Down on the Farm: 7/20/2025

AAA:  Oklahoma City Comets edged out the Sacramento River Cats 5-4.

Marco Luciano DH- 1 for 2, 2 BB, 2 SB(8).  BA= .226.

Austin Barnes C- 2 for 3.  BA= .200.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 2 for 4, 2B, HR(3).  BA= .417.

Carson Whisenhunt LHP- 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.42.

Trent Harris RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 8.59.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 8.59.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Blake "My Season Start On August 1" Snell LHP(Comets)- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.25.

Hey look!  Carson Whisenhunt came within 1 out of pitching as well as Blake Snell.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Harrisburg Senators 8-3.

Bo Davidson DH- 2 for 5, HR(1), SB(1).  BA= .250.

Scott Bandura LF- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .500.

Adrian Sugastey C- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .222.

Turner Hill CF- 2 for 3, BB, SB(10).  BA= .248.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 1 for 4, HR(5).  BA= .194.

Helcris Olivarez LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.08.

Bo Davidson hits his first AA HR.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds blanked the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 4-0.  

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .248.

Dayson Croes DH- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .307.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .266.

Drew Cavanaugh C- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .345.

Jose Ramos 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .324.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.65.

Cameron Pferrer RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.55.

Matt Dunaway RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.00.

6 of the Ems 12 hits were doubles by 6 different hitters.  I am not sure how 12 hits, 4 walks with 6 doubles gets you just 4 runs but it was enough with the shutout pitching.

A:  Modesto Nuts topped the San Jose Giants 4-2.

Jean Carlos Sio LF- 2 for 5, SB(13).  BA= .290.

Lisbel Diaz CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .262.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.66.

Ubert Mejias RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 5.80.

Jean Carlos Sio has quietly had a nice season. He's just 21 yo and I think has another season before he is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

DSL had their All-Star game.  AL outscored the NL 10-8.  Josuar Gonzalez(17 yo), Yulian Barreto(18 yo) and Alberto Laroche RHP(19 yo) represented Giants affiliates on the NL team.

Game Wrap 7/20/2025: Blue Jays 8 Giants 6

The Giants bats came to life in the series finale in Toronto but it was not enough to overcome a rough day for the pitching.  Key Lines:

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 2 for 5, 2B, R, RBI.  BA= .249.  After a rough June in which he hit just .143, Lee is batting .306 in July.

Heliot Ramos LF- 2 for 5, 2B, RBI.  BA= .267.  Ramos went 5 for 12 in the series but had another rough day in the OF misplaying a liner by Bo Bichette that blew past him to the wall for a 2-run double in the third inning.

Matt Chapman 3B- 2 for 4, HR(13), 2 R, 2 RBI.  BA= .234.  An encouraging game for Chapman.  I was starting to worry that his wrist wasn't fully healed but today's line suggests he just needed to get his timing back after a long IL stint.

Andrew Knizner C- 2 for 2.  BA= .186.  Knizner is batting .316 over his last 7 games.

Robbie Ray LHP- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.92.  Ray had a Quality Start against the Dodgers on 7/13 so this is probably just a blip.  Tough loss when he got some run support.

Spencer Bivens RHP- 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.18.  Are the wheels coming off for Bivens?  He's given up 7 R in 3.2 IP over his last 3 appearances.

Joey Lucchesi LHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.25.  Another solid outing for Lucchesi who has been surprisingly effective since his call up.   He has an history of starting.  Giants might need to press him into service.

Hayden Birdsong RHP who has had his struggles starts tomorrow evening against the Braves and Bryce Elder RHP who comes in with a 5.65 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 7/19/2025

 AAA:  Oklahoma City Comets blasted the Sacramento River Cats 14-3.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .224.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .261.

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.40.

Joel Peguero RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.33.

River Cats only had 3 hits in the game.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels quieted the Harrisburg Senators 8-2(Game 1 of doubleheader, 7 innings).

