Randy Rodriguez Finishes Strong At Low-A

After relatively inauspicious seasons as a teenager in the Dominican Summer League in 2018 and the Arizona League in 2019, righthander Randy Rodriguez blossomed with Low-A San Jose in 2021.

The 22-year-old reliever racked up 101 strikeouts in 62 innings, limited opponents to 44 hits and posted a 1.74 ERA.

The Giants rewarded Rodriguez by adding him to the 40-man roster at the Nov. 19 reserve roster deadline.

“He was the poster child for development over the course of a season, when you consider where he started the year on Day One in San Jose to where he finished at the end of the year,” Giants farm director Kyle Haines said.

“His work ethic, combined with the opportunity, combined with his natural talent, really gave us a great pitcher at the very end of the year and one deserving” of a 40-man roster spot.

Rodriguez, who signed out the Dominican Republic in 2017, combines a mid-to-upper-90s fastball with what Haines termed “a legitimate breaking ball.” Haines believes Rodriguez’s improvement derived at least partially from his work at instructional league in 2020.

Rodriguez finished strong at San Jose. He did not allow a single run over 28.1 innings in August and September.

“I just think it all clicked for him,” Haines said. “At the very end of the season, he was too good for that league. If the season would have kept going, we probably would have had to move him up a level.”

Haines likes Rodriguez’s composure on the mound.

“His temperature gauge never seems too hot or too cold,” Haines said, “which is probably why he’s so consistent.”

Rodriguez is more than a one-inning reliever. All five of his September appearances lasted at least two innings. His most impressive outing came in a 3-2 win at Rancho Cucamonga on Aug. 21 when he threw four hitless innings with six strikeouts.

“Hopefully,” Haines said, “he can continue what he did at the end of this year into the start of next year.”

GIANTICS

— The Giants also added outfielder Heliot Ramos, their first-round pick in 2017, and 6-foot-11 righthander Sean Hjelle, their second-round pick in 2018, to the 40-man roster.

— The Giants returned pitcher Dedniel Nuñez, a Rule 5 selection last year, to the Mets. The righthander had Tommy John surgery in March.