Chris Shaw

Shaw entered pro ball as a first baseman, but made the transition to left field last season in order to expedite the process of getting his monster raw power to San Francisco. After all, the Giants return one (!) hitter (Brandon Belt) who topped 15 home runs last season, and he plays first base. He made quick work of the Eastern League (146 wRC+, 26:18 K:BB in 154 plate appearances), but dealt with more resistance at Triple-A. His strikeout rate spiked to 29.4 percent and his walk rate shrank to 5.6 percent, but he was still able to up his ISO to .241 while cranking out 18 home runs in 360 plate appearances. He will head back to Sacramento with the goal of improving his plate discipline and defense in left field, but the Giants will likely be tempted early in the season to get his bat into the middle of the big-league lineup. The home park won’t help matters, but he has enough power to hit 20-plus homers in less than a full season.

Shaw began his first full season with the Giants at High-A San Jose. He raked in 72 games before getting promoted to Double-A Richmond. The success didn't carry over to the next level. While his production dropped with the promotion, he slightly lowered his strikeout rate from 23.0 percent to 21.5 percent. Though it wasn't a huge reduction, the fact that his strikeouts didn't increase at the next level has to be considered a positive. It would be surprising if the Giants promoted him above the Double-A level to start the 2017 season, but at age 23, the club will be looking for him to make quick progress as a hitter. The fact that he plays first base provides a problem, as the Giants recently re-signed Brandon Belt to a long-term deal. There is an outside chance that Shaw or Belt could be moved to left field, which would accelerate his track to the majors. The team could also opt to use the slugger as a trade piece at the deadline.

Shaw was selected by the Giants 31st overall in the 2015 draft in order to address the significant lack of power in their farm system. In his first season with short-season Salem-Keizer, he showed that power potential by slugging .551 with 12 homers in just 200 plate appearances. The Giants are in desperate need of a left-handed power bat, so they may accelerate Shaw through the minors. He is definitely worth monitoring in dynasty leagues given his ability to hit the long ball and the likelihood of a quick promotion.