Bo Davidson CF- 0 for 4.  BA= .000.

Victor Bericoto 1B- 2 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .221.

Turner Hill LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .239.

Scott Bandura DH- 3 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .750.

Sabin Ceballos 3B- 2 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .191.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 1 for 2, BB, HBP.  BA= .275.

Jack Choate LHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.70.

Dylan Hecht RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Scott Bandura's first AA game goes better than Bo Davidson's.

AA:  Harrisburg Senators defeated the Richmond Flying Squirrels 6-1(Game 2 of doubleheader, 7 innings).

Bo Davidson CF- 1 for 3.  BA= .143.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 1 for 2, Sac.  BA= .276.

Scott Bandura LF- 1 for 3.  BA= .571.

Victor Bericoto RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .223.

Evan Gates RHP- 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.12.

Will Bednar RHP- 1.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 6.91.  

Michael Stryfeller RHP- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.35.

Bo Davidson gets his first AA hit.  Disappointing appearance for Will Bednar after a scoreless string.

A+:  Tri-Cities Dust Devils edged out the Eugene Emeralds 2-1.

Jonah Cox CF- 2 for 4, 2B, SB(38).  BA= .246.

Josh Bostick RHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.15.

Austin Strickland RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 4.23.

Ben Peterson RHP- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.08.

Josh Bostick has a 1.59 ERA in 22.2 IP over his last 4 starts.

A:  San Jose Giants cracked the Modesto Nuts 8-4.

Maui Ahuna SS- 2 for 3, 2B, 3B, HBP.  BA= .268.

Sam Huff C- 0 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .000.

Lisbel Diaz CF- 1 for 3, HR(8), BB.  BA= .259.

Ryan Reckley RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .119.

Zander Darby 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .295.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.19.

Cole Hillier RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's, Save(2).  BA= 3.05.

After a rough April, Gerelmi Maldonado has quietly put together a pretty good season with a 2.75 ERA in 32.2 IP since May 1.  In that span he has 38 K's, but 19 Walks.  Maui Ahuna is batting .294 in July so far.

Rookie ACL:  Giants beat the D'Backs 7-1.

Dario Reynoso 2B(20 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(10).  BA= .294.

Jose Astudillo LF(21 yo)- 3 for 4.  BA= .426.

Andy Polanco CF(20 yo)- 2 for 4, SB(19).  BA= .265.

Oliver Tejada DH(18 yo)- 1 for 2, BB, HBP, SB(6).  BA= .256.

Alexander Fuentes RHP(20 yo)- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.97.

Jose Rengel LHP(19 yo)- 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 7.71.

Keyner Martinez RHP(20 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.86.

Dario Reynoso's July BA dipped to .259 but with 5 of his 10 HR's in 64 PA's.  

DSL was idle for their All-Star Game today.

Game Wrap 7/19/2025: Blue Jays 6 Giants 3

For awhile this game felt like a mirror image of last night's with the Giants making the most of their hits and the Blue Jays leaving runners on base, but in the end it again came down to a disaster inning being too much for a struggling lineup to overcome.  Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .265.   Heliot's Sac Fly drove in Luis Matos with the Giants second run of the game and a brief 2-0 lead.

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 3, 2 HR(14).  BA= 224.  For awhile it looked like Willy Adames might win this one by himself but alas, he didn't get much help from his teammates and a pair of solo HR's just wasn't enough.  Still an encouraging game from a guy the Giants desperately need to be the team leader both on the field and the clubhouse.

Luis Matos RF- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .175.  Matos leadoff double in the 6'th after Adames HR in the 5'th looked like the Giants might be getting it in gear for a convincing win.  Alas, they burned two outs advancing him to 3B on a flyball and Heliot's Sac Fly. It was nice to get the run but the rally was over.  The Blue Jays 4-run rally in the bottom of the 6'th inning erased the lead and the optimism.

