All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Thursday, so let’s jump straight into all of 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.
News
The only news is that the Giants optioned RHP Carson Seymour to AAA Sacramento, while calling up RHP Ryan Walker.
AAA Sacramento (39-25)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) 2-0
Box score
You don’t see many games
in the Pacific Coast League with just 2 combined runs! Pitching ruled the day in this one, and for LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL), that meant getting saddled with a loss despite pitching really well.
Whitman has unequivocally been one of the top stories on the farm this year, as the 2023 comp-round selection put a middling 2025 behind him in emphatic fashion. The 24-year old’s year-over-year improvement in AA was stunning, and he left Richmond as arguably the top pitcher in the Eastern League … among the 61 EL pitchers with at least 30 innings thrown this year, Whitman was 11th in ERA (3.22), 1st in FIP (2.39), 6th in strikeouts per 9 innings (11.6), and 8th in walks per 9 (2.3).
So far those improvements are carrying over to AAA. In his debut with the River Cats last week, the Kent State product pitched 6 shutout innings with just 3 baserunners allowed. He was a little less sharp in this game, but still very impressive, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs, and striking out 7 batters.
Whitman certainly hasn’t jumped the line over LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) or RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), but if he keeps looking this good, a debut this season feels inevitable. Barring a collapse or an injury, he’ll need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so there’s no harm in rostering him this season. And assuming the Giants don’t storm back into the playoff race, they’ll probably trade 1 or 2 players from the Robbie Ray/Tyler Mahle/Adrian Houser bucket, which would open up some spots in the rotation.
The bullpen was swell, with RHP Braxton Roxby needing just 18 pitches to take down 1.2 shutout innings, with 1 hot and 2 strikeouts. LHP Nick Zwack was even better, throwing a perfect frame with 2 Ks. Both pitchers are really starting to find their rhythm after slow starts to the year: the 27-year old Roxby gave up 11 earned runs in 9 innings over his 1st 9 games of the year, but since then has allowed just 1 earned run in 15 innings over 8 outings. As for the 27-year old Zwack, he ceded 16 earned runs in just 11.1 innings over his 1st 11 games, but since then has had 5 straight scoreless appearances spanning 4.2 innings.
The offense did nothing, with just 2 singles and 3 walks on the day. The lone player to reach base multiple times was catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), who went 0-2 with a strikeout, but drew a pair of walks. Cavanaugh continues to look absolutely excellent at AAA, and continues to close the gap between he and Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL), who had another rough day, hitting 0-4 while playing left field.
AA Richmond (39-20)
Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 11-10
Box score
The Squirrels almost pulled a reverse homage to the Giants … a day after San Francisco overcame a 9-1 8th-inning deficit, Richmond nearly squandered an 11-2 8th-inning lead. But they didn’t!
While Richmond had a lot of players who shined in the batter’s box, it was really a story of 2 hitters: first baseman Charlie Szykowny and right fielder Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). That pair powered the offense with fantastic days.
Szykowny was the cleanup hitter and my goodness is that what he hit like: he went 2-5 with a strikeout, and bashed a pair of 3-run home runs. What a day!
The 2023 9th-round pick has taken incredibly well to AA, where he has an .835 OPS and a 119 wRC+. He’s doing it in every way, too, with a high average (.280), a lot of power (.213 ISO), and limited strikeouts (17.0%). His performance is very similar (and in most areas a little better) to what it was last year in High-A, and anytime you can hold performance while moving up a level, you’re doing something right.
As always, the questions for Szykowny lie in how much more performance there is to extract (he’s about to turn 26), and if he can hit well enough to make up for the fact that he’s probably a 1B/DH going forward (though he still plays some third). But there’s always a place in the pros for guys who can hit, and Szykowny sure can hit!
Sio continues to find his groove at his new level, as he hit 2-5 with a home run, a triple, 3 runs batted in, and a strikeout.
The recently-turned 22-year old got promoted at the start of the month and is starting to turn things on, as this was his 2nd home run in as many days. He’s done nothing to slow down following his strong 2025, and it’s certainly looking like he could end up playing the utility role that the Giants have long been looking for … the Cuban has played both middle infield and both corner outfield spots already this year, and looks pretty comfortable everywhere.
Left fielder Dayson Croes hit 3-5 with 2 strikeouts (while playing just his 2nd career game in the outfield), and center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) continued his absurd month, going 1-2 with 3 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout. After having just a .664 OPS in May, Davidson has hit safely in all 9 June games, going 14-34 with 6 home runs, 1 double, 4 walks, and just 6 strikeouts. He’s up to an .847 OPS and a 119 wRC+, and his strikeout rate is lower than it was last year at both High-A and AA.
