None of the San Francisco Giants three rookie ball teams were in action on Wednesday, but their A-ball affiliates played five total games, thanks to a doubleheader. Here’s everything that happened on the farm on Wednesday.
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (53-42)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 7-1
Box score
The excitement for the River Cats was that designated hitter
Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) left the yard with a 2-run blast in the 1st inning, which traveled 405 feet and left the bat at 103 mph.
Harber finished the day 2-5 with 4 runs batted in and 2 strikeouts, and while I initially wrote that his home run — which came in his 5th game since getting promoted to Sacramento — was the first of many that he will hit in AAA, I’m not so sure that’s true. There’s a good chance that Harber’s stay in the highest rung of the Minor League ladder is short and sweet, before he’s off to test his talents against the best pitchers in the world. We’ll see.
Either way, it’s been a smashing success for Harber. He’s hit safely in all 5 games with the River Cats, including 3 straight multi-hit games. In total, he’s 8-21 with 2 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. There will (probably) be an adjustment period at some point, but my goodness has he ever hit the ground running!
It’s been a little bit of a slower adjustment for left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL), which is pretty understanding, given that Davidson played his college ball at a JUCO, while Harber was at a big-name Division 1 school. Davidson may have flown to AAA and he may be one of the top prospects in the organization, but he’s still a relative baby in terms of facing high-end talent, and a little more grace is warranted with adjusting to new levels. He went 1-5 with a strikeout in this game, and is now 6-25 with no extra-base hits, no walks, and 8 strikeouts since getting promoted. Needless to say, these things usually take a little bit of time! But it’s worth mentioning — as I’ll do probably every day — that Davidson still hasn’t played center field for Sacramento. It remains unclear why the Giants made such a stark shift from everyday center fielder to exclusively corner outfielder as soon as he got promoted, but my theory is that they want him comfortable at all 3 outfield positions for whenever he debuts (there’s a decent chance that he debuts later this year after Harrison Bader has returned from injury, and that would force him to a corner, which isn’t something you want to learn at the MLB level).
The biggest day arguably belonged to someone who began the year as Harber and Davidson’s teammate in AA Richmond, but got an earlier call to AAA: right fielder Scott Bandura. It was a blissful day for the 2023 7th-round pick, who turns 25 in about a week. The Princeton lefty hit 3-5 while smashing a 2-run home run and striking out once.
Pertinent to the aforementioned adjustment period at a new level, Bandura took his time adapting to AAA, but now is absolutely taking off. Just check out his splits:
First 30 games: 27-115, 1 home run, 1 triple, 5 doubles, 6 walks, 27 strikeouts
Next 21 games: 29-75, 3 home runs, 1 triple, 5 doubles, 18 walks, 12 strikeouts
That’s called figuring it out, folks! In total, even with the tough start, it’s an .806 OPS and a 114 wRC+ for Bandura, who really is excellent at controlling the strike zone and limiting strikeouts. Add in the strong defense that I think could play at all 3 positions in the Majors, and some good baserunning (he has 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts across the 2 levels this year), and it sure feels like there’s an MLB player in there. If he keeps improving like this, Bandura will have to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, which means he’d be a prime candidate to come up for a debut later in the season.
A funny game on the mound for RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), who is auditioning to join San Francisco’s rotation when the trade deadline passes and the already poor rotation gets gutted. Tidwell really struggled with the strike zone in this game, throwing just 54 of 90 pitches for strikes, which resulted in 4 walks and a hit batter in 5 innings of work. When he was in the zone, however, he was very hard to hit, as he gave up just 3 hits (all singles) on the day, while striking out 5 batters in a potent Comets lineup.
It’s just been a slightly odd season for Tidwell, who shows a lot but hasn’t quite been able to put it together. He’s striking out 10.2 batters per 9 innings, which is very nice, but he’s also allowed almost exactly a hit per inning, and more than a home run per 9 innings, while also walking 4.5 per 9. He did give up just 1 run in this game, which lowered his ERA to 4.21, though that number (and the accompanying 4.85 FIP) tells the story of a pitcher who isn’t quite there yet.
Still, Tidwell is 25 and is just about at the 250 innings mark in AAA. It might be time to see what he can do in a Major League rotation, or make the decision to push him to the bullpen full-time. He’s got enough heat to survive, and possibly even thrive in that role.
He was followed by a pair of recently-optioned MLB veterans, RHPs Ryan Walker and Spencer Bivens, who each threw 2 scoreless innings. Walker gave up a hit while striking out 2, while Bivens allowed 2 hits and 2 walks without a strikeout, but still kept runs off the board.
AA Richmond (55-35)
Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 6-5 (7 innings) [box score]
Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Hartford Yard Goats 5-3 (7 innings) [box score]
The big news in Richmond is, of course, the trio of top position player prospects that were promoted to the level after the All-Star break, replacing the duo of top prospects (Davidson and Harber) who departed. And my goodness was Wednesday a blissful day for that trio!
