Black to make MLB debut Monday in Philadelphia
For Mason Black, the time is almost here.
His goal of becoming a major leaguer will come to fruition Monday, just a few hours away from where he first dared to dream it.
The San Francisco Giants plan to promote the Valley View grad and their No. 7 prospect Monday, and the right-hander will be the starting pitcher when the Giants face the Philadelphia Phillies at 4:05 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park.
He'll oppose Phillies ace right-hander Zack Wheeler.
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This is a 2024 photo of pitcher Mason Black of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. This image reflects the San Francisco Giants' active roster as of Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, when this image was taken in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Black nearly made the Giants roster out of spring training after posting a 1-1 record in four Cactus League starts. But the late March signing of free-agent lefty Blake Snell, the 2023 National League Cy Young Award winner with the Padres, led to his demotion to Triple-A Sacramento, where he established himself as one of the top pitchers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
In six starts with the River Cats, Black is 1-1 with a 1.01 ERA, and he leads the PCL in ERA by more than a full run. He hasn't allowed an earned run in five of his six starts this season, and over his last four, he has been especially dominant.
During that run that started April 12, he allowed just five hits and one unearned run over 18 innings, striking out 19.
In his last start for Sacramento on Wednesday, he threw four no-hit innings against Tacoma.
Black will be the first Lackawanna League baseball product to make his big-league debut since former Scranton High School standout Jake McCarthy played his first game with the Arizona Diamondbacks in August of 2021. Black will be the first pitcher to debut in the bigs since another former Valley View star, right-hander Max Kranick, who worked five perfect innings against the Cardinals on June 27, 2021.
