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LAS VEGAS -- In a 9-2 loss to the Las Vegas Aviators Tuesday, Turner Hill clubbed a first-inning home run to extend his hit streak to 25 games, a Sacramento River Cats franchise record.
Hill, a Marietta native, finished the game 2 for 4 with the homer, a double and both runs-batted-in for the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A club, where he broke the mark previously set by Daric Barton. Hill raised his batting average to .351 and his OPS to .946.
Since his promotion to Sacramento early in the season, Hill has nine home runs, 60 RBIs and 63 runs scored. In 357 plate appearances, he has a 10.4% walk rate, just an 8.7% strikeout rate and has 23 stolen bases in 28 attempts while primarily playing center field. He was recently named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Month for July.
Hill, signed by the Giants organization as an undrafted free agent in 2023, is now 27 years old. He's risen through the minor leagues over the last four seasons and now finds himself knocking on the door for a major league promotion.
The Giants, who own a 50-70 record and are 13 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League, dealt away several key players at the MLB trade deadline, including outfielder Heliot Ramos. Will San Francisco give the Marietta High and Marietta College graduate an opportunity at the big league level?
Jeff Young, a contributor for Around the Foghorn, a Giants news and opinion site, wrote about Hill: "He sprays line drives all over the field. While he uses the entire field, he takes advantage of pitches that he can pull.
"Hill grinds out at-bat after at-bat. With a swing rate just over 40%, he is a very patient hitter and does not expand the strike zone often. When he does swing, he makes contact at an elite rate. This leads to a healthy number of walks and a very low strikeout rate.
Young continued, "The Giants continue to use Hill in center field in Triple-A despite also having Scott Bandura and Bo Davidson on the roster. Bandura and Davidson have a good bit of experience in center field, but Hill continues to get the nod. One interpretation of this is that the Giants like Hill in center field and want him to continue getting reps. Based on my observation, he has the speed to stick there and gets good reads off the bat.
"Given that Hill is eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the offseason (if they have it), this might motivate the Giants to give him a look before the season ends. Plus, Hill is earning it!"