Five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Wednesday. The rookie ball teams didn’t play (the DSL squads had the day off while the ACL season is over), but AA Richmond played a doubleheader due to having their game on Tuesday postponed. Let’s dive into it!
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 (57-44)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 5-4 Box
score
Some exciting news in Sacramento, as center fielder Jonah Cox began a rehab assignment. Funnily enough, since the Giants called up Cox straight from AA Richmond, Wednesday’s rehab game was Cox’s first time playing in AAA. It didn’t go particularly well, as he went 0-3 and struck out twice, but hey … it was his first game in a month!
The Giants seem to be enjoying giving Grant McCray some run, and they’re no longer chasing wins, so my guess is that Cox will get optioned to Sacramento when he’s done rehabbing, which is good. That’s the level he should have been at all along, in my opinion.
Speaking of outfielders who play great defense and steal a lot of bases, left fielder/center fielder Turner Hill had another great game, because that’s all he does these days. The 27-year old lefty went a perfect 3-3 with a walk and 2 runs batted in, which pushed his hitting streak to 15 games. During those 15 games, the former undrafted free agent has hit a scintillating 28-61 with 2 home runs, 2 triples, 3 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts, which has brought him up to an absurd 1.112 OPS for the month, and a .912 OPS and 141 wRC+ on the year.
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) had another nice game, hitting 2-4 and stealing a base. Furman’s been a little more middle-of-the-road than notably good lately … since June 18 he’s hit 30-120 with just 8 extra-base hits, 15 walks, and 17 strikeouts, while maintaining a batting line just above league average (.773 OPS, 107 wRC+). But with Casey Schmitt out for the year with a torn meniscus, and Luis Arráez almost guaranteed to be wearing a different team’s jersey this time next week, Furman has to be eyeing a Major League debut (personally I’d give Jesús Rodríguez [No. 16 CPL] those reps).
Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) continues to look comfortable in AAA, as he hit 2-5 with a pair of hard-hit singles. Harber has hit safely in 10 out of his 11 games since getting promoted, and is 19-50 with 4 extra-base hits, 3 walks, and 13 strikeouts (.926 OPS, 146 wRC+). It’s been a less smooth transition for designated hitter Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL), who went 0-4 with a strikeout in this game. The lefty has really been scuffling since his promotion, going 11-48 with 1 extra-base hit, 3 walks, and 15 strikeouts (.538 OPS, 48 wRC+). Adjustment periods are to be expected, though, especially for someone who doesn’t have a long history of facing pitchers who can really spin the baseball.
On the mound, RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) made what is likely to be his last start in AAA for a while. With LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) taking the turn of injured RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL) in the MLB rotation, Tidwell is likely to be the name who replaces LHP Robbie Ray when he’s invariably traded in the coming days. It’s fair to wonder how well that will go for Tidwell, who has really had an up-and-down season. Wednesday was more of the same, as he did make it through 5.2 innings, but threw just 56 of 96 pitches for strikes, while allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 hit batters, and 4 runs, and only striking out 3. Tidwell, a 2022 2nd-round pick who came over in the Tyler Rogers trade, has so many tools, but it’s hard to envision things going smoothly for him in an MLB rotation right now. That said, he’s been pretty solid lately: in his last 6 starts, he’s thrown 31.2 innings and allowed 27 hits, 12 walks, and 11 earned runs, with 32 strikeouts. On the year, he has a 4.38 ERA and a 4.88 FIP.
LHP Reiver Sanmartin and RHP Ryan Walker, who are both on the 40-man roster, had scoreless relief appearances but got into some trouble (Sanmartin gave up 3 hits in 1.1 innings, with 1 strikeout, while Walker ceded 2 hits in 1 inning, with 2 strikeouts). RHP Michael Fulmer continued his recent dominance, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout in a no-hit inning, which lowered his ERA to 3.05 and his FIP to 3.35. The veteran, who is not on the 40-man roster, has only allowed runs in 2 of his last 18 outings, which is a wild statistic in the PCL. In his last 6 games, the 33-year old has pitched 8.1 innings and allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and 0 runs, with 5 strikeouts.
AA Richmond (58-38)
Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 7-4 (7 innings)
Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Somerset Patriots 6-2 (7 innings)
Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score
A fun little doubleheader for Richmond, though made less interesting by the fact that outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was placed on the Injured List before the start of the games, so we didn’t get to see him continue to adapt to a new level.