On the pitching front, the game was nearly lost by a pair of relievers who couldn’t get an out, as RHPs Dylan Hecht and Ryan Vanderhei combined to allow 7 hits, 2 walks, and 8 runs, while recording just 1 out. Thankfully RHP Tyler Vogel was there to save the day, as he entered the 8th inning with runners at 1st and 2nd and 1 out, and immediately got an inning-ending double play, before setting down the side in order in the 9th (kind of … the 2nd batter of the inning reached on a catcher’s interference by Ty Hanchey, who then threw him out on a steal attempt). That’s the kind of performance that coaches notice, and Vogel is down to a 1.85 ERA on the year, albeit with a 4.69 FIP.
The start went to LHP Charlie McDaniel, who had a nice bounce-back performance. The soon-to-turn 25-year old UDFA got rocked in his AA introduction last week, giving up 6 hits, 4 walks, and 6 runs in just 3 innings. But his 2nd attempt went so, so much better, as the southpaw took down 6 innings while allowing just 4 hits, 0 walk, and 2 runs, with 5 strikeouts. Improvement is the name of the game, and McDaniel showed it in a huge way on Thursday!
High-A Eugene (40-20)
Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane (Rockies) 7-6
Box score
The Giants promoted shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) to High-A pretty early in the year. No one seemed to question that decision, given the waste he laid to Cal League pitchers. But if anyone had questioned it … well, similar to Bryce Eldridge in the Majors, those questions were very quickly answered. Level has had simply no adjustment period to the Northwest League, despite, at just 19 years and 2 months old, being more than 3-and-a-half years younger than his peers.
The switch-hitter has hit safely in all 8 games since getting promoted, which includes 5 multi-hit games … which includes Thursday’s contest, in which he went 3-5 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. It was Level’s 5th consecutive game with a double, and he now has 31 extra-base hits in just 52 games between the pair of A-ball squads. Absurd!
In all, Level is 14-36 with 5 doubles and just 6 strikeouts (plus 3 hit by pitches and 2 stolen bases) since getting promoted, and that sure looks like someone who is closer to belonging in AA than being back in Low-A. What a player he has blossomed into!
But the offensive star was left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who continues to put his improved power production on display. The 21-year old lefty hit 2-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout, bringing his OPS up to .815, and his wRC+ to 123.
Gutierrez now has 6 home runs in 48 games at the level … after entering the season with just 3 home runs in 85 games between the DSL, ACL, and Low-A. Add in the physicality that he’s displayed, and it’s clear that he spent the offseason getting stronger. He’s still seeing some losses in the contact department — year-over-year his average has dropped from .351 to .264, and his strikeout rate his risen from 13.7% to 19.2% — but that’s a fair tradeoff, and probably a necessary one.
Also a great game for center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who hit 2-5 with 2 stolen bases and a strikeout. Cohen has put his slow start firmly behind him, and is up to an .804 OPS and a 123 wRC+, with 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts (he also has 21 doubles) in just 55 games. His contact skills have been as good as advertised, as he has a .293 average and just a 13.4% strikeout rate.
The pitching was not good, as starting LHP Tyler Switalski got rocked, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 5 earned runs in just 5.1 innings, though he also struck out 6 batters. It’s been a very odd year for Switalski, and this game was perfect evidence: he gave up 3 home runs, which is as many as he allowed all last year. Yes, after giving up just 3 home runs in 96.2 innings across Low and High-A a year ago, the soon-to-turn 23-year old has already given up 10 of them in just 54.2 innings, which is the main reason for his 4.45 ERA and 4.57 FIP. It’s really just an entirely different profile this year for the 2024 16th-rounder … not only are the home runs way up, but so, too, are the strikeouts … from 7.6 per 9 last year, to 10.7 this year. You don’t see that sort of jump very often!
Low-A San Jose (35-25)
San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 22-9
Box score
Well … that’s a lot of runs!
You want to see a wild number? The Baby Giants had 13 extra-base hits in this game. 13!!! That’s so many! And it included home runs from 3 players who had homered the night before!
The hottest of those hitters was left fielder Damian Bravo, who simply cannot be stopped. A day after bashing 2 home runs, last year’s 15th-round pick went 3-6 with a 3-run blast and a pair of doubles. After a so-so start to the year, Bravo has boosted his OPS to .883 and his wRC+ to 113, while running a very nice batting average (.289) and isolated slugging (.239). He’s playing strong defense across the outfield, and has 6 stolen bases without getting caught. He’s really coming into his own, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends the year with Eugene.