Logan Webb RHP- 6 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 9/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.08.   Webb had runners on base every inning but held the wolves at bay until the disaster 6'th when is luck ran out and 2 singles and 3 doubles erased the Giants 2-0 lead and effectively ended the game.

All-Star Robbie Ray LHP tries to stave off a sweep tomorrow facing Jose Berrios RHP who comes in with a 3.75 ERA.  Unfortunately the game is televised on Roku.

Down on the Farm: 7/18/2025

AAA:  Oklahoma City Comets defeated the Sacramento River Cats 5-2.

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .360

Wade Meckler DH- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .294.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .260.

Antonio Jimenez LHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.93.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.97.

 Jerar continues his rehab at AAA.  When it is complete, he has to be activated to active MLB roster or be DFA'd.

AA:  Harrisburg Senators vs Richmond Flying Squirrels Postponed.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds outscored the Tri-Cities Dust Devils 12-5.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4, 2 2B.  BA= .263.

Zane Zielinski SS= 0 for 1, BB, 2 HBP.  BA= .226.

Quinn McDaniel LF- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .228.

Cole Foster 3B- 1 for 3, HR(5), BB.  BA= .147.

Guillermo Williamson DH- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA- .186.

The game was a mirror image of the Giants game as the Ems turned 7 hits and 13 total base baserunners into 12 runs.  Some of these players may be on the bubble when the new draft class is fully onboarded forcing promotions from lower levels.

A:  Modesto Nuts topped the San Jose Giants 11-10.

Jean Carlos Sio LF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .288.

Maui Ahuna SS- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .259.

Lisbel Diaz CF- 2 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .259.

Walker Martin 3B- 2 for 4, 2 2B, BB, SB(8).  BA= .240.

Jeremiah Jenkins 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= 2 for 4, BB. BA= .203.

Ryan Reckley RF- 1 for 4, BB, SB(1).  BA= .100.

Darien Smith RHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.71.

Cade Vernon RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.79.

Rookie ACL:  Rockies topped the Giants 7-4.

Dario Reynoso 2B(19 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .291.

Argenis Cayama RHP(18 yo)- 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 10/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.25.

Samir Chires RHP(- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.61.

DSL:  Giants Black edged out the Angels 4-3.

Luis Frias CF(20 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .295.

Josuar Gonzalez SS(17 yo)- 1 for 4, HR(1), BB.  BA= .246.

Yohendry Sanchez C(18 yo)- 2 for 5.  BA= .270.

Vinicius Dos Santos LF(18 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .267.

Dilan Fernandez RHP(20 yo)- 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 10/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.08.

Alfonso Perez RHP(19 yo)- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.32.

Mario Gonzalez RHP(18 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.40.

First pro HR for Josuar who started the season hot but cooled off recently.

DSL:  Giants Orange beat Mets Orange 5-4.

Anthony Marquez SS(18 yo)- 0 for 1, 3 BB, HBP.  BA= .286.

Franco Willias 1B-(20 yo) 2 for 3, HBP.  BA= .292.

Rainer Espinosa LF(16 yo)- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .172.

Brandon Vasquez RF(18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .237.

Brayan Cabello RHP(21yo)- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.19.

Jose Trevizo RHP(17 yo)- 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.43.

Game Wrap 7/18/2025: Blue Jays 4 Giants 0

 One nightmare inning is the story of Justin Verlander's season and it bit him again tonight as the Blue Jays took advantage of some extreme BABIP luck while the Giants were plagued by extreme bad sequencing luck.   Key Lines:

Heliot Ramos LF(.265), Rafael Devers DH(.258) and Patrick Bailey C(.208) had 2 hits each out of 11 total for the Giants.  Devers' double was the only XBH.  The Giants had 2 hits in each of the first two innings but also GIDP'd in each of those innings.  

Justin Verlander RHP- 2.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 4.99.  6 of the 9 hits were groundballs and 2 were IF hits.  Maybe some of them were hit hard, but every projection model I know of says a BABIP of .529 is not sustainable.  

