Mason Black

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #8 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Black was San Francisco’s third-round pick in 2021, out of Lehigh University, where his struggles down the stretch in his draft year affected his stock to the point where he fell into the Giants’ lap. He followed an excellent pro debut in 2022 with another outstanding season in 2023, when he split time between Double-A and Triple-A. His 155 strikeouts were the second-most in the organization, behind only Kai-Wei Teng, and ranked 16th overall in the minor leagues.
  
  Scouting Report: By and large, Black is a classic sinker/slider pitcher. His primary two weapons are a mid-90s sinker and a sweepy slider in the low 80s. He will mix in the occasional four-seam fastball as well, and he added a gyro slider later in the year as an early-count offspeed pitch that helps him steal strikes and can be landed in the zone more easily than a sweeper. He went through a renaissance in the middle of the season. From June 8 through July 1--a span of five starts and 22.1 innings--he surrendered just eight hits, gave up no runs and struck out 29 while walking just five. Black has the potential for average control, though his walk rate spiked sharply at Triple-A, where the automated ball-strike system has created a less-welcoming environment for pitchers who live on the edges of the zone. He’s an extremely hard worker who is constantly looking for ways to up his game and shows a particularly intense demeanor on days when he starts.
  
  The Future: Black will return to Triple-A in 2024 and has the ceiling of a back-end starter who can eat innings. Because his arsenal is so limited, however, his more likely home is in the bullpen. He should make his MLB debut in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In 2021, the Giants stocked up on pitchers from the Northeast. In addition to nabbing Black in the third round, San Francisco also chose lefties Matt Mikulski (Fordham) and Rohan Handa (Yale) in the second and fifth rounds and righthander Nick Sinacola (Maine) in the seventh round. Before the season, Black looked like a lock to go in the first two rounds, but he sputtered late and the Giants decided to buy low. In his first official pro action, Black looked like a steal. He split his 2022 season between Low-A San Jose and High-A Eugene and was one of four pitchers in the system who threw 100 or more innings and averaged more than 10 strikeouts and fewer than three walks per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Black heads his arsenal with two- and four-seam fastballs in the 93-96 mph range and backs them up with a mid-80s sweeper slider that ranks as one of the best in the system. The sweeping shape is a change from the more traditional movement on the slider he threw in college. The new version worked splendidly, getting whiffs at rate of nearly 39% while generating a little more than a foot of sweep and about 2,650 rpms of spin. Black has a high-80s changeup, but it's a bit of a work in progress and was thrown just 9% of the time during the regular season. He has above-average control and produced a 63% strike rate. Scouts like Black's loose, easy delivery, his competitive demeanor on the mound and the chance to add strength.
  
  The Future: After spending most of the year at High-A, Black is likely to get his first taste of the upper levels in 2023. If he can bring his changeup forward, he has a chance to be an innings-eater at the back of rotation. If not, his fastball and slider could make him a high-leverage reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 55

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #148 prospect in 2021 draft
  Coming into the year, Black looked like a candidate to go in the top-two rounds of the draft. He shortened his arm action and his stuff flattened out, with his stock falling by the end of the regular season. He finished the season giving up five runs (two earned) in four innings against Navy on May 15, then surrendered eight runs (five earned) in 3.2 innings in a May 26 loss to Army to close the year. Even in those clunkers at the end of the season, Black was running his fastball up to 97 mph, sitting at 91-94 mph. At his best, he threw a low-80s slider that was a solid-average pitch flashing plus with good bite and two-plane depth, showing the ability to get swings and misses against both righties and lefties. His changeup flashed as an average to a tick above-average pitch with good tailing life and separation off his fastball when it was on, though it was inconsistent. More often this spring, though, Black didn’t show the high-end quality of his secondary stuff. Loose command also plagued Black, who walked 3.9 batters per nine innings. Some scouts are down on Black, but a team that saw him at his best and believes it can iron out what went wrong could view him as a buy-low candidate.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In 2021, the Giants stocked up on pitchers from the Northeast. In addition to nabbing Black in the third round, San Francisco also chose lefties Matt Mikulski (Fordham) and Rohan Handa (Yale) in the second and fifth rounds and righthander Nick Sinacola (Maine) in the seventh round. Before the season, Black looked like a lock to go in the first two rounds, but he sputtered late and the Giants decided to buy low. In his first official pro action, Black looked like a steal. He split his 2022 season between Low-A San Jose and High-A Eugene and was one of four pitchers in the system who threw 100 or more innings and averaged more than 10 strikeouts and fewer than three walks per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Black heads his arsenal with two- and four-seam fastballs in the 93-96 mph range and backs them up with a mid-80s sweeper slider that ranks as one of the best in the system. The sweeping shape is a change from the more traditional movement on the slider he threw in college. The new version worked splendidly, getting whiffs at rate of nearly 39% while generating a little more than a foot of sweep and about 2,650 rpms of spin. Black has a high-80s changeup, but it's a bit of a work in progress and was thrown just 9% of the time during the regular season. He has above-average control and produced a 63% strike rate. Scouts like Black's loose, easy delivery, his competitive demeanor on the mound and the chance to add strength.
  
  The Future: After spending most of the year at High-A, Black is likely to get his first taste of the upper levels in 2023. If he can bring his changeup forward, he has a chance to be an innings-eater at the back of rotation. If not, his fastball and slider could make him a high-leverage reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In 2021, the Giants stocked up on pitchers from the Northeast. In addition to nabbing Black in the third round, San Francisco also chose lefties Matt Mikulski (Fordham) and Rohan Handa (Yale) in the second and fifth rounds and righthander Nick Sinacola (Maine) in the seventh round. Before the season, Black looked like a lock to go in the first two rounds, but he sputtered late and the Giants decided to buy low. In his first official pro action, Black looked like a steal. He split his 2022 season between Low-A San Jose and High-A Eugene and was one of four pitchers in the system who threw 100 or more innings and averaged more than 10 strikeouts and fewer than three walks per nine innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Black heads his arsenal with two- and four-seam fastballs in the 93-96 mph range and backs them up with a mid-80s sweeper slider that ranks as one of the best in the system. The sweeping shape is a change from the more traditional movement on the slider he threw in college. The new version worked splendidly, getting whiffs at rate of nearly 39% while generating a little more than a foot of sweep and about 2,650 rpms of spin. Black has a high-80s changeup, but it's a bit of a work in progress and was thrown just 9% of the time during the regular season. He has above-average control and produced a 63% strike rate. Scouts like Black's loose, easy delivery, his competitive demeanor on the mound and the chance to add strength.
  
  The Future: After spending most of the year at High-A, Black is likely to get his first taste of the upper levels in 2023. If he can bring his changeup forward, he has a chance to be an innings-eater at the back of rotation. If not, his fastball and slider could make him a high-leverage reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Midseason Update: Black cut through Low-A this year on the strenght of his four-seam and two-seam fastballs and a sharp mid-80s slider. Those three pitches front a four-pitch mix which also includes a changeup still in the midst of its development. He&#39s an intense competitor and devours the type of analytical information utilized in most modern player development departments. He could wind up in the back of a rotation with the upside for a touch more. May Update: The Giants&#39 Low-A affiliate at San Jose houses nearly all of their highest-end pitching prospects, with the notable exception of wicked lefthander Kyle Harrison. Black, their third-rounder from 2021 out of Lehigh, might have the highest ceiling of the group. The Giants used his post-draft period last year for development. This year, armed with two- and four-seam fastballs that can tickle the upper 90s, as well as a sweeper slider and a potentially average changeup, Black has been dominant in the California League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.