We did, however, get to see center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) continue his adjustment). Cohen had a delightful day patrolling the grass and wreaking havoc on the dirt … across the 2 games, he hit 4-8 with a double, 0 strikeouts, and 5 stolen bases, though he was caught stealing once, bringing him up to a .697 OPS and an 87 wRC+.
The ultra impressive thing was that 4 of those 5 stolen bases occurred in the 2nd game, when the Squirrels set a franchise record with 11 swiped bags, which is made all the more impressive since they weren’t caught stealing and it was a 7-inning game. You love to see that!
Also getting in on that action was second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), who hit 3-6 and stole 3 bases (he has 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts this year while, across 2 levels, Cohen has 31 stolen bases in 40 attempts. Love to see those swiped bags!).
It’s emphatically time for Velasquez to be in AAA, as the 22-year old switch-hitter has made dramatic gains in his 3rd pass through the level. He’s also been on an absolute heater lately: over his last 21 games, Velasquez is 30-69 with 6 extra-base hits, 11 walks, and just 9 strikeouts, which has raised his OPS to .814 and his wRC+ to 124. When the trickle down effect of Arráez being traded takes place, hopefully it means Velasquez gets to head to the highest level of the Minors.
But the best performance belonged to an infielder who has been having a tough year: third baseman/shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL). Ahuna has been struggling quite a bit lately, but showed off in this pair of games, hitting 2-4 with a home run, a double, 3 walks, and a stolen base. What a day!
Ahuna isn’t getting to play his natural shortstop position (where he’s a wizard) all that often anymore, given the promotion of Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), but really what the Giants need to see is if he can develop his bat. The glove will always play, though he’s starting to get comfortable at other infield positions now. He has a .671 OPS and an 84 wRC+ on the year, though his 33.2% strikeout rate remains the biggest concern.
Speaking of Kilen, he went 2-7 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout. He’s 13-39 with 7 extra-base hits, 4 walks, and just 4 strikeouts since making his way to Richmond (.908 OPS, 131 wRC+) … he’s really, really rounding into form with this promotion.
Ahuna didn’t have the only home run, as left fielder/right fielder Jean Carlos Sio went 1-5 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Sio, who only turned 22 in April, is still adapting to the level, as evidenced by his .218 average and .256 on-base percentage, which lead to a .746 OPS and an 89 wRC+). But he already has 11 home runs in just 42 AA games, which is mighty impressive for a young player who plays all over both the outfield and infield.
LHP Greg Farone had a sensational pitching performance in the second game of the doubleheader, tossing 6 strong innings with 5 hits, 0 walks, and 2 runs allowed, while striking out 4. The 2024 7th-round pick was quite a strike thrower in this game, with 52 of his 81 pitches going for strikes. July has been far and away Farone’s best month this year, and he’s been excellent in 3 of his 4 starts, albeit with 1 blow-up game … just look at the month-by-month splits:
April: 6.75 ERA, 24 strikeouts to 11 walks
May: 6.33 ERA, 18 strikeouts to 10 walks
June: 7.29 ERA, 16 strikeouts to 15 walks
July: 3.98 ERA, 19 strikeouts to 4 walks
That improvement is great to see, though there’s still a lot for Farone, who has a 6.08 ERA and a 5.85 FIP, to work on. He’s allowed more than a hit per inning, and exactly 4.5 walks per 9 this year. Perhaps most concerning is that he’s ceded 16 home runs in just 80 innings.
RHP Trystan Vrieling didn’t have such a good start, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs in 4.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts. RHP Marques Johnson, who has struggled since getting demoted from AAA, got blasted for 5 hits and 4 runs in 1.1 innings, but RHP Mitch White had a strong showing, striking out 2 batters in a perfect inning. It’s been a tough year for White, who, at age 26 is playing his 1st year of affiliated ball. But he’s been much better lately, so hopefully that continues.
High-A Eugene (60-38)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 4-0
Box score
A few really nice performances in this game. The tone was set on the mound, where RHP Hunter Dryden had perhaps his best performance of the year. The D3 17th-round pick in 2024, who has a lot of intrigue, tossed 5 shutout innings in this game while striking out 7 Dust Devils, and allowing just 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter.
Dryden, who threw 52 of 86 pitches for strikes, had a much-needed stellar outing, after ceding 12 baserunners and 9 runs in his last outing. Way to bounce back! It hasn’t been the smoothest season for the 24-year old, who has a 5.26 ERA and a 5.56 FIP, but in this game he addressed his 2 biggest issues this year: walks and long balls. He’s allowed 5.1 walks and 1.6 home runs per 9 innings this year, so great to see him make improvements on that front.
