8. Aramis Garcia, C
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/12/1993 (25)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A San Jose Giants, AA Richmond Flying Squirrels
2017 Stats: .274/.323/.485, 436 PA, 17 HR, 24/94 BB/K
Info: Significant injuries have delayed Garcia’s development. He had a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League that has many believing that he could eventually be a big league backstop.
Garcia has solid skills framing, but he struggles with his lateral movement. He does possess a plus arm, though his footwork is below-average and hampers his ability to control the run game.
Offensively, Garcia has plus raw power, but his swing can get long and pull happy. He projects as a fringe-average contact hitter primarily because he is over-aggressive on anything near the plate.
He has work to do to get there, but Garcia has the frame and skillset to be a quality backup for a long time, and the San Francisco Giants can be patient with him.
7. Sandro Fabian, OF
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/6/1998 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Augusta GreenJackets
2017 Stats: .277/.297/.408, 503 PA, 11 HR, 5 SB, 10/88 BB/K
Info: Fabian has shown well since being signed out of the Dominican in 2014. In spite of sometimes less than impressive numbers, Fabian has been pushed forward by the San Francisco Giants due to his immense raw talent.
Fabian has excellent contact skills along with above average raw power
Fabian spent the entire 2017 season at low-A as a teenager, showing well, especially as the season wore on. His 2017 improvement over the year is part of Fabian’s noted ability to adapt at every level he’s been at in the time he’s at that level, finishing strong.
Fabian has excellent contact skills along with above average raw power. His plate discipline is less-than-desirable, but he’s significantly reduced his strikeout tendencies and adjusted his swing to access his premium contact ability.
The San Francisco Giants love Fabian’s athleticism with his ability to play in center now, though his skills would translate well to either corner as well. He will open 2018 in high-A and hope to continue to work on his plate discipline issues.
Next: #5 and #6