Tristan Beck RHP- 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 7/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 6.11.  Beck starts the second half with a bulk appearance, to borrow a Kapler Era phrase.  Will the effort buy him a ticket to AA Sacramento since he now won't be available for at least 3 games?(He did only throw 46 pitches).  

Matt Gage LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.  Gage finally pitched in a MLB game for the organization that drafted him all the way back in 2014.  Ironically for a guy who has had so much trouble getting to and sticking in MLB, he has performed well at the level with a career 1.37 ERA in 26.1 IP.  

Logan Webb RHP tries to shake it off tomorrow evening against veteran Eric Lauer LHP who comes in with a 2.78 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 7/17/2025

 Full season league teams are still off for the All-Star Break.

Rookie ACL:  Giants defeated the Padres 5-1.

Jhonny Level SS(18 yo)- 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB(16).  BA= .298.

Dario Reynoso 2B(19 yo)- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, SB(17).  BA= .288.

Santiago Camacho DH(18 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .232.

Sam Huff C(rehab)- 2 for 2, 2B, SF, HBP.  BA= .333.

Oliver Tejada RF(18 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .253.

Andy Polanco CF- 1 for 4, SB(18).  BA= .256.

Keyner Martinez RHP(20 yo)- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R 0 BB, 11 K's.  ERA= 1.90.

Cole Waites RHP(rehab)- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Alix Hernandez RHP(21 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.77.

Johan Rodriguez RHP(22 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.95

Lots of questions regarding assignments for new draftees and promotions of players to make room.  One complicating factor is the ACL season ends at the end of July which means if the new draftees are probably mostly have to be assigned to A San Jose.  If you add in ACL players who might benefit from a late season promotion to A ball and you have quite the logjam.  Yes, some San Jose players could be promoted to A+ and on up the ladder but that would probably require more releases from higher levels.  It will be interesting how it all sorts out.

DSL: Giants Orange pounded Phillies White 12-5.

Anthony Marquez SS(18 yo)- 2 for 3, 2B, 3 BB.  BA= .288.

Carlos Concepcion RF(19 yo)- 2 for 5.  BA= .266.

Franco Willias 1B(20 yo)- 2 for 5, SB(10).  BA= .275.

Rainer Espinoza LF(16 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .148.

DSL:  Giants Black shut out Blue Jays Blue 3-0.

Yosneiker Rivas 2B(20 yo)- 2 for 5, 3B.  BA= .308.

Albert Jimenez DH(18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= 253.

Brayan Narvaez RHP(20 yo)- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.84.

Jose De Las Rosa RHP(17 yo)- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.13.

Carlos Toro RHP(18 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(1).  ERA= 3.65.

Down on the Farm: 7/16/2025

There were no Giants affiliated minor league teams in action today.

Exciting news that Bo Davidson OF and Scott Bandura OF were promoted from A+ Eugene to AA Richmond and Jakob Christian OF/1B was promoted from A San Jose to A+ Eugene.  

Davidson and Bandura are both feel-good stories for different reasons.  Bo was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after a Giants scout discovered him while scouting another player at tiny Caldwell Community College and Technical Institutes in North Carolina.  He has performed well at every pro assignment so far.  He batted .286/397/.469 in the ACL in 2023.  Then .328/.438/.608 for A San Jose in 2024.  I saw him play for San Jose and he more than passed the eye test for a legit MLB prospect:  Almost ideal size, athleticism, easy fluidity to his movements and absolutely barreled up everything the times I saw him.  He was rewarded with a Arizona Fall League assignment and slashed .283/.362/.433 there.  He continued to mash in A+ ball this season with a .309/.412/.507, 6 triples, 10 HR, 12 SB in 335 PA.  He's shown tremendous plate discipline with a 14.6 BB% while keeping his K% reasonable at 22%.  Talk about The Natural!  This guy has made it look easy so far with solid analytical numbers to back it up.   AA in general and the Eastern League in particular is a major challenge.  At the least, he's getting a preview and head start on his expected level for next season.

