A busy weekend for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. Let’s dive into all the action!
Link to the 2025 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the positions played in that particular game.
News
Some unfortunate injury news. AAA Sacramento RHP R.J. Dabovich and Low-A San Jose infielder Gavin Kilen were both placed on the 7-Day IL. It’s a big bummer for Dabovich, who had just worked his way back to AAA after so many injury setbacks. And
it’s a big bummer for Kilen, who only just made his professional debut after being the team’s 1st-round pick in July.
AAA Sacramento (62-58)
Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 4-0 [box score]
Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Round Rock Express 6-2 [box score]
The River Cats are quite a hot-and-cold team right now. Saturday marked their 4th consecutive loss, which came after an 8-game winning streak … but, like the Giants, they ended the weekend on a high note, and stopped the bleeding with a Sunday victory.
The story in Sacramento these days is the players who are in play to either make the Majors or return to the Majors over the final 6 weeks of the season. A pair of those players started the weekend games, though neither did particularly well. On Saturday it was RHP Mason Black (No. 7 CPL), who is desperately looking for a way to end a very difficult season on a high note. It was another struggle of a start for Black, who threw just 45 of 70 pitches for strikes, and made it through just 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs, while striking out just 1 batter.
It’s fair to wonder how the Giants view Black at the moment. The 2021 3rd-round pick is still certainly one of the better pitching prospects in the system, but he’s also had a very tough year (5.01 ERA, 5.62 FIP, less than a strikeout per inning), and has never felt like part of the MLB team’s plans, appearing just once in an emergency fill-in role. He only has 1 option year remaining, so the clock is, unfortunately, ticking.
On Sunday it was LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 CPL), who made his return to Sacramento after being optioned following a trio of starts in his 1st MLB stint. As Giants fans saw during those 3 starts, Whisenhunt has had a pair of kryptonites this year: walks and home runs. And, unfortunately, of those bit him in his River Cats return. Whiz did make it through 5.1 innings, but he walked 4 batters and gave up a home run as 1 of his 4 allowed hits. Ultimately, 2 runs and 6 strikeouts in 5.1 innings is a pretty good line in the Pacific Coast League, but given the way it occurred, it probably wasn’t the most encouraging start from the front office’s perspective.
A really good weekend for the bullpen, which gave up just 1 run in 8.2 innings. A pair of RHPs who have emerged as some of the best bullpen prospects in the system — Braxton Roxby and Trent Harris (No. 20 CPL) — both had excellent games on Saturday. Roxby was particularly overpowering, as he recorded all 6 outs in his 2 shutout innings by way of strikes, while also allowing a hit and a walk. Harris followed with the always fun “face 3 batters and get 4 outs” appearance, which also featured a strikeout.
Both pitchers have had their fair share of struggles while adjusting to AAA, which is understandable. Roxby has a 4.11 ERA and a 5.60 FIP, while Harris is sporting a 5.61 ERA and a 3.50 FIP. But both have upped their stock in big ways this year, and should figure into the Giants’ bullpen plans in 2026.
It was a mostly chill weekend on offense with, again, the focus being on players hoping to be in San Francisco at some point this year. Right fielder Luis Matos had a very nice weekend: after going just 1-4 with a strikeout on Saturday, the smooth-swinging righty went 2-4 on Sunday, stole a base, and blasted a 3-run home run.
It’s kind of unclear what the Giants are doing in right field at the moment, but I would expect Matos to interrupt the Drew Gilbert/Grant McCray double-lefty platoon at some point. Since getting optioned, Matos has hit 9-41 with 3 home runs, 2 doubles, and 8 strikeouts. It’s good seeing him get to play every day.
First baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) had a decent weekend, but has definitely moved away from forcing the issue. He hit 3-8 with 2 doubles, 1 stolen base, and 3 strikeouts, which moved his AAA OPS to .797 and his wRC+ to 96. Add in the 33.3% strikeout rate, and it’s looking more and more likely like Eldridge’s MLB debut will come in 2026 rather than in the next month.
Third baseman Drew Ellis didn’t play on Saturday, but on Sunday played a big role in the team breaking their losing streak, as he went 1-3 with a 2-run home run and a walk.
Here’s how the hitters on the 40-man roster did: center fielder Wade Meckler (No. 13 CPL) went 0-8 with a walk, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts; left fielder Marco Luciano hit 1-5 with 2 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout; second baseman Brett Wisely hit 1-7 with a walk; and designated hitter Jesus Rodriguez went 1-8 with a strikeout.