The most surprising performance belonged to right fielder Jose Astudillo, who hit 4-5 while getting hit by a pitch and finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the 2nd day in a row. Astudillo entered Wednesday’s game having hit 1-20 over his last 6 games, and having only hit 1 home run in 131 career games. And now, in the span of 2 games, he’s hit 7-10 with 2 dingers and 2 doubles. Life comes at you fast!
Contact will always be the name of the game for the 22-year old, who has struck out just 4 times in 87 plate appearances this year. But contact sure looks better when a little bit of power is attached!
Rounding out the back-to-back days was shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 22 CPL), who went 2-4 with a solo blast, a double, and 2 walks. Sure, the home run came off a second baseman, but who cares! It still takes a lot of skill to hit a baseball that far!
In yesterday’s roundup, I mentioned how Meola took some time to find a rhythm, but now has replaced that rhythm with fire. So let me just update the numbers from yesterday…
First 24 games: 18-98, 0 home runs, 6 doubles, 9 walks, 34 strikeouts
Next 29 games: 32-106, 6 home runs, 9 doubles, 17 walks, 32 strikeouts
Yep, that’s catching fire all right! Last year’s 4th-round pick out of Stetson is creeping closer and closer to putting that slow start behind him, as he has a .753 OPS and a 90 wRC+ … and with Jhonny Level now in High-A, the defensive wizard is finally getting to regularly show off his chops at the six.
Those were the back-to-back dinger hitters, but they weren’t the only big flies, as second baseman Isaiah Barkett also left the yard with a 3-run shot, as part of a day in which he hit 2-4 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and 5 runs batted in. Talk about doing a little bit of everything!!
Barkett has flown under the radar a little bit this year, but he’s been having a sublime debut season, as the 22-year old, taken in the 10th round last year (also out of Stetson), has an .884 OPS and a 124 wRC+. Contact has been the name of Barkett’s game, as he has a .335 batting average, a 7.9% strikeout rate, and a 4.4% swinging strike rate … there are 92 Cal League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, and those marks rank 4th, 1st, and 1st, respectively. Highly impressive!!
And finishing off the dinger party was first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who only hit 1-5 with 2 strikeouts, but drew a walk and smashed a 2-run blast. He continues to look too good for Cal League pitchers, which probably isn’t surprising given that he turns 25 in August. He’s up to 9 home runs on the year (the organizational leader is Bo Davidson, with 12), with a .920 OPS and a 128 wRC+.
Okay, everyone breathe out, that’s all the great offensive days to talk about! And with that out of the way, there’s not a lot to talk about on the other side of the diamond. RHP Ben Bybee, last year’s 8th-round pick, made his 2nd career start and 9th career appearance and got rocked, allowing 3 hits (including 2 home runs), 4 walks, and 6 earned runs in just 1.2 innings. It’s been a tough transition to professional baseball for the Arkansas alum.
RHP Alix Hernandez showed off his strikeout stuff with 5 Ks in 3 innings, though he allowed 4 hits (including a home run) and 2 runs. He only has a 3.77 ERA and a 5.26 FIP, but is up to 37 strikeouts in 28.2 innings, which is an accurate reflection of the excitement in his arm.
And RHP Garrett Langrell pitched very well, striking out 1 batter in 2 perfect innings. Langrell, a 25-year old who was taken in the 16th round last year, has just a 4.50 ERA and a 3.71 FIP in his debut season, but has 32 strikeouts to just 7 walks in 28 innings.
Arizona Complex League (13-15)
ACL Giants beat the ACL Cubs 5-0
Box score
This game was all about pitching, which you don’t hear much in rookie ball. The ACL Giants sent 4 pitchers to the mound, and all 4 were brilliant.
It began with RHP Marlon Franco, a 23-year old in his 2nd ACL season after 4 years in the DSL. Franco gave up just a single, a walk, and a hit batter in 3 shutout innings, while striking out 4. He’s really struggled so far this year (he has a 7.53 ERA and a 4.45 FIP), so this was a much-needed nice game after a few blowups.
