The San Francisco Giants are on the precipice of making a surprise postseason appearance for the second time in three seasons. Not many expected the Giants to be in the middle of the National League wild card race this late into the season, yet here we are with 35 games left and San Francisco sits in one of those three playoff spots.

The Giants have used an all-around team approach in recent years, shying away from big free agent acquisitions and sticking with their homegrown talent to win games. Both veterans and young prospects have been the backbone of San Francisco’s roster construction over the last decade. That system has led to plenty of success but also some down years.

The Giants unexpectedly won 100 games and the NL West in 2021, only to go 81-81 last season and miss the playoffs. 2023 is in the middle of those two seasons, but San Francisco has every chance to make a return to the postseason. It has utilized some of its top prospects already this season, inducing the recent debut of Kyle Harrison, the top left-handed pitching prospect in the MLB.

The Giants have three top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, but there are two outside that range who they should consider calling up in September. A pair of strikeout machines out of the bullpen could help San Francisco down the stretch.

2. RHP Jose Cruz

If there's one thing the Giants do well it's develop pitchers. Jose Cruz is no exception as he's lit up minor league radars and turned himself into a valuable prospect. San Francisco signed him when he was 17 and gave him 77 innings in rookie ball during his first two seasons in pro ball.

COVID canceled the 2020 minor league season, slightly hindering his schedule. Another full season in rookie ball gave way to a promotion to Low-A, where Cruz finally started to settle in and become the strikeout master that the Giants envisioned him being. He struck out 86 batters in 52.1 innings for a strikeouts per nine innings of 14.79. He finished the year with a 2.06 ERA, six saves, and was named a California League All-Star.

Cruz comes at hitters with an upper-90s fastball and a lethal changeup. He is very tough against righties, as evidenced by his .136 batting average against from the right side this season. His overall 2023 numbers don’t reflect that very well though, specifically in Double-A.

Cruz has a 5.70 ERA in 21 outings for Double-A Richmond, with walks being his kryptonite. He's walked 26 batters in 23.2 innings for Richmond. His August has been much better than his July, though the walks are still a problem. Through it all, his strikeout numbers have stuck around as he has 13.61 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023.

Jose Cruz still has some command issues, but what a weapon he could be for the Giants in September if they can hone in on limiting the walks. His velocity will translate to the big leagues but can he put guys away? San Francisco should take a chance and see if Cruz has what it takes to be an impact reliever from the first pitch of his MLB career.

1. LHP Erik Miller

With Kyle Harrison making his MLB debut earlier this week, Erik Miller should be the next pitcher in line to make his Giants debut. Miller has served his time in the minors and has a proven track record over the last three seasons that he is worthy of a promotion.

The Giants acquired him last winter from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for another reliever, Yunior Marte. Miller was lit up in his first promotion to Triple-A with the Phillies in 2022 but his move to the Giants has gone swimmingly for the most part.

Miller is very similar to Cruz in that he is a power pitcher with a solid changeup but he struggles to find the zone sometimes. His strikeout numbers are the best they've been since he turned pro in the summer of 2019 but the walks continue to pile up. He has 6.45 walks per nine innings compared to 12.37 strikeouts per nine in 2023.

Miller is in the midst of his best month yet in August. He has not allowed a run in eight appearances, striking out 11 batters while walking four and surrendering just one hit. He is also two-for-two in save opportunities and 8-for-10 overall this season.

There is no doubt that Erik Miller can get hitters out, as he's shown at every level of the minor leagues. He'll have to work on his command if he wants to turn into a high-leverage reliever in the MLB though.

The Giants lack left-handed options in the bullpen, with Taylor Rogers serving as the only true relief option from the left side. Scott Alexander is another lefty arm but he has been tasked with being an opener as of late, tossing the first inning before being relieved. Sean Manaea has taken over for him in some of those starts and ate some innings for the Giants as they are down several starting pitchers.

In order to get through the final five weeks of the season with their opener strategy intact, the Giants should look into promoting Miller and give themselves some added relief depth. San Francisco has one of the best bullpens in the league with the fourth-best reliever ERA, but the last thing a team wants in the middle of a playoff chase is fatigued arms. Bringing in a hungry Miller who is eager to make his name known in the MLB could prove to be a winning move for the Giants.