San Francisco Giants Undrafted Division II Pitcher Now Stellar Prospect

A former undrafted player from Division II UNC-Pembroke is making his way through the San Francisco Giants' minor league system.

Jul 14, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants hat and glove on the bench against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are hoping that Buster Posey taking over the front office as president of baseball operations will help return the team to the level of prominence they were at when he was part of the squad.

The star catcher helped the franchise to three World Series victories during his playing days. Since he retired as a player, things haven’t been quite the same on the field for the Giants.

They have been a middling team in the National League, missing the playoffs three years in a row and seven out of the last eight.

Looking to change those fortunes, San Francisco made a huge splash in free agency, agreeing to a deal with shortstop Willy Adames.

That is certainly a step in the right direction, but they know that it will take more than one player to turn things around fully. While supplementing the roster with veteran free agents is necessary, building the core of the team through minor league development is a key to sustaining long-term success.

The Giants have done a solid job of developing some talent, especially on the mound, in recent years.

Logan Webb is as consistent of an ace as there is in baseball. Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison both have upsides.

Ryan Walker looks like their closer of the present and future. Camilo Doval was an All-Star before unraveling in 2024. Tyler Rogers is a workhorse out of the bullpen.

San Francisco developed all of those players and could have unearthed another stellar bullpen arm with Trent Harris. His path to professional baseball wasn’t a straightforward one, but he has made an immediate impact.

Over at MLB.com, he was named the prospect whose stock improved the most over the last year.

“Signed for $10,000 as a 24-year-old nondrafted free agent out of UNC Pembroke in 2023, Harris became one of the best pitching prospects in the Giants system this summer. The son of former big leaguer Greg Harris, he recorded a 1.81 ERA, .173 opponent average and 105/25 K/BB ratio in 79 2/3 innings while advancing from Single-A San Jose to Double-A Richmond. He gets tremendous carry on a mid-90s fastball that hits 97 mph and also owns a pair of potential plus breaking pitches.”

That isn’t a major commitment the organization made to him two years ago, but it looks like it will pay off in spades. Currently the Giants No. 16 ranked prospect, another performance like that and he will be in Triple-A, knocking on the door of the Major Leagues in no time.

A two-way player in college, Harris committed to pitching full-time in 2023 after signing with San Francisco. Given his advanced arsenal, they could look to stretch him out as a starting pitcher.

But, if he remains a reliever, as he has been thus far in his professional career, he could rapidly move through the farm system and be in the Major Leagues before his estimated ETA of 2026.