SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Tristan Beck was scratched from his scheduled Cactus League debut on Monday, the Giants turned to pitching prospect Mason Black to step in and plug the sudden hole in their starting rotation.
Now that Beck is expected to miss significant time due to an upper arm aneurysm, Black could have a chance to fill in on a more permanent basis. The 24-year-old right-hander is expected to compete for a backend spot in the Giants’ rotation this spring, joining a list of starting hopefuls that includes swingman Sean Hjelle and non-roster invitee Spencer Howard.
Black, who is ranked the Giants’ No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline, got a rude welcome in his first start of the spring against the Angels on Monday, surrendering a leadoff homer to Ehire Adrianza on his first pitch of the game. Black departed after allowing two runs on three hits over two innings, but he’ll have an opportunity to rebound on Saturday, when he’s expected to build up to around three innings in his second Cactus League outing against the Padres at Scottsdale Stadium.
Black has been viewed as one of the club’s most big league ready pitching prospects after recording a 3.71 ERA with 155 strikeouts over 123 2/3 innings in 29 starts between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento last year, but the Giants still want to see him perform in Cactus League play and show that he can compete at the next level.
“It’s going to be results,” manager Bob Melvin said. “These aren’t the greatest conditions in the world to pitch, and it’s tough to evaluate, too. But when you’re evaluating certain spots in guys, that’s all you have to go on here.”
A former bioengineering major at Lehigh University, Black considered attending medical school before realizing that he could have a future in professional baseball. After being selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-3 hurler enjoyed a swift rise through the club’s Minor League system, though he hit a major stumbling block at Double-A Richmond last year.
Black opened the season in the Flying Squirrels’ rotation, but he got off to a disastrous start, posting a 5.89 ERA through his first 10 outings of the year.
“I’ve definitely gone through some lumps playing college ball and everywhere, but that was definitely the most pronounced it’s been,” Black said. “Like, ‘Oh, wow, I have like a 6.00 ERA through two months. This is not going well.’ I would say that’s been the biggest obstacle.”