San Francisco Giants Could Turn to Top Prospect for Much-Needed Bullpen Help

With their bullpen struggling so far this season, the San Francisco Giants could call up one of their top prospects to bolster that unit.

Jul 14, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants hat and glove / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are trying to figure things out as they haven't quite been able to piece together multiple performances where they are hitting on all cylinders.

Their offense has been inconsistent to put it lightly and their bullpen hasn't been able to hold onto leads if they are presented with any. The only thing they can really point to as a positive right now is the strength of their starting rotation, even amongst Blake Snell's struggles.

After getting shutout and held to four hits during the opening game of their East Coast trip, there is some major concern that this is just what the offense might be.

Of course, there is still plenty of time to turn things around as the calendar just flipped to May, especially with the Giants having some proven players in their lineup.

What has been the biggest red flag for San Francisco, however, is the clear struggles of their bullpen.

Entering Wednesday's contest against the Boston Red Sox, they ranked 27th in the league with a 5.37 ERA. With Melvin looking for some answers and pitchers he can rely on, he decided to make some roster changes early in their road trip.

While he's certainly hoping this was the right button to be pressed, there could also be another answer in their farm system who the Giants could turn to if that unit continues to struggle.

According to Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline, their No. 8 prospect, Reggie Crawford, could be fast-tracked into the Majors based on his performance so far this season.

"... the 23-year-old's heater-slider combo could devastate the upper Minors in a limited role and push his way to the back end of the Bay Area bullpen," he writes.

It would take a rapid climb for Crawford to be considered as a big league call up considering he's only had four appearances at the Double-A level in his career, all of which have come this year. But seeing relievers jump through organizations' farm systems is not uncommon, especially when taking into account the skill set that this pitcher has.

"... one Giants official compared Crawford to a left-handed Paul Skenes, noting his fastball can touch triple digits while his mid-80s slider gets depth and a healthy amount of whiffs," Dykstra added.

Paul Skenes is currently ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball and is expected to be called up this season after starting in Triple-A for his second year of professional action.

If Crawford can truly be that type of arm, then San Francisco should give serious consideration into moving him up quickly because, right now, their bullpen has left much to be desired.