We’ll take them in order, as they occupied the top 3 spots of the lineup in both games. Center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) is finding his rhythm following a hitless first 2 games at the level. Last year’s 3rd-round pick had a pair of great games, hitting 3-7 with a triple, a walk, and no strikeouts. He only has a .579 OPS and a 53 wRC+ in the 5 games since getting promoted, but he also has struck out just 1 time in 23 plate appearances. Add in the defense that has really blossomed (especially as he’s seeing more time in the center of the grass), and the 22-year old lefty really is starting to look like a player who could move through the top levels of the Minors very quickly.
Behind him was shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), who has had the smoothest transition to AA. He hit 2-5 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, bringing him up to a 1.020 OPS and a 159 wRC+. Talk about fitting in at his new home! And like Cohen, Kilen has shown of his fantastic bat-to-ball skills, as his strikeout in the 2nd game of this doubleheader is the only K he’s had at the level. Talk about someone who could move quickly, especially if the Giants end up moving Casey Schmitt and have a hole at second base going forward.
Rounding out the trio was right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who had a delightful pair of games, hitting 3-8 with a double, a strikeout, and 2 stolen bases. Jordan’s numbers are behind Kilen’s (we’re dealing with a 5-game sample size, though), but an .859 OPS and a 135 wRC+, with just 3 strikeouts in 22 plate appearances (and 3 stolen bases in as many attempts), represents a wildly successful debut week in AA for someone with arguably the loudest tools in the entire organization. The Giants have to be thrilled with how well Jordan and Kilen are assailing themselves to the level.
Interestingly, as with Davidson in AAA, Jordan is playing less center field in AA, as he’s started to defer to Cohen there after being the primary option in Eugene. It seems likely to be a timeshare between the pair, but it was a little surprising seeing Cohen get center field reps in all 14 innings yesterday.
Speaking of debuting players, catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) made his AA debut in the 2nd game of the doubleheader, and hit 1-3 with an error. Welcome to AA, Jancel! A very well deserved promotion for someone who has quickly become the clear-cut best catching prospect in the system other than the trio of rookies in the Majors.
Good days for a pair of other hitters, second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) and left fielder Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). Velasquez was an on-base machine, hitting 3-4 with a double and 2 walks, while Sio went 1-3 with a solo home run, the Squirrels only big fly. Velasquez, a 22-year old switch-hitter with an .818 OPS and a 124 wRC+, has really been taking off lately: in his last 20 games, he’s hit a remarkable 27-61 with 1 home run, 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 8 strikeouts. This is his 3rd pass through AA, and it certainly feels like it’s going to be his last.
Sio, a 22-year old lefty, has lesser numbers since getting promoted earlier this year, with a .757 OPS and a 92 wRC+. That’s mostly because his batting average hasn’t carried over just yet (it’s just .227, after being .310 in High-A before the promotion). But, despite being a smaller player who fills in all over the diamond, Sio has really let some power rip this year: his .266 isolated slugging ranks 11th out of 164 Eastern League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, while his 14 home runs are 4th in the Giants system, behind just Davidson, Jordan, and High-A outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). Lots to be excited about there.
The pitching stars came out of the bullpen, as Richmond used a quartet of relievers and none of them gave up a run. In Game 1 it was RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL): Bednar gave up a hit and a walk in 1.2 innings but struck out 3, lowering his ERA to 4.17 and his FIP to 4.34, and giving him 12.0 strikeouts per 9 innings; Choate tossed 2 perfect frames with 2 strikeouts, dipping his ERA to 2.97 and his FIP to 4.10, with 10.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. In Game 2 it was RHPs Ryan Vanderhei and Tyler Vogel who each throw a scoreless inning. Vanderhei, who gave up a hit and a walk, now has a 3.77 ERA and a 4.56 FIP, with 10.1 strikeouts per 9; Vogel, who retired all 3 batters he faced and struck out 2, has a blissful 2.72 ERA, albeit with a 4.49 FIP, and has struck out 10.4 batters per 9. Some intriguing bullpen options in Richmond, that’s for sure!
The starting pitching was, unfortunately, uninspiring, and not particularly worth talking about. Game 1 starter, LHP Greg Farone, got rocked, ceding 6 hits (including a homer), 3 walks, and 6 runs in just 3.1 innings, while the Game 2 starter, RHP Trystan Vrieling, saw his hot streak come to an end with 6 hits (including a homer), 1 walk, and 3 runs in 5 innings, with just 2 strikeouts. Both players are struggling to put all the pieces together this year (Farone has a 6.32 ERA and a 5.98 FIP, while Vrieling is sporting a 4.13 ERA and a 5.46 FIP).
