San Francisco Giants LHP Kyle Harrison leads the minor leagues in strikeouts with 116 in 65⅓ innings. To explain that number in a few other ways, he has whiffed a whopping 43% of all the batters he has faced, and he has a K/9 of 15.98. Yeah, that will work, and as long as Harrison (a third-round selection in the 2020 draft) can keep the walks down, he looks like a potential ace. Harrison has made 14 starts this season, split evenly between High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond, posting a 2.76 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.
Harrison, 20, may seem unlikely to debut in the major leagues this season, but then again, depth may become an issue for the Giants with right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (ankle) out for the season and lefties Carlos Rodon and Alex Wood and right-hander Alex Cobb hardly recognized as bastions of durability. The Giants can "fake it" with openers through the All-Star break and then, who knows. Harrison figured to move quickly through the minors, with a mid-90s fastball and terrific slider, which he uses to combat right-handers.