Once upon a time, Scott Bandura was the little league catcher for Mo' ne Davis, the sensational girl pitcher of Little League World Series fame.  In fact, it was Scott's father, Steve Bandura, who discovered Mo'ne's unusual athletic prowess at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center where he was the manager of the center's youth baseball team and saw her throwing a football in a tight spiral.  After the Little League World Series experience, Scott Bandura eventually found his way to Princeton U where he played collegiate baseball.  Scott says his goal was always to play professional baseball but chose Princeton because it offered the best back up plan if baseball didn't work out.

Scott was drafted in the 7'th round of the 2023 draft by the Giants.  After 15 AB's in he ACL he quickly moved up to A San Jose and put up a line of .241/.364/.405.  He returned to San Jose in 2024 and batted .276/.389/.362.  I saw him play for San Jose that season.  He is a little taller, but leaner than Bo Davidson with maybe less fluidity to his movement.  Still, he looked athletic and with a projectable frame.  He moved up to A+ Eugene in 2024 with a .227/.332/374 line but with 6 HR and 19 SB.  Back in Eugene for 2025 he improved on those numbers significantly with a .307/.399/.439 with 7 HR and 30 SB.  So both his power and speed are developing.  It's a great opportunity for him to also get a head start on his expected 2025 AA assignment.  

Jakob Christian was drafted by the Giants in the 5'th round of last year's draft out of University of San Diego.  He is a tall, rawboned OF/1B who physically reminds me of Giants hitting coach and former player, Pat "The Bat" Burrell.  Christian got into just 9 games with San Jose after the draft last season and batted .267 with a HR.  This season he has performed consistently with a .272/.355/.460, 10 HR, 12 SB.  He certainly has the raw tools to be an impact hitter if he continues to develop.  

Down on the Farm: 7/15/2025

 Rookie ACL:  Giants outscored the Cubs 7-5.

Jhonny Level SS(18 yo)- 1 for 5, 2B, SB(15).  BA= .296.

Jerar Encarnacion DH(Rehab)- 1 for 3, HBP.  BA= .667.

Bryce Eldridge 1B(Rehab)- 0 for 3, BB.  BA= .333.

Sam Huff C(Rehab)- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .143.

Dario Reynoso 3B(19 yo)- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .287.

Oliver Tejada RF(18 yo)- 3 for 3, HR(1), 2 HBP, SB(5).  BA= .247.

Melvin Pineda RHP(21 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Keaton Winn RHP(Rehab)- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 9.00.

R J Dabovich RHP(Rehab)- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Nien-Hsi Yang RHP(18 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.45.

Several rehabbers here.

DSL:  Marlins defeated Giants Black 7-4.

Josuar Gonzalez SS(17 yo)- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .248.

Yosneiker Rivas 3B(19 yo)- 3 for 5, 2B.

DSL:  Mariners edged out Giants Orange 3-2.

Anthony Marquez SS(18 yo)- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .277.

Yulian Barreto DH(17 yo)- 1 for 3, SF.  BA= .243.

Jose Meza RHP(19 yo)- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.35.

Kendry Castro RHP(18 yo)- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.59.

Notes:  Vaun Brown OF and Jairo Pomares OF were released from the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels.  It is reasonable to think these moves might be a prelude to some post-draft promotions.  Will we see Bo Davidson and/or Scott Bandura in AA in the near future?  Bryce Eldridge is rehabbing and may come off the IL soon too.

