Luis Matos and Will Bednar highlight 8 SF Giants prospects heading to Arizona Fall League

Luis Matos and Will Bednar lead a group of eight SF Giants prospects heading to the Arizona Fall League, according to preliminary rosters.

The SF Giants will be sending eight prospects to this year's Arizona Fall League, including several recent high draft picks. According to preliminary rosters released on Friday, outfielder Luis Matos, first baseman Logan Wyatt, catcher Andy Thomas, catcher Adrian Sugastey, left-handed pitcher Carson Whisenhunt, right-handed pitcher Will Bednar, right-handed pitcher Tyler Myrick, and right-handed pitcher Hunter Dula will all be suiting up for the Scottsdale Scorpions this fall. Matos, Bednar, and Whisenhunt are easily the most notable selections.

Matos entered the season as a top-100 prospect in the minor leagues, but struggled mightily at High-A as he tried to adjust his approach. Matos also missed some time with a strained quad that may have fueled his dip in performance. He finished the season with a .211/.275/.344 triple-slash.

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Bednar was the Giants first-round pick in 2021 out of Mississippi State and was a consensus top-10 prospect in the system heading into this season. However, injuries limited him to just 12 appearances at Single-A San Jose. He recorded a 4.60 ERA in 43 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Whisenhunt was drafted by the Giants in the second round of this summer's draft. It's exceedingly rare for a prospect to appear in the Arizona Fall League the year they are selected. However, Whisenhunt did not play college baseball this spring because he was suspended for violating the NCAA's PED policy. I saw Whisenhunt pitch earlier this month, but the Giants were limiting his workload, likely because they knew they were sending him to Arizona.

The Arizona Fall League is generally considered upper minors competition, somewhere around Double-A. The fact that the Giants are confident enough in Whisenhunt to send him suggests they are very high on his chances to develop quickly. While nothing is guaranteed, if he has a strong showing, it would not be out of the question that he could start his first full minor-league season at Double-A.

Logan Wyatt was a second-round pick by the Giants in 2019 out of Louisville. The first baseman has struggled to hit for power as a professional and only appeared in 29 games this year between Rookie Ball and Single-A. He finished the season with an abysmal .213/.286/.245 line.

The Giants acquired Thomas at the trade deadline from the Mariners in a deal that sent Curt Casali and Matthew Boyd to Seattle. Thomas was a fifth-round pick in last year's draft out of Baylor and has had a solid professional debut.

Sugastey may not have the pedigree of some of the other selections, but he might have the biggest chance to raise his own stock. He will be the sixth-youngest player in the Arizona Fall League and has always been lauded for his defensive abilities at catcher. He hit only .240/.329/.333 at Single-A San Jose this season, but the 19-year-old also put the ball in play at an excellent clip. If he can find a way to elevate the ball more consistently for Scottsdale, he could shoot up prospect rankings.

Finally, Myrick and Dula round out the Giants selections as a pair of relief pitchers the organization drafted last year. Myrick is a hard-throwing righty who racked up 41 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched with a 2.85 ERA between Single-A and High-A this season. Dula made 39 appearances between the same two levels and recorded 56 strikeouts in 46 innings and a 4.11 ERA.

The Arizona Fall League is one of the biggest platforms for minor league prospects to raise their status. The SF Giants will be sending at least eight minor leaguers this year to try and expedite their development. If all goes well, several of them will rise up prospect rankings this offseason.