Giants to promote top pitching prospects for first MLB start

Giants Call Up Pitching Prospect Hayden BirdsongGiants Call Up Pitching Prospect Hayden Birdsong The San Francisco Giants have called up pitching prospect Hayden Birdsong to start against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The move marks the first Major League call-up for the 6-foot-4 right-hander, who was a sixth-round pick in 2022. Birdsong has quickly exceeded expectations since his arrival in the Giants organization. He pitched well in the lower minors during his first professional season and has established himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in the system. Baseball America ranked Birdsong as the No. 5 prospect in the San Francisco system entering the season. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked him 10th in February, while Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked him 17th in April. Evaluators have praised Birdsong’s fastball, which sits in the mid-90s, as well as his 12-6 curveball and slider. However, his changeup is not considered to be a strength. While Birdsong’s command needs improvement, the Giants are optimistic about his chances of becoming a successful starter. He will likely start against the Cubs on Wednesday before being sent to Triple-A Sacramento. If Birdsong does not become a starter, he could still be a valuable bullpen piece. He has put up excellent numbers for Double-A Richmond this year, striking out 30.7% of opponents. The Giants will have to make corresponding roster moves to add Birdsong to the 40-man roster. They are not expected to move any players to the 60-day injured list, so they will likely designate someone for assignment.

The Giants will call up pitching prospect Hayden Birdsong to start against the Cubs on Wednesday. Manager Bob Melvin announced the news: via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle.

It’s the first Major League call-up for the 6-foot-4 right-hander. Birdsong was a 2022 sixth-round pick out of Eastern Illinois. He has quickly outperformed that modest draft stock. Birdsong pitched quite well in the lower minors during his first full professional season. Although he ran into trouble in his first attempt at Double-A, he established himself as one of the more intriguing branches in the organization.

Baseball America ranked Birdsong as the No. 5 prospect in the San Francisco system entering the season. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked him 10th in February Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked him 17th in their organizational article in April. All three outlets credit him with a speed jump in the mid-1990s during his first season in pro ball. Evaluators also praise Birdsong’s 12-6 curveball and slider, but scouting reports aren’t particularly enthusiastic about his changeup.

FanGraphs writes that Birdsong will likely end up in dire straits due to a subpar command. Reports at BA and The Athletic were more optimistic about his chances of staying in the rotation, but both outlets noted that he must continue to improve to establish himself as a starter. Baseball America writes that the development of Birdsong’s command could be the X-factor, while Law suggests the biggest question is whether he will find a pitch with enough lateral movement to complement his north-south breaking skills.

Even if Birdsong were to become a bullpen piece, that would be a very good outcome for a sixth-round pick who signed for less than $200,000. The Giants will give him a chance to remain as a starter before considering that option. Birdsong has put up excellent numbers for Double-A Richmond this year. In 11 starts, he worked to a 2.05 earned run average while striking out 30.7% of opponents. Although he walked at a high clip of 10.1%, his stuff was clearly too advanced for Double-A.

The Giants brought the 22-year-old to Triple-A Sacramento ten days ago. Birdsong allowed five runs on eight hits and six walks over his first nine innings in the Pacific Coast League. Despite his limited experience at the highest minor league level, he will be able to compete against MLB hits. The Giants lost Keaton Winn added to the injured list last weekend, requiring a fifth starter if they didn’t want to play a bullpen game.

Birdsong is not on the 40-man roster. The Giants will select his contract tomorrow and must make corresponding active trades with a 40-man roster. They don’t have any obvious candidates for a move to the 60-day injured list, so they will likely designate someone for assignment.