Harrison shows off ‘explosive’ heater
Plenty of eyes are on pitching prospect facing live hitters
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> The big wigs were on hand for this one.
Farhan Zaidi looked on from the first base dugout. New general manager Pete Putila was a few feet away. Stationed behind the mound: manager Gabe Kapler and a collection of other coaches. What were they gathered here to see Friday afternoon, on the second day of spring training?
The future, they hope. It was the first live batting practice session of camp, and their presumptive Opening Day starter was kicking things off. But the crowd, which included a half dozen other pitchers watching from the dugout railing, was here to see the young man who followed Logan Webb — who they hope will follow Webb in the rotation for years to come — 21-year-old Kyle Harrison, the top lefthanded pitching prospect in the game.
“He’s definitely got a lot of talent,” said catcher Joey Bart, who met the young lefty for the first time Friday and was one of four hitters he faced during oneplus simulated innings. “He’s got a really good fastball for a kid that’s, what, 21? Just a lot of talent, just a lot of upside.”
The Giants are banking on that upside to give them a two-headed monster at the top of their rotation for years to come, and they believe the talent there is already enough that he will start the year with Triplea Sacramento and could be on the fast track to the majors.
“You just watch it and you’re like, ‘Oh, that ball takes off,’” Kapler said of Harrison’s heater, which reaches the upper 90s and was already hitting 95 mph even before the start of camp, according to Webb. “With Kyle it looks pretty explosive.”
Since being drafted 85th overall in 2020, Harrison, a San Jose native and De La Salle High School graduate, has sped through three levels of the minor leagues.
Using his fastball-slider combo (and working to refine a changeup), Harrison struck out more batters than all but one pitcher in the entire minor leagues last year. He limited batters to a .196 average against him and finished with a 2.71 ERA in 25 starts between High-a and Double-a.
Almost as soon as it was over, Harrison headed for Arizona, where he spent the entire offseason training at the Giants’ Papago Park complex, often in tandem with Webb, who owns a home here. They pushed each other in the weight room and built a relationship. At fan fest earlier this month, Webb couldn’t stop himself from raving about the young buck.
So, of course, when it came time for a major milestone in Harrison’s career — his first time throwing to live hitters in major-league camp — it came with Webb there, too.
“Webby’s kind of got him under his wing from what I can see,” Bart said.
Webb, Kapler said, “recognize(s) how important he is to the future of our organization, take(s) that responsibility very seriously, and that means taking some of the younger pitchers under his wing.”
Harrison smiled as he delivered each pitch.
He met with a group of reporters for the first time afterward and grinned through most of his answers.
“You walk in here and you’re with the big leaguers. It hit me yesterday, like, ‘Whoa, I’m really here right now,’” Harrison said. “It’s a cool feeling for sure.”
What the Giants will be looking for out of Harrison this spring isn’t a sparkling exhibition ERA or the digits on the radar gun. They want to see him throw strikes more consistently. On Friday, all that seemed to matter was that he was here.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any nerves,” Harrison said. “… It wasn’t (my) best stuff. I want to throw more strikes. That’s a big goal for me this year. Keep attacking hitters. Slider wasn’t how I liked it today, but it’s early.” GIANTS’ WBC PLAN WITH DOVAL >> Besides Luis González’s bleached blond hair, one of the flashiest items in the Giants’ clubhouse is the red-and-blue glove inside Camilo Doval’s locker. It is the colors of the Dominican Republic, for whom Doval will compete during next month’s World Baseball Classic.
Doval, who threw his first bullpen session Thursday, will need to ramp up his intensity slightly quicker before he leaves for Miami in either the first or second week of March, but Kapler ensured the Giants will be paying close attention. Perhaps complicating matters: the Dominicans are considered favorites to win the tournament, meaning Doval may not be back in Scottsdale until about a week before Opening Day.
“Obviously we’re always monitoring,” Kapler said. “There’s no chance we’re letting him get abused or pushed to the point where his pitching in the WBC is detrimental.”
CONFORTO MAKING PROGRESS >> Friday was a big day for one of the Giants’ free agent outfielders: It was the final step of Michael Conforto’s throwing progression in his way back from shoulder surgery. He threw from 200 feet and was clocked on the radar gun in the high 80s, indicating he’s nearing full strength. However, the Giants will play it slow with Conforto this spring, limiting him initially to designated hitter to start Cactus League play.