IP | 81.1 |
---|---|
ERA | 4.65 |
WHIP | 1.41 |
BB/9 | 3.43 |
SO/9 | 9.63 |
- Full name Spencer William Giesting
- Born 07/02/2001 in Fairfield, OH
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Charlotte
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Drafted in the 11th round (318th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 (signed for $400,000).
View Draft Report
A draft-eligible sophomore, Giesting bounced between the rotation and the bullpen for Charlotte this year, much like he did as a freshman in 2021. He finished the season with his best outing of 2022, striking out 11 and walking only one in five scoreless innings against Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA tournament. Giesting is about projection more than present stuff. He sits 89-91 mph but touches 94. His average fastball plays well up in the zone thanks to a flat approach angle and its hop, but it gets torched when he can’t get above hitters’ bats. His slider, curveball and changeup all flash average or better. He’s not as consistent as he needs to be. His fringe-average control wanders, but when he’s locked into his somewhat effortful delivery, he’ll dot the zone. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he’s started to fill out with a strong lower half.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
Track Record: Giesting bounced between starting and relieving over two years at Charlotte before the Diamondbacks took him in the 11th round as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2022 and signed him for an above-slot $400,000 bonus. At the time, they saw him as a projection play with potential velocity and strike-throwing gains to be made. Giesting went 9-10, 3.31 with 154 strikeouts in 141.1 innings between High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo in 2024.
Scouting Report: While Giesting’s control did improve, the D-backs are still waiting on velocity gains. Giesting’s fastball averaged 89.9 mph and touched 93, playing up because of its natural cutting action and his nearly 7-foot extension. By the end of the year, the club believed it had identified timing issues with his lower half that, if remedied, could help him throw harder. Giesting has an upper-80s cutter with good shape and a pair of high-spin breaking balls in his curve and slider, both of which are at least average and hover around 80 mph. His strike-throwing was much improved. Giesting got to two strikes before two balls 76% of the time in 2024, up from 67% in 2023.
The Future: If he maintains his excellent extension while adding a couple ticks to his fastball, Giesting would profile better in a rotation. For now, he looks like a lefty-killer in relief.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 50.
Draft Prospects
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School: Charlotte Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
A draft-eligible sophomore, Giesting bounced between the rotation and the bullpen for Charlotte this year, much like he did as a freshman in 2021. He finished the season with his best outing of 2022, striking out 11 and walking only one in five scoreless innings against Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA tournament. Giesting is about projection more than present stuff. He sits 89-91 mph but touches 94. His average fastball plays well up in the zone thanks to a flat approach angle and its hop, but it gets torched when he can’t get above hitters’ bats. His slider, curveball and changeup all flash average or better. He’s not as consistent as he needs to be. His fringe-average control wanders, but when he’s locked into his somewhat effortful delivery, he’ll dot the zone. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he’s started to fill out with a strong lower half.