Kyle Harrison: Giants 2022 Minor League Player Of The Year

See also: Baseball America updated all its prospect rankings for subscribers in August.

• Top 100 Prospects
• Top 30 Prospects for every team
• Organization farm system rankings

---

To say lefthander Kyle Harrison was dominant at High-A Eugene would be putting it mildly. In seven starts, he recorded a 1.55 ERA and whiffed 59 hitters in 29 innings. 

That earned him a May 27 promotion to Double-A Richmond. The 21-year-old’s numbers in the Eastern League were outstanding. In 18 starts he struck out 127 in 84 innings with a 3.11 ERA.

“I thought Double-A would be much more of a challenge for him than what it’s been,” Giants farm director Kyle Haines said. “At times, it just looks like he’s on another level compared to that competition.”

The Giants’ third-round pick in 2020 from high school in Concord, Calif., relies mainly on two pitches: a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider.

“He can make a hitter look foolish with two different pitches,” Haines said. “He’s just usually trying to pick which one he wants the hitter to look foolish on, whether it’s the fastball or the slider.”

Harrison has been working on a changeup with Richmond pitching coach Paul Oseguera, whom he worked with at Low-A San Jose last season. Harrison has been trying figure out not only the best way to throw the change but how often to do so.

“I think I was throwing it a little too much,” Harrison said. “I threw it too much one of my outings and didn’t have the best results . . . It’s just a matter of time before I fully harness that thing, hopefully.”

Haines likes Harrison’s stuff and demeanor. “He’s a really good competitor,” Haines said, “but he also is in control of his emotions so well.”

That even-keel attitude also helps Harrison manage expectations about when he’ll reach the big leagues. 

“I don’t really think about it too much,” Harrison said. “I’m not going to stress too much on things I can’t control.”

Haines was noncommittal about Harrison’s projected ETA but said “it’ll be fun to watch as 2023 develops and see where his growth takes him.”