AA Richmond (43-68)
Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Altoona Curve (Pirates) 2-0 [box score]
Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Altoona Curve 6-5 [box score]
Like their big brothers in Sacramento and San Francisco, the Flying Squirrels stopped the bleeding on Sunday, as their exciting win ended a 3-game skid. And an exciting win as it was, as Richmond ended their series with a walk-off double courtesy of left fielder Scott Bandura, who didn’t play on Saturday and finished Sunday 1-4 with a walk and 3 strikeouts.
That served as a fun 2nd bookend of exciting swings from recently-promoted sluggers, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 11 CPL) opened up the 1st inning by smashing his 3rd Eastern League home run. Davidson, who didn’t play on Saturday and went 1-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts on Sunday, is still adjusting to the new level, as he has just a .604 OPS and an 82 wRC+ in 22 games with the Squirrels. But he’s certainly showing plenty of signs that a breakout is coming, and there’s been nothing overly concerning about his performance thus far. Standard stuff!
A pair of players who have been struggling had really great Sundays: second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 16 CPL) hit 2-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch, though he also was caught stealing; and first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 18 CPL) went 2-3 with 2 doubles, a walk, and a stolen base. Velasquez (who didn’t play Saturday) has really cooled down following his hot start to the year, though his numbers are still fine, as he has a .682 OPS and a 108 wRC+ … not bad for a middle infielder who, at 21 years old, is about 2.5 years younger than league average. He’s hoping to end the year on a high note, as he came out of the gates with an .806 OPS in April, but slowly dropped off, and had just a .600 OPS in July.
Ceballos, who hit 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout as the DH on Saturday, has a .611 OPS and an 87 wRC+ as his hot 2024 and Spring Training just haven’t really translated. But he’s been trying to change that: after a putrid .415 OPS in June, Ceballos had an .826 OPS in July, and so far has a .750 OPS in August. Both Velasquez and Ceballos still have very low strikeout rates, so that’s extremely encouraging. Ceballos also played first base for just the 2nd time this year, though I wouldn’t read anything into that given that he’s defensively excellent at third base.
And rounding out the struggling-but-having-nice-weekends is shortstop Aeverson Arteaga (No. 12 CPL), who only hit 2-7 with 2 strikeouts, but both of his hits were doubles. It’s just been a pretty awful year for Arteaga in his return after missing nearly all of 2024 — he has a .526 OPS and a 55 wRC+. But July was his best month of the year, and hopefully he can turn August into a decent campaign as well.
Some fun pitching performances. On Sunday it was RHP Trystan Vrieling, who made his 3rd appearance for Richmond since coming over to the organization in the Camilo Doval trade. Vrieling struggled to find the strike zone, throwing just 39 of 70 pitches for strikes, but he also was fooling Altoona hitters all day. He gave up just 1 hit in 5 innings (though it was a home run), and he struck out 5 batters. He also walked a pair, while allowing 2 runs. Vrieling, a 3rd-round pick in 2022 who has pitched almost exclusively in the Eastern League in his short career, has been very solid with the Squirrels. He has just a 0.94 WHIP, and a delightful ratio of 12 strikeouts to 3 walks (though in 16 innings).
On Saturday it was LHP Nick Zwack, who continues to round into form as he returns from injury. Zwack was a bit wild in his start, but effectively so. He only made it through 3.2 innings, and in that time had 2 walks and a hit batter (as well as 3 hits and 1 run), but he struck out 7 hitters. It was just his 5th start since returning to Richmond, where he pitched in 2023 before losing all of 2024. So far he’s fitting in quite well in his return, with 21 strikeouts against 6 walks in 23 innings, to go with a 1.96 ERA and a 3.17 FIP. Zwack, who was a 17th-round pick by the Mets in 2021, is a super intriguing arm, and it will be very fun to see what he does if he can stay healthy. Here’s to him hopefully being healthy and in Sacramento in 2026!
RHP Tyler Vogel pitched a scoreless frame with a hit and a strikeout on Saturday, and has yet to give up a run in 5 appearances with Richmond this season, while striking out 9 and walking 1 in 6.2 innings. On Sunday, RHP Will Bednar (No. 42 CPL) retired both batters he faced, as his strong August continues: in 6 games he’s pitched 7.2 innings and allowed 7 hits, 4 walks, and 1 run, with 12 strikeouts.
High-A Eugene (67-47)
Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 10-3 [box score]
Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 3-1 [box score]
This time of year, I find myself talking a lot about players who have had up-and-down seasons but are trying to end on a high note. And my goodness is that precisely what RHP Josh Bostick (No. 27 CPL) has been doing.
Just 1 start after a 14-strikeout masterpiece, Bostick was once again thoroughly dominant on Sunday. He cruised through 6 shutout innings, giving up just 2 baserunners: a single and a hit batter. And along the way he casually struck out 7 hitters. What a thoroughly fantastic outing.
