President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi joined Alex Pavlovic on Giants Talk to discuss the MLB trade deadline and why the Giants weren’t willing to pay the high cost to take a step back this season.
It has been a disappointing year overall for the Giants' farm system, but two lesser-known outfielders have been huge success stories. Both players will finish the 2022 season at a new level.
Vaun Brown was promoted to Double-A Richmond on Thursday and Grant McCray took his spot in High-A Eugene’s outfield. For Brown, it’s the second promotion of the season, and it sets him up to potentially debut for the Giants in 2023 at some point.
Brown was taken in the 10th round of the 2021 draft and was the first position player chosen after the Giants selected nine straight pitchers. All he has done since is hit.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Brown had a 1.064 OPS in Low-A and bumped that up to 1.065 in High-A. In 102 total games, he has a .348/.439/.626 slash line with 23 homers, 100 runs and 75 RBI. He also has stolen 44 bases in 50 attempts.
The lone issue — one that kept him from going to Double-A sooner — has been strikeouts, as Brown whiffed in about a quarter of his High-A plate appearances. At 24, Brown has also been on the older side for each level thus far, so Double-A should be a good test and tell the Giants a lot more about what to expect in 2023.
"Moving from Low-A to High-A in your first year of pro ball can be a big jump because suddenly you're playing against guys with a lot more pro experience, and he was the best player in San Jose and has been the best player in Eugene," president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said earlier this month on Giants Talk. "Again, he's an older player, so he can move quickly. I wouldn't rule out another jump for him and then he'll be right on the radar for us."
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Zaidi said one thing that stands out about Brown is how much energy he brings to the field.
"We watch a lot of our minor leaguers obviously on video and when somebody's energy jumps off the screen when you're watching a bunch of minor league clipped video, that's really impressive and that really stands for us," he said. "The bottom line performance is great but he just plays with a ton of energy on both sides of the ball."
McCray, 21, is further away, but his season has been just as eye-opening. The former third-round pick is one of the most athletic players in the organization and put it all together this season. McCray recently became the first 20-20 player in San Jose Giants history and left the level with 21 homers and 35 stolen bases.
He has a .908 OPS and now will get a taste of a higher level, something the Giants did with Marco Luciano last year. Like with Luciano, it’s likely that McCray finishes one season in Eugene and starts the next one there.
RELATED: Zaidi explains underwhelming season for Giants prospects
The Giants also promoted left-hander John Gavin from A-ball to Double-A. The St. Francis (Mountain View) alum had Tommy John twice but has pitched well since returning to the mound. He has a 1.46 ERA in 18 relief appearances this year.