High-A Eugene (56-36)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 10-5
Box score
The hot July continues for left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who is really on fire right now. Wednesday was another spectacular game for the 2025 breakout lefty, as he hit 3-5 and stole 2 bases, while striking out once. By now you know the drill with the soon to turn 22-year old: the contact is down considerably, but the power is up considerably. The batting average is certainly rising though, thanks in large part to a 13-game stretch in which he’s hit 20-47 with 6 doubles, 12 walks, and just 10 strikeouts.
Gutierrez is kind of in the jack of all trades, master of none bucket right now, after leading the Cal League in hitting last year: among the 69 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season, he’s 20th in average (.274), 15th in on-base percentage (.382), 28th in isolated slugging (.177), 12th in walk rate (14.4%), 16th in strikeout rate (19.6%), and 7th in stolen bases (23, with just 2 caught stealings). It’s impressive to be above average at that many things, and it’s led to a delightful OPS (.834) and wRC+ (125), stats which rank 23rd and 16th, respectively.
A trio of players who were recently promoted played quite well, as right fielder Jose Astudillo hit 3-4 with a stolen base, second baseman Isaiah Barkett went 1-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, and catcher Daniel Rogers hit 1-3 with a double and a walk. Astudillo and Barkett are handling their debut High-A stints very well, while Rogers is doing much better this time around, after some time with Eugene earlier in the year.
Center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 31 CPL) went 2-5 with a triple and a strikeout, bringing his OPS up to .784 and his wRC+ to 99. He’s getting to finally play center again following the promotions of Jordan and Cohen.
Another so-so start for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), who struck out 5 batters in 4 innings, but also gave up 4 hits (including a home run), 2 walks, and 4 runs, while committing 2 errors. Not the sharpest, but still showing some of that excitement and magic.
It’s been a very rough summer for LDLT. After starting June with a 6-inning, 12-strikeout, 0-earned runs masterpiece, the southpaw has allowed 27 earned runs over his last 7 starts, spanning 31.2 innings. That’s seen his ERA spike to 5.38 and his FIP to 5.14. Even with this game, he’s doing a great job at limiting hits (52 in 73.2 innings) and getting strikeouts (12.0 per 9 innings), but the walks (7.0 per 9) and home runs (1.1 per 9) remain quite concerning, as does the groundball rate (39.1%) which is more than 9 percentage points lower than it was a year ago.
RHP Mauricio Estrella had a nice game in relief, striking out 3 batters in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 1 hit and 2 walks allowed. Estrella has 14 strikeouts in 8.2 innings since getting promoted, with a 1.04 ERA and a 2.19 FIP. The 22-year old is fitting in quite nicely with Eugene!
Low-A San Jose (54-38)
San Jose Giants lost to the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers) 6-5
Box score
A pretty uninteresting game for the Baby Giants. Catcher Junior Barajas had a nice game though, and that was great to see, as the debuting backstop went 2-3 with a double, a hit by pitch, and an error. Barajas, the team’s 11th-round pick last year, started off incredibly hot, posting a .940 OPS in April. Then came a slump, though, as that number dropped to .573 in May, and .540 in June. He’s starting to turn things around in July, though, where he has an .843 OPS, which is largely the result of drawing 8 walks and getting hit twice in the 10 games he’s played, while only striking out 6 times. On the year, it’s a .712 OPS and an 80 wRC? for the just-turned 22-year old … hopefully he can end the year on a high note, because he’s a talented defensive player who has flashed some skills with his bat.
Center fielder Andy Polanco hit 2-4 with a double and a strikeout as he tries to get his season numbers together (he has just a .677 OPS and a 68 wRC+), while left fielder Oliver Tejada hit 0-1 with a strikeout and an error, but drew a walk, was hit by 2 pitches, and had an outfield assist. Funny game!
LHP Ricardo Estrada had an odd start, walking 4 batters in 4.1 innings, but striking out 6. Not the most effective way to limit runs, but it worked decently in Estrada’s case on this occasion, as he gave up 4 hits (all singles), and just 2 runs, both of which were unearned. On the one hand, Estrada has a 3.67 ERA on the year … on the other hand, he has a 5.56 FIP, with pretty poor strikeout and walk numbers.
A nice relief outing for RHP Samir Chires, who retired all 3 batters he faced, with 10 out of 14 pitches for strikes. Since getting promoted after his 4th straight year in the ACL, Chires has been excellent in the Cal League: in 4 appearances he’s thrown 5.2 innings, and allowed just 4 hits, 0 walks, and 1 run, with 5 strikeouts.
Home run tracker
14 — Jean Carlos Sio — [9 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL]
13 — Parks Harber — [1 in AAA; 12 in AA]
7 — Scott Bandura — [4 in AAA; 3 in AA]
Thursday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Oklahoma City (SP: Cesar Perdomo)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Hartford (SP: Yunior Marte)
Eugene: 12:05 p.m. PT at Everett (SP: Hunter Dryden)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT vs. Ontario (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
