The Giants are expected to give Henry Lalane a late-season bump to Double-A, a move that keeps the left-hander’s year going after Eugene’s schedule has wrapped up. Chase Ford of MiLB Central reported the promotion, and it sends one of the organization’s newest arms to the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Lalane arrived in the Giants system as part of the deal that sent Heliot Ramos to the New York Yankees, with Kaeden Kent also coming back in the trade. Kent drew plenty of attention because he’s the son of Hall of Fame second baseman Jeff Kent, but Lalane has quietly been turning in a strong season of his own.
The Yankees originally signed Lalane during the 2021 international signing period, giving him a $350,000 bonus. His climb has been measured from the start. He didn’t get to full-season ball until 2024, and he had never pitched above Low-A before this season.
At Low-A with New York’s affiliate, Lalane put together a sharp line: a 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 11.7 K/9 and a 3.68 SO/W rate over 62.1 innings. That earned him a midseason jump to High-A, though he only made three starts there before the trade sent him to San Francisco’s system.
His first run with Eugene was rougher. In five starts, Lalane posted a 5.82 ERA.
The Giants had reason to view that stretch with some patience, though, because the workload has been heavy by his standards. Before this year, he had never thrown more than 50 innings in a professional season.
This season, he has climbed to nearly 100 innings.
From the left side, Lalane works from a high three-quarters slot and gets above-average extension thanks to his 6-foot-7 frame. His fastball sits in the mid 90’s and shows late carry and run through the zone. He pairs it with a low 80’s changeup and a low 80’s sweeper.
That fastball-changeup combination is the backbone of the mix, with enough velocity separation to make the changeup play well as it fades toward the plate. The sweeper is mainly a weapon against left-handed hitters, where it has worked effectively. Against righties, he may still need another pitch to lean on, but for now the approach is built around the fastball and changeup.
Richmond is getting him at a useful time. The Flying Squirrels have already clinched a playoff spot after winning the first half, and they’re headed into the postseason with a roster that looks very different from the one they had earlier in the year. Lalane gives them another arm for the stretch run.
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