And then there were three. The seasons are over in the Dominican Summer League, the Arizona Complex League, and for the High-A Eugene Emeralds. The seven Minor League Baseball affiliates for the San Francisco Giants has been dwindled down to three. After tonight, it will be down to two.
Here’s what happened on Tuesday.
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
AA Richmond made a few transactions
in preparation for the playoffs. A pair of players from the 2026 trade deadline were promoted from High-A Eugene to Richmond: LHP Henry Lalane and infielder Kaeden Kent. To make space for that pair, utility player Jean Carlos Sió (No. 44 CPL) and LHP Charlie McDaniel were placed on the Development List.
Somewhat hilariously, the Low-A California League released their All-Star team on Tuesday, and San Jose had no players on it, despite having the best record in the league. Kind of funny, though in no small part due to how many of the team’s best players were either promoted, or joined the team after the conclusion of the ACL season. While they didn’t have any players make the team, Ydwin Villegas was named Manager of the League for the 3rd straight season. Very deservedly so!
AAA Sacramento (78-64)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 9-2
Box score
Some potent offense for the River Cats in this one. So much so, that it’s kind of surprising that they “only” scored 9 runs, since they ended the day with 17 hits, 3 of which cleared the fence (and those 3 were in a span of 4 batters!).
The biggest days belonged to a pair of right-handed hitters who may be using the end of the year to audition for roles in other organizations: shortstop Aeverson Arteaga and designated hitter Eddys Leonard. Both players hit 3-4 with a home run, with Leonard adding a double and Arteaga striking out once.
Leonard, who was briefly added to the roster earlier this year for his MLB debut, but has since been designated for assignment and outrighted, has shown some serious power in AAA this year, with 17 home runs in 94 games across 2 different organizations. That said, the ability to simply get hits — not just home runs — continues to be an issue, and it’s one of the main reasons that he ran out of options before making his debut. Leonard has just a .267 batting average this year (and that mark is only .211 since joining Sacramento), and that’s despite rocking a sub-20% strikeout rate. He just has a hard time finding hits that aren’t homers.
Still, there’s plenty of talent in the bat, and he can play multiple spots on both the dirt and the grass, and he’ll only turn 26 this offseason. That’s the perfect type of player to have in AAA as emergency depth and a low-stakes breakout candidate, and Leonard will have no shortage of suitors when it comes time to sign a Minor League deal with a team in the coming months.
As for Arteaga, he’s putting the bow on what has to feel like a pretty successful season. The 23-year old, who is still very talented with the glove, basically lost all of 2024 due to injury, and when he returned it was as though he had never swung a bat before in his life. In 134 games with AA Richmond in 2025, Arteaga had a paltry .508 OPS and a 49 wRC+.
But he hit the brakes off the ball in the 1st month this year after returning to Richmond, and was quickly rewarded with a bump up to AAA. He’s struggled in AAA, which isn’t surprising for a glove-first 23-year old whose sample size of success in AA was just 23 games. But his struggles still represent a dramatic improvement over where he was this time last year, and they’re certainly something to build on for 2027. Last year he looked like a player with no offensive abilities whatsoever; this year he looks like a player who is trying to figure out a new level, and the jury is still out on if he ever will.
The swing is damn pretty when it connects, though.
Like Leonard, Arteaga — who signed in 2019 out of Venezuela — will be a Minor League free agent, and I’m guessing he’ll have plenty of suitors. It’s a long shot that the bat will ever play enough for him to be an MLB regular, but young defensively-talented shortstops are always in high demand to stash in AAA with a “break glass in case of emergency” sign strapped to them.
Rounding out the home run party was someone who we will hopefully see make an MLB debut before the end of the year: catcher Zach Morgan. The 26-year old, who was taken in the 7th round of the 2022 draft out of Fresno State, went 2-4 on the day, and smashed a solo home run.