Brown was a 10'th round draft pick in 2021.  He caught some helium in 2022 batting .346 across 3 levels and flashing some serious tools.  Since then he's battled a series of injuries with several prolonged IL stints.  That's tough for a prospect to overcome.  His batting line for AA this year:  .247/.347/.282, 13 SB. While his batting line is not great, especially with the lack of power, he was far from the worst performer for Richmond.  Jairo Pomares was the third member of the International triumvirate which included Marco Luciano and Luis Matos in 2018.  He got off to a strong start in 2021 slashing .334/.378/.629 with 20 HR's over 2 levels.  He hit 17 HR's  in 2022 but missed most of 2023 with some sort of injury.  He batted .238 with 12 HR's in AA in 2024 and was hitting .209 with 9 HR's this season.  Again, not great numbers but far from the weakest performer in AA.

Down on the Farm: 7/14/2025

Full Season Leagues are all off until Friday for the All-Star Break.

Rookie ACL:  Giants subdued the D'Backs 7-1.

Jhonny Level SS- 3 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .298.  

Jerar Encarnacion RF- 3 for 3.  BA= 1.000.

Bryce Eldridge 1B- 2 for 3.  BA= .667.

Ramon Peralta 2B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .264.

Jose Astudillo CF- 1 for 4, 3B.  BA= .419.

Jose T. Perez RHP- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.58.

Mat Olsen RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.18.

Fernando Vasquez RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.86.

Jhonny Level is a kid who I think could get a head start on full season ball with a promotion, maybe when the new guys from the draft start coming on board.  Great to see Jerar Encarnacion and Bryce Eldridge back in action on rehab assignments.

DSL:  Giants Orange outscored the Blue Jays Blue 7-4(7 innings, completion of game from July 7).

Anthony Marquez DH- 1 for 1, 3 BB, 2 SB(9).  BA= .244.

Djean Macares CF- 1 for 2, BB.  BA= .241.

Yulian Barreto SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .329.

Abraham Utrera RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.29.

Jose G. Gonzalez RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(4).  ERA= 2.12.

DSL:  Giants Orange edged out the Blue Jays Blue 3-2(7 innings).

Miguel Caraballo C- 1 for 2, 2B, BB, SB(5).  BA= .274.

Jose D. Gonzalez RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.69.

Jose Trevizo RHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 4.67.

DSL:  White Sox topped Giants Black 7-5(7 innings).

Luis Frias CF- 2 for 4, SB(9).  BA= .288.

Yohendry Sanchez C- 1 for 2, SF.  BA= .272.

Scouting the 2025 Draft: Giants Draft Review

All picks are in so let's break down the Giants haul from the 2025 draft rounds 1-20.  The Giants draft position was #13.  They forfeited their picks in rounds 2 and 5 due to signing Willy Adames as a free agent.  They did not have any Competitive Balance or Compensatory picks:

Round 1:  Gavin Kilen SS, College Jr(Tennessee).  DOB:  3.28/2004.  B-L, T-R.  5' 11", 187 lbs.  

2024(Cape Cod):  .253/.333/.341, 2 HR, 8 BB, 9 K's, 102 PA.

2025(College):  .357/.441/.671, 13 2B, 4 3B, 15 HR, 6 SB, 30 BB, 27 K, 245 PA.  

MLB Pipeline #21 ranked draft prospect so not an extreme overdraft.  Elite contact rates with more walks than K's.  Moderate power.  Likes to swing early in count which is probably how he keeps his K rate down. Us Giants fans recall that was Joe Panik's approach too.  Gavin Lux is another mentioned comp.  Probably a 2B at the MLB level especially since the Giants SS situation is likely set for the next 5-6 seasons. High probability of a significant MLB career with limited ceiling.  Giants can probably trim at least $500 K off bonus in an underslot deal.

Round 2:  No pick.

Round 3: Trevor Cohen OF, College Jr(Rutgers).  DOB:  10/29/2003.  B-L, T- L.  6' 1", 195 lbs.

2025:  .387/.460/.523, 24 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 19 SB, 30 BB, 15 K, 273 PA.  

Not sure why this guy was not listed in MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft Prospects but from his scouting report it doesn't seem likely there are really 250 better draft prospects.  Elite contact skills with enough speed and arm to cover all 3 OF positions and steal some bases.  Sneaky power