High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond. The righthanded hitter belted 27 homers and slashed .272/.329/.511.
Haines believes Bericoto’s early success in Eugene helped increase his confidence and earn a July bump to Richmond.
“Every player is trying to figure out how they compare to their peers,” Haines said, adding that once Bericoto “became the feared guy in the lineup there, he really just started believing in himself a lot more day to day.”
In October, Bericoto began a stint with Magallanes in the Venezuelan League.
“It’s just an honor for (Bericoto) to be able to play in front of family and friends,” Haines said. He wants Bericoto “to enjoy the experience while also getting acclimated to playing against some advanced competition.”
As Bericoto advances through the Giants’ system, Haines thinks he’ll need to improve his defense, in terms of both “quality and versatility.”
At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Bericoto is more suited for a corner outfield spot than first base, where he plays occasionally, Haines said. Because Bericoto doesn’t possess great speed, “he just has to be very good and efficient in all his routes and reads.”
Upping his defensive game “is going to be a big step for him, because there are so many righthanded bats who can play the corner outfield that if he can take another step forward, that makes him just a more well-rounded player.”