Morgan has really struggled with the bat this year and, if we’re being frank, his entire Minor League career. But he’s risen the ranks on the back of decent defense, tremendous intangibles, and being liked and respected by his peers and coaches. That earned him a late-season spot on the 40-man roster when Daniel Susac suffered an injury, and while Morgan has been called up twice, he’s yet to get into a game on either side of the ball.
Hopefully the Giants change that. With the team’s massive roster crunch meaning they need to designate for assignment/non-tender 20+ names this offseason, Morgan will almost certainly be cut when the season ends. He’s not the type of prospect where a return to the roster is ever guaranteed, so there is a chance that this is his lone shot at getting into an MLB game. Hopefully the Giants make it happen; it’s more important than getting a few extra at-bats for veteran Andrew Knizner.
That trio accounted for all of Sacramento’s extra-base hits, but other players hit well too. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) is starting to swing a better bat again after a brutally cold stretch, and he went 3-5 in this game. While Harber did strike out twice, he once again hit the ball hard, with singles that left the bat at 105.1 and 99.3 mph. Also having a 3-hit game was rehabbing left fielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL), who went 3-5 with a strikeout. Hopefully he gets back into the Majors before the year ends, but we’ll see.
On the mound, it was another mostly-excellent start from LHP Seth Lonsway. Like Morgan, Lonsway was added to the roster late in the year for some emergency depth, and will almost certainly find himself getting an unfortunate phone call when the season ends (though both players are likely to clear waivers and be outrighted to AAA). But unlike Morgan, Lonsway did make it into a game for his MLB debut. And while the 27-year old, who was taken in the 6th round in the 2021 draft, hasn’t put up good numbers in AAA this year, he’s been on a tear since getting optioned.
This was another such game, as Lonsway threw 6 innings while giving up just 1 hit, though that hit was admittedly a home run (the only run he allowed). It wasn’t an elite display of strike-throwing, as Lonsway threw just 57 of 97 pitches for strikes and walked 4 batters, but any time you give up 1 hit in 6 innings, while also striking out 6 batters, you’ve done something very well.
Since getting optioned, Lonsway has made 3 starts and pitched 17.2 innings, allowing just 10 hits and 4 runs, albeit with only 12 strikeouts and 9 walks. Like Morgan and Arteaga and Leonard, he’s a good player to have as emergency depth in AAA: southpaws who can eat innings always are!
After Lonsway it was a pair of rostered RHPs whose time in the organization may be coming to and end: Ryan Walker and Tristan Beck. The Giants might choose to keep Walker, given how nasty his stuff is and that he has 2 more option years remaining, but it’s no sure thing. He’s been dreadful in the Majors this year (after struggles last year), and his time in AAA hasn’t been particularly encouraging, either. That included this game, where he allowed 3 hits and a run in 2 innings, with 2 strikeouts.
As for Beck, he’s been repeatedly passed over for MLB opportunities, and is out of options, so the writing would seem to be on the wall. He’s still got a lot of talent to offer someone, though (maybe he’ll clear waivers and get outrighted), and he showed it in this game, as he struck out the side in the 9th inning, with just a walk allowed.
AA Richmond (0-1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 18-6
Box score
The Squirrels ended the regular season scuffling, and that has, unfortunately, carried over into the playoffs. Richmond lost 9 of their final 10 regular season games, and they started the playoffs with a blowout loss in the best-of-3 division series. They now need to win back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday to keep their season alive, and advance to the championship.
The good news: both of those games are at home, and RHP Jackson Flora is expected to start on Thursday.
Well, I’ve prevaricated long enough. I suppose now I need to actually talk about the game that happened, and not just future outings and the current situation. We’ll start with the offense, because there actually were some good things there … in fact, there were some great things there. Namely, there were great things from the 2025 draftees who received midseason promotions to Richmond, shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) and center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL).
2026 will go down as strong full-season debuts for both players, drafted in the 1st and 3rd round, respectively. Kilen, a 22-year old lefty from Tennessee, had steady performance at both High-A Eugene and Richmond, posting a matching 112 wRC+ at each level. He followed that up with a stellar showing to open the playoffs, as he hit 4-5 with both a triple and a double, though he did commit an error.
Cohen, a 22-year old lefty from Rutgers, showed off tremendous contact skills with plus defense and baserunning this year. After having an .803 OPS and a 117 wRC+ in High-A, he cooled off to a .736 OPS and a 99 wRC+ with Richmond … but even that “cooling down” came with a .300 batting average and a 9.6% strikeout rate. Across the 2 levels, he stole 46 bases in 58 attempts. He positively showed out in his AA playoff debut, hitting 3-5 with both a home run and a double, while also recording an outfield assist at home. What a day!
Not too much else on offense. Second baseman Kaeden Kent got promoted when Eugene’s season ended, and the 2025 3rd-rounder, acquired in the Heliot Ramos trade, went 1-5 with a strikeout in his AA debut. Third baseman Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL), first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL), and designated hitter Dayson Croes all had 2-hit days, while right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) had a tough game, hitting 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. Left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) had the only non-Kilen/Cohen extra-base hit, as he went 1-4 with a triple and 2 strikeouts.
But the pitching. Oh goodness, the pitching. On the one hand, it was an exciting pitching day, because it featured some exciting names. On the other hand, it was an awful pitching day, because … well … it was awful.
It was particularly awful for the pair of Richmond pitchers who were acquired at the trade deadline. Getting the start was RHP Miguel Mendez, who was brought over in the Robbie Ray trade. It’s been a struggle for Mendez, who posted an 8.44 ERA and a 4.91 FIP in 4 regular season starts with the Squirrels after the trade. Kilen and Cohen will be sad that postseason games don’t impact their season stats, but Mendez will be quite happy, because Tuesday was a day to forget. The 24-year old righty, who is a rostered player and headed to the AFL next month, got knocked out in the 1st inning. Here’s how it went down:
Single
Walk
Kilen error
Strikeout
Hit by pitch
Grand slam
Fly out
And with that, Mendez had thrown 30 pitches, given up 5 runs (4 earned), and recorded 2 outs. And his day was over.
After Ryan Vanderhei recorded the final out of the inning (but not before giving up 4 baserunners and 3 runs), the Giants turned to LHP Henry Lalane for the 2nd.
For Lalane, an extremely intriguing 6’7 prospect who came over in the Heliot Ramos trade, it was his AA debut. He opened the season with New York’s Low-A affiliate, where he was dominant, posting a 2.73 ERA, a 2.64 FIP, and 11.7 strikeouts per 9 innings before getting promoted to High-A shortly before the trade. It wasn’t the smoothest transition, as Lalane, a 22-year old, had a 3.86 ERA, a 4.78 FIP, and just 8.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in 8 starts between the 2 franchises.
But with Eugene’s season over — and with the Giants needing to make a Rule 5 protection decision with Lalane — they sent him to Richmond for a playoff outing.
And there he quickly learned that it’s a harder league. Like Mendez, Lalane was unable to get through an inning. Here’s how his night went:
Walk
Double
Balk
Single
Strikeout
Single
Double
Single
Believe it or not, Lalane’s final line — 0.2 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 runs, and 1 strikeout — could have looked notably worse. The leadoff walk was out at the plate on a nice defensive play by Cohen, otherwise it would have been 0.1 innings and 5 runs, instead of 0.2 innings and 4 runs. Small victories.
Either way, Lalane has had a strong year and is one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. But this was certainly a reminder that development takes time.
I would love to say that the bullpen settled in after those disasters by Mendez, Vanderhei, and Lalane, but in reality, they were only good by comparison. RHP Shane Rademacher ate up some innings, but gave up 2 runs in 3.1 frames. LHP Esmerlin Vinicio gave up 3 runs while pitching just 1 inning. RHP Mitch White gave up 4 baserunners in just 0.2 innings, though he somehow only gave up 1 run. The only bright spots were RHP Marques Johnson, who pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL), who struck out the only batter he faced.
