Parks Harber wasn’t considered the headliner of the Camilo Doval trade. That designation generally went to catcher Jesus Rodriguez, a lifetime .309 hitter in the minors who will compete for the backup catcher job. Harber, meanwhile, was an undrafted corner infielder out of North Carolina.
Since that trade, Harber has provided reason to pay attention.
Harber headlined the Giants’ group of prospects who participated in the Arizona Fall League, earning a spot on the National League Fall Stars team. Over 17 games, Harber hit .383/.513/.683 with three home runs and 15 RBIs, his 1.196 OPS ranking fourth all qualified players.
The 24-year-old has yet to play at the Double-A level, but there is no shortage of those in San Francisco’s front office who have become enamored with the third baseman’s talent.
“He’s a professional hitter in all regards,” said senior director of player development Kyle Haines in a phone interview. “He hits to all fields, he hits all pitch types, he hits for power, he hits for average. He’s a very professional, well-rounded offensive player in the box. It’s been really refreshing to see this.
For Harber, his performance in the Fall League was a continuation of how he ended the regular season.
Harber didn’t make his debut with the Giants organization until Aug. 8 due to a left wrist injury, but over 25 games with High-A Eugene, Harber slashed .333/.454/.644 with seven homers and 24 RBIs. Including his time with the Yankees’ High-A affiliate, Harber hit .323 with 13 homers and a .970 OPS over 79 minor-league games last season.
Along with the production, Harber’s batted-ball data from the Fall League leaps off the table. According to Prospect Savant, Harber ranked in the 95th percentile of both average exit velocity (94.6 mph) and max exit velocity (114.3 mph). For all the pop, Haines has been most impressed that Harber’s offensive profile is more than power.
“A lot of times, you just get power guys and they’re selling out their approach. They have holes in (the strike) zone. They’ve got chase. They’ve got some flaw as a trade off to the power. The thing that really stands out is his ability to be a hitter first with power, not just this big strong guy with power.
“That’s really hard to find in our game because there’s very much a sliding scale of trading off power for approach or the ability to use all fields. When you can find somebody who’s a hitter first with power second, it’s pretty unique to our sport.”
Given how well Harber has performed, Haines was among those curious as to how he went undrafted.
Following three seasons at Georgia, Harber transferred to the University of North Carolina and hit .343 with 20 homers and a 1.073 OPS over 61 games. Despite a big season, Harber wasn’t selected in the 2024 MLB draft and signed with the Yankees for $50,000.
Haines pointed to a couple potential reasons as to why Harber wasn’t drafted, one being that Harber played the corners instead of up-the-middle. Harber was also a bigger body in college, which Haines believes may have led scouts to think there wasn’t much room left for physical development. To that point, Harber lost roughly 20 pounds prior to this season.
The Atlanta, Georgia native primarily played first base in the Fall League due to roster construction, but Haines said the organization views him as a primary third baseman. Along with third, Harber will likely see some time in left and right field next season.
Harber is still a ways away from making his debut with the major-league club, but he’ll be a prospect worth watching in 2026 as he begins his first full season in the Giants’ system.
“From day one, he’s fit in really well, he’s adapted really well and just came in with a really professional approach,” Haines said.
Here is how the Giants’ other prospects fared in the Arizona Fall League:
INF Maui Ahuna: 11 games, .233/.327/.279, two steals, five RBIs
INF Walker Martin: 14 games, .222/.311/.296, three extra-base hits, four RBIs
LHP Ricardo Estrada: 11 innings, 3.27 ERA, 11 strikeouts, seven walks
LHP Juan Sanchez: 10 innings, 2.70 ERA, 11 strikeouts, four walks
RHP Logan Martin: 11 innings, 9.82 ERA, six strikeouts, eight walks
RHP Spencer Miles: 8 2/3 innings, 4.15 ERA, 12 strikeouts, one walk
RHP Ryan Murphy: 17 innings, 4.24 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 10 walks
RHP Jose T. Perez: 8 2/3 innings, 5.19 ERA, six strikeouts, eight walks
Prospect seriously injured in car crash
Antonio Jiménez, a 24-year-old Giants minor league pitcher, is currently in intensive care after he was involved in a car crash in the Dominican Republic last week.
“We are aware of the tragic car accident involving one of our players, Antonio Jimenez, and are in the process of gathering more information. Out of respect for everyone affected and due to the ongoing investigation, we will refrain from further comment,” said the Giants in a statement.