Bostick’s August has been nothing short of sensational: he’s made 3 starts, pitched 18 innings, and allowed just 9 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs, while striking out 27 batters. It’s been the punctuation on a stellar end of the season — just look at how much Bostick has improved not just his run prevention, but his strikeouts-to-walk ratio:
April – June: 56.2 innings, 32 earned runs, 63 strikeouts, 29 walks
July – August: 46.2 innings, 11 earned runs, 55 strikeouts, 5 walks
It sure looks like Bostick’s command has popped into place, and my goodness that’s exciting!
Other than Bostick, it was all about the bullpen, as Saturday was a bullpen game. RHP Josh Wolf shined in that outing, allowing just 1 walk in 2.1 no-hit innings, while striking out 5. It’s been a very tough year for the 2019 2nd-round pick (by the Mets), as he has a 5.19 ERA, a 5.68 FIP, and 50 walks in 50.1 innings, but Saturday was a reminder of the talent that made him a 2nd-round pick. On Sunday, RHP Austin Strickland threw a scoreless frame with a walk and a strikeout, and has still yet to allow a run in August. A hell of a bounceback after posting a 9.00 ERA in July.
Lots of fun offensive performances, and a pair of prospects went deep over the weekend. On Saturday it was center fielder Jonah Cox who had a superstar performance, hitting 3-4 with a home run, a double, 2 walks, and 5 runs batted in. He followed it up on Sunday by going 1-4 with 2 strikeouts and his 51st stolen base of the year, tops in the organization.
Cox has been hovering around league average offensively all year, and now has exactly a 100 wRC+. Given his defense and baserunning, he would be a damn good MLB player if he could hit for league average, though that’s putting the cart in front of the A-Ball horse.
On Sunday it was first baseman Charlie Szykowny (No. 43 CPL), who finished a lovely weekend 4-9 with a home run, a walk, and a stolen base. The 2023 9th-round pick is another player ending the year strong. Despite starting off fairly cold, he’s up to a .777 OPS and a 109 wRC+ on the year, and has been showing off the power lately: after just 4 home runs in April and May combined, the lefty has smashed 12 dingers over the summer.
Second baseman/shortstop Jean Carlos Sio continues to fit in after a recent promotion. The lefty hit 3-8 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, a stolen base, and 1 strikeout over the weekend, raising his OPS to .786 and his wRC+ to 124. It’s only been a dozen games, but the 21-year old has looked extremely comfortable in the Northwest League. He’s really made a name for himself this season.
Low-A San Jose (75-39)
Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 12-11 (11 innings) [box score]
Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm 7-6 [box score]
San Jose was the road team in this series, but still managed to have a walk-off on Saturday, when right fielder Ryan Reckley (No. 35 CPL) gunned down a runner at the plate to end the game. Reckley has been playing better following a reset stint in the ACL, though he only hit 1-9 with a walk and a strikeout in this series. He’s transitioning from the middle of the infield to the grass, and if this play is any indication, it’s a smooth transition!
A whole lot of offense, and from some new faces and unlikely places. The Baby Giants are without 2 of their 3 big-name prospects, as center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 8 CPL) and middle infielder Gavin Kilen (their recent 1st-round pick) are both on the 7-Day IL. On top of that, their 3rd big-name prospect, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 6 CPL), had a relatively quiet weekend, hitting 3-10 with a walk, 2 strikeouts, and an error. And on top of that, third baseman Walker Martin (No. 14 CPL) didn’t play over the weekend (to make no mention of outfielder Carlos Gutierrez, who remains sidelined).
San Jose has called up some new players to fill in lately, and it was one of those new players who really shined this weekend: Jose Astudillo. The 21-year old Venezuelan showed off his versatility by playing left field on Saturday and second base on Sunday, and he hit 5-9 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases, and 1 strikeout.
It’s been a funny career path for the right-handed hitter. He began this year in the DSL — his 5th consecutive season at that level. But he looked way too good for the level and got the rare midseason promotion to the states … where he hit just as well in the ACL. And now he’s getting a chance in A-Ball, where he’s gone 8-19 with 4 doubles and just 2 strikeouts. Impressive stuff!
San Jose also got some nice contributions from the catcher position. On Saturday it was Daniel Rogers, an undrafted free agent signed after July’s draft. He hit 2-3 with 2 walks as he continues to look very comfortable. On Sunday it was Juan Perez, who went 3-5 with 2 doubles. Perez was a fairly high-profile international signing in 2022 but has mostly struggled in the pros, but lately he’s been having some nice games. Through July 22, the righty had hit a miserable 21-145 with 1 double, 16 walks, and 55 strikeouts. But since then, he’s hit 14-41 with 4 doubles, 6 walks, and just 8 strikeouts. Hopefully he can keep ending the year strong, as the 20-year old is an intriguing defensive player behind the dish.
