- Full name Giuseppe Chiaramonte
- Born
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
San Francisco has plenty of solid catchers, and Chiaramonte ranks at the top of the list because of his power and Triple-A performance. He was a fan favorite at Fresno, playing in the same stadium where he was a second-team All-American for Fresno State in 1997. His brother Giachino played linebacker for the Bulldogs during the fall. Giuseppe has plenty of raw pop, averaging 22 homers in his three full pro seasons. He cut down on his strikeouts as he moved up to Triple-A, and he was impressive offensively in instructional league. The reason he went to instructional league at his age and stage of development, though, was his defense. Chiaramonte has never looked like a Gold Glover. He's an adequate receiver and calls a decent game, but he threw out just 12 of 118 basestealers. The Giants hope offseason shoulder surgery restores arm strength. The big league club got a lot of mileage out of Bobby Estalella and Doug Mirabelli last year, so Chiaramonte probably is destined for more Triple-A time in 2001. -
Background: Chiaramonte went from being a walk-on as a college freshman to catching every inning of every game as a junior in 1997. He led San Jose to the Cal League championship last season and was named the league's all-star catcher and No. 10 prospect. Strengths: The Giants spare no accolades for Chiaramonte's passion for the game and effort he puts into making himself better. He has the perfect catcher's mentality, especially for working with pitchers and calling a game. His best offensive tool is above-average raw power. Weaknesses: Nothing comes easy to Chiaramonte, who is not a great natural athlete. He has average arm strength but relies on effort and courage rather than quickness behind the plate. Chiaramonte also must learn to tone down his all-out approach at the plate and learn to make more consistent contact to all fields. The Future: Farm director Jack Hiatt, a veteran of 40 years in pro ball--including nine as a big league catcher--says he's never seen a young player with as much desire as Chiaramonte. He will start 1999 at Double-A Shreveport.