Low-A San Jose (1-1)
San Jose Giants beat the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 9-1
Box score
You knew they wouldn’t go down without a fight. The Baby Giants ended the regular season having won 20 of their last 22 games, and then kicked off the playoffs with a 2-game sweep over the Stockton Ports in the division series. But then they got crushed by the Storm 12-1 on Sunday, and suddenly were facing elimination in the best-of-3 championship series.
But after Tuesday’s win, they now get the best thing in sports: a winner-take-all championship game tonight.
And my goodness did San Jose get there in exhilarating fashion. They may not have pitched a shutout on Tuesday, but they did something even rare: a no-hitter!
It was a thrilling no-hitter, accomplished by one of the organization’s top pitching prospects and a pair of selections from July’s draft. It was RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) who got the start, and not only did he play a huge role in a huge accomplishment in a huge win, but he did it while celebrating his 20th birthday! What a day!
Cayama took down the 1st 5 innings of the game, and was borderline flawless. He needed just 68 pitches to get through those 5 innings, and walked just 2 batters, while striking out 7. Just a stunning performance.
Despite that dominance, Cayama did give up a run, though it was an unearned run, and it happened through quite a sequence of small-ball events: Cayama walked the leadoff runner in the 3rd inning, then moved him to 2nd on a balk. After Cayama struck out a pair of batters, the runner moved to 3rd on a passed ball by catcher Rod Barajas Jr.
Cayama then walked his 2nd batter, at which point the runners at the corner executed a successful double steal, resulting in a stolen home. Funnily enough, at the time it gave Lake Elsinore the lead, so it looked like quite a harmful (and bizarre) series of events!
But of course, it would not be harmful. Those were the only baserunners Cayama would allow in his 5 innings, and when his season finale ended, he handed it off to a pair of youngsters who kept the good times rolling.
First up was RHP Ian Korn, the team’s 10th-round pick in July. Korn was unhittable for 2 innings, giving up just 1 baserunner on a hit by pitch, while striking out 1. He gave way to 6th-round RHP Eric Nachtsheim, who was thoroughly dominant. Nachtsheim threw 16 of 24 pitches for strikes, retired all 6 batters he faced, and struck out 3 of them.
Cayama, who had a 4.87 ERA, a 4.27 FIP, and 11.5 strikeouts per 9 innings for San Jose this year, will certainly be in High-A Eugene when the 2027 season starts, and I’ll be curious to see if Korn or Nachtsheim join him there. Neither did more than get their feet wet post-draft: counting the postseason, Korn pitched 8.2 innings, and Nachtsheim just 4.2.
The pitchers were obviously the heros in this game, but there were some good hitting performances as well. Second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) and center fielder Andy Polanco had the best days in the batter’s box, with the former hitting 1-3 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout, and the latter going 3-5 with 2 stolen bases. Both players struggled at times to hit this year, before really turning it on in the 2nd half of the season. Meola, a 3rd-round pick a year ago, was particularly successful in the 2nd half, as he absolutely dominated in July and August, which allowed him to finish with an above-average line (.821 OPS, 103 wRC+). With a fantastic middle-infield glove, and 135 Low-A games to his name, it’s all but guaranteed that Meola will open 2027 in High-A.
Barajas hit 2-5 with a double, while shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) went just 1-5 with a strikeout, but knocked in 2 runs.
Home run tracker
17 — Eddys Leonard — [AAA]
7 — Trevor Cohen — [4 in AA; 3 in High-A]
6 — Aeverson Arteaga — [4 in AAA; 2 in AA]
3 — Zach Morgan — [2 in AAA; 1 in AA]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Reno (SP: Trystan Vrieling)
Richmond: Off day
Eugene: Season over
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT vs. Lake Elsinore (SP: TBD)