Center fielder/left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 17 CPL) had a tough Saturday, going 0-5 with a walk and a strikeout, but he was dynamic on Sunday, hitting 3-5 with a triple, a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. He’s turned his season around in a big way, and has a chance to end his age-20 year with an above average line: he currently has a .723 OPS and a 96 wRC+ with 20 stolen bases and a sub-20% strikeout rate.
Recent 3rd-round pick Trevor Cohen, DHing on Saturday and playing center field on Sunday, went 2-9 with a triple and a walk. The lefty has a .733 OPS and a 115 wRC+ through his 1st 11 career games, and has struck out just 4 times in 54 plate appearances.
The pitching was less exciting, and was mostly defined by super talented, intriguing arms that struggled. On Saturday it was RHPs Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 36 CPL) and Yunior Marte. Maldonado, still working his way back from Tommy John, gave up 2 hits, 4 walks, and 3 runs in 2.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts, as his ERA rose to 4.09 and his FIP to 4.63. Marte, the player the Giants received in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, allowed 4 hits and 2 walks in 3.1 innings, though he only gave up 1 run with 3 strikeouts. He has immense talent, but the pieces haven’t quite clicked since coming to his new organization. And on Sunday it was RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 28 CPL) who recorded just 2 outs, while allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, and 4 runs. Cayama has some of the best arm talent in the organization, but has really struggled since heading to San Jose: he’s made it through just 4.1 innings in 3 games, and has allowed 8 hits, 8 walks, and 9 runs, while only striking out 2.
Things have gone smoother for his teammate Keyner Martinez (understandable, given that he’s more than 2 years older). Martinez, like Cayama, was dominant in the ACL before moving to San Jose when the Complex League season ended. But, unlike Cayama, Martinez has handled the move brilliantly, and Sunday was no exception: he pitched 4.1 shutout innings and gave up just 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 5 batters. Martinez has yet to allow an earned run through 3 games with the Baby Giants, and has 13 strikeouts against 5 walks in 10.2 innings. Those 2 are going to be a fun pair to follow for the next few years.
Dominican Summer League Black (33-21)
Saturday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Tigers 1, 5-3 (7 innings) [box score]
A lot of fun performances for the Giants Black squad as their strong season continues. Let’s start with the team’s best player … and the league’s best player for that matter. Josuar González (No. 5 CPL, 17 years, 2025 IFA) got a day off of playing the field, as he was just a designated hitter, but he still made quite an impact, as the switch-hitting phenom went 2-4 with a triple and a strikeout. His numbers have been a solid trend line upwards lately, and he’s up to an .842 OPS and a 127 wRC+, while still walking more than striking out. González’s outrageous bat speed and exit velocities are producing more results in the 2nd half of the season: through his 1st 25 games, the No. 2 prospect in the system had 0 home runs, 1 triple, and 6 doubles. In the 25 games since, he has 3 home runs, 4 triples, and 4 doubles. He is going to be so fun to watch in the states next year.
Left fielder Evan Estevez (18 years, 2024 IFA) continued his strong season, hitting 1-2 with a home run, 2 walks, and a caught stealing. Estevez has raised his OPS nearly .100 points and his wRC+ by 10 points, to .843 and 122. But with a 26.8% strikeout rate, it seems likely that he’ll be ticketed for a 3rd campaign in the DSL next year.
A fantastic start for RHP Dilan Fernandez (20 years, 2023 IFA), who gave up just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run in 5 innings, while striking out 5 batters. Fernandez’s season has been moving in the wrong direction following a brilliant start, so it was nice to see him get things back on track.
Dominican Summer League Orange (34-18)
Saturday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Mariners 3-1 [box score]
A win, and a solid one, but it was a very uninteresting performance for the Giants Orange team. No player had multiple hits, and the only player with an extra-base knock was shortstop Anthony Marquez (18 years, 2024 IFA), who hit 1-4 with a double. He now has a .767 OPS and a 115 wRC+ in his 2nd season.
RHP Jose D. Gonzalez (19 years, 2025 IFA) got the start and continued his strong season from a run prevention standpoint, as he only gave up 1 run in 3.2 innings, while striking out 3. It wasn’t smooth, though, as he allowed 5 hits and 3 walks. He only has 30 strikeouts against 15 walks in 41.1 innings, but is rocking a 2.40 ERA (albeit with a 3.93 FIP.
Home run tracker
AAA Luis Matos (11) [5 in MLB; 6 in AAA]
AAA Drew Ellis (6) [5 in AAA; 1 in AA]
AA Bo Davidson (13) [3 in AA; 10 in High-A]
High-A Charlie Szykowny (16)
High-A Jonah Cox (8)
DSL Evan Estevez (4)