Then it was RHP Chen-Hsun Lee, who struck out 5 batters in 2.2 scoreless innings, though he allowed 3 hits and a walk. A 24-year old from Taiwan, Lee has long opened eyes with his exciting array of pitches … but he hasn’t been healthy. He debuted in 2023 with just 4 games, but lost all of 2024 and 2025. Now he’s back, healthy, and showing off, with 20 strikeouts against just 6 walks in 16.2 innings. After giving up 2 hits and 2 runs with 0 strikeouts in his season debut, Lee has settled in and been dominant, allowing just 11 hits and 2 runs in 14.2 innings, with 20 strikeouts.
Next up was RHP Melvin Pineda, who allowed 2 walks in 1.1 no-hit innings, but struck out 2. Pineda struggled with Low-A San Jose this year before getting demoted, and now no one can put the ball in play against him, for better and for worse: in 12 Complex League innings, Pineda has 23 strikeouts … and 12 walks.
Rounding out the day was RHP Samir Chires, who gave up just 1 baserunner (a single) in 2 innings, while striking out 5 batters. The 22-year old is in the ACL for the 4th straight year, and so far it’s going much better, as he has a 3.00 ERA (though a 4.60 FIP), with 22 strikeouts against just 5 walks in 15 innings.
Not much on the offensive side. The best day belonged to left fielder Oliver Tejada, who hit 2-3 with a triple, though he was also caught stealing. The 19-year old was probably a little disappointed to repeat the ACL, after posting a 105 wRC+ at the level last year. So far he hasn’t matched his 2025 performance, though he remains an intriguing talent with a ton of defensive ability.
Shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) has cooled off a little following his red-hot start, but just keeps collecting extra-base hits, as he want 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. The 17-year old has 18 extra-base hits in just 27 games, with a .996 OPS and a 133 wRC+. Just an absurd talent!
Unfortunately, his fellow top prospect shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. He hasn’t played since May 23.
Dominican Summer League Black (6-3)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Blue Jays Red 3-2 (7 innings)
Box score
A very uninteresting game, despite the win. The star was the winning pitcher, RHP Delvis Heredia, who threw 3 perfect innings, though he didn’t have any strikeouts. A 21-year old from Venezuela, Heredia is in his 3rd DSL season, and has given up just 1 hit and 1 run in 5 innings. That’s the good …. the bad is that he’s walked 5 batters and only struck out 3. That’s unfortunately been a trend, as he has more walks (31) than strikeouts (28) in his career (44.1 innings).
Left fielder Franco Willias continued his strong season, hitting 1-2 with a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a strikeout. The 21-year old has a 1.072 OPS and a 124 wRC+ in his 3rd DSL season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (6-2)
DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 8-5 (7 innings)
Box score
A star showing from catcher Fernando Pena, a recently-turned 19-year old playing in his 3rd season. Pena was sensational, hitting a perfect 3-3 with both a home run and a double, plus a sacrifice fly (the lone stain on his resume was getting caught stealing). That’s a whole lot of offense in a 7-inning game! The right-handed hitter from Venezuela is up to a staggering 1.434 OPS and 224 wRC+ through 8 games, as he’s trying to prove that he should be stateside following 2 solid DSL campaigns.
But the hero was shortstop Jonathan Valle, who only hit 1-4, but made his hit count with a walk-off 3-run home run. Valle, an 18-year old right-handed hitter from Cuba, is still finding his groove after being a late addition to the organization’s international signing class (he signed on May 21). But he’s holding his own, with a .300 batting average and just a 14.7% strikeout rate (though the state of the DSL is such that his .757 OPS results in just a 70 wRC+).
A pair of nice pitching performances from RHPs Josue Perez and Jesus Lopez. Perez, a 19-year old from the DR, gave up just 1 hit in 3 shutout innings, with 4 strikeouts. That was a great bounce back after his only other appearance of the year, when he gave up 3 runs while walking 4 and only striking out 1. As for Lopez, he struck out 4 batters in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 2 hits. He gave up 2 runs in each of his prior 2 appearances this year, so a good showing for the 21-year old from Venezuela.
Home run tracker
10 — Damian Bravo — [Low-A]
9 — Hayden Jatczak — [Low-A]
8 — Charlie Szykowny x2 — [AA]
7 — Jean Carlos Sio — [2 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL]
6 — Carlos Gutierrez — [High-A]
6 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A]
3 — Isaiah Barkett — [Low-A]
2 — Jose Astudillo — [Low-A]
2 — Fernando Pena — [DSL]
1 — Jonathan Valle — [DSL]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 5:05 p.m. PT at Sugar Land (SP: Carson Whisenhunt)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Harrisburg (SP: Trystan Vrieling)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Spokane (SP: Luis De La Torre)
San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Stockton (SP: Braydon Risley)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.