Following Dryden was RHP Alix Hernandez, who made his High-A debut in exhilarating fashion, striking out 4 batters in 3 scoreless innings, while allowing just 2 hits and 0 walks, and throwing 25 of 32 pitches for strikes. Hernandez, who just turned 22, struggled to keep runs off the board with Low-A San Jose this year, but had excellent strikeout numbers (11.9 per 9) and decent walk suppression (3.5 per 9). Sometimes pitchers do a little better against higher level talent, and hopefully this game is a sign of that being the case for Hernandez!
There were a few nice hitting performances, but one that stood out above the rest: left fielder Jose Ramos had a fantastic game, hitting 2-2 with 2 doubles, 1 walk, and a stolen base, with the lone hiccup being an error. Ramos, a 23-year old righty, has spent time in the ACL, Low-A, and High-A this year, and has also missed time with an injury. He’s been excellent during his multiple short stints with Eugene, posting an .873 OPS and a 145 wRC+ in 7 games. It’s hard to know how much to read into that given his awful numbers in 13 games in Low-A (.592 OPS, 52 wRC+), but still!
Designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) and right fielder Jose Astudillo both hit 2-3 with a walk. Since July 3, the soon-to-turn 22-year old Gutierrez is 24-57 with 7 extra-base hits, 6 walks, and 13 strikeouts, bringing his season numbers to an .846 OPS and a 128 wRC+. He continues to be one of the most under-the-radar prospects in the organization, and after seeing his superhuman contact skills take a big hit to start the year, he’s climbed his way back to a .279 average. As for Astudillo, a 22-year old in the midst of a breakout season, he’s fitting in splendidly in Eugene, posting a .359 average through his first 10 games (and striking out just 6.7% of the time), en route to an .842 OPS and a 134 wRC+.
Low-A San Jose (56-42)
San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 3-2
Box score
Well, baseball is a game of highs and lows, that’s for sure. And that’s doubly true for prospects, who are learning and adapting and adjusting on the fly. Just ask third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) … a day after blasting one of the longest Low-A home runs you’ll ever see, Hernández, playing in just his 4th game at the level, went 0-5 with 5 strikeouts. I don’t think it’s wild to predict that he’ll never do that again, at any level!
A slightly better, if not dynamic day for his running mate, shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL), who hit 1-4 with a hit by pitch and a strikeout. Right now, good numbers are just cherries on the sundae for that pair. Just seeing them at this level is so exciting.
Second baseman Dario Reynoso had a nice day, hitting 1-3 with a double and a walk, though he struck out twice. Reynoso had been playing third base all year, but the arrival of 2 blue-chip shortstop prospects means he’s going to play some second base (the setup is that Hernández plays third when González is at short, and González plays second when Hernández is at short). Reynoso has cooled down following a red-hot clip, but is still having a very nice year, with a .900 OPS and a 127 wRC+ … though the 31.8% strikeout rate remains very concerning for the 21-year old.
Catcher Fernando Gonzalez hit 1-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout. Gonzalez, the team’s 20th-round pick in 2024, has shown some impressive contact skills in his 2nd season, as he has a .286 average with San Jose, and just a 7.5% strikeout rate. That said, he has barely any power (he has 5 total extra-base hits in 107 plate appearances), and is 24 years old. But as Drew Cavanaugh has taught us, you never know when an unheralded catcher will pop!
Excitement on the mound, as RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) made his return after a 2-month injury absence (which featured 4 rehab appearances). There was a fair amount of rust, which is to be expected, as Cayama only pitched 3 innings while allowing 5 hits (including a home run), 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 2 strikeouts. Mostly it’s just great seeing him back on an A-Ball mound, and hopefully he can end his year on a high note … there’s so much talent in his 19-year old arm, as evidenced by 47 strikeouts against 9 walks in 39 Low-A innings this year (despite that, he has just a 4.62 ERA and a 4.55 FIP).
RHP Samir Chires continues to look excellent since getting promoted, as the 22-year old pitched 2 shutout innings with 1 hit and 3 strikeouts. Chires, who threw 21 of 31 pitches for strikes, has a 0.84 ERA and a 3.60 FIP since his promotion, with a glistening 11 strikeouts to 0 walks in 10.2 innings. He’s really started to get his command in control after struggling mightily with walks earlier in his career.
Home run tracker
16 — Jean Carlos Sio — [11 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL]
6 — Maui Ahuna — [AA]
Thursday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Somerset (SP: Yunior Marte)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Jacob Bresnahan)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
