The San Francisco Giants have demoted pitching prospect Mason Black back to Triple-A Sacramento. Black was having a strong season for Sacramento, but struggled in his brief time at the big-league level. In two starts for the Giants, Black allowed six runs and walked five batters in 8 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old remains one of the better pitching prospects in Triple-A and should receive another opportunity in the show at some point this season. He can safely be dropped in redraft leagues, but still holds value in dynasty leagues. Replacing Black on the Giants roster is pitcher Nick Avila. Avila has struggled mightily this season and can be left on the waiver wire.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mason Black had a rough afternoon in Monday's 6-1 defeat on the road to the Philadelphia Phillies, coughing up five runs on eight hits (one home run) and three walks with five punchouts while taking the loss. It was neither a good major-league debut nor homecoming for the Pennsylvania native, who did manage to come away unscathed through the first three innings before a couple of two-out walks in the fourth frame ended up opening up the floodgates for the Phillies. If the 24-year-old right-hander gets another turn in San Fran's rotation, it would likely come on Saturday at home against the Cincinnati Reds. He'll probably head back to the farm once Blake Snell (adductor) is ready to come off the injured list, but Black will feature some short-term fantasy appeal against a Reds team that ranks 29th in batting average (.210) this season.
Mason Black Making First Major League Start On Monday
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher prospect Mason Black will make his major league debut on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Black, San Francisco's No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has performed well at Triple-A this season, pitching to a 1.01 ERA and 0.90 WHIP to go with 29 strikeouts in 26 IP. With Blake Snell (groin) still on the mend, Black could see at least a few turns through the rotation. If he can perform well, the Giants could keep him around even when Snell returns. He shouldn't be in fantasy lineups for Monday's start, but adding him in deeper leagues and sticking him on the bench to see what happens isn't a bad idea.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mason Black is a candidate for the Opening Day rotation, according to manager Bob Melvin. The 24-year-old has been floated around as a possible option for the Giants rotation, but now the team confirms it. Black pitched fairly well in the minors last season as he struck out 155 batters over 123 2/3 innings of work between Double-A and Triple-A. He hasn't pitched great in camp but appears to have the edge over Spencer Howard and Daulton Jefferies. Given his strikeout ability, Black might be able to carve out some deep league value if he makes the team.
San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Mason Black joined the club as a third-round pick in 2021, and he wasted no time impressing the organization. After just eight outings at the Single-A level, Black owned a 1.57 ERA and 11.6 K/9, earning him a quick promotion to High-A. He continued to post strong results and opened 2023 at the Double-A level, just 24 games into his pro career. Black's impressive three-pitch mix is headlined by a mid-90s fastball that misses bats and has touched the upper-90s several times. He also throws a mid-80s slider that has developed into a great secondary offering with its ability to sweep horizontally and keep opponents off guard. He rounds out his repertoire with a changeup that is nothing special but does offer an important change of pace. During his start on July 1, Black was dominant, tossing five perfect innings. Of the 15 batters he faced, all 15 were retired, including eight via the punchout. As the midway point of the 2023 campaign approaches, we could see Black earn another quick promotion, this time to Triple-A.
San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Mason Black threw five perfect innings for Double-A Richmond, striking out eight batters. He is on a run of extremely impressive starts, with just eight hits, no runs allowed, a 36.3% strikeout rate, and a 6.3% walk rate in his last five starts. Across 59 innings this season, the 23-year-old has a 3.66 ERA and a 31.2% strikeout rate. While he likely won't be up this season, Black's stock is rising in dynasty and keeper leagues with his run of stellar starts.
Mason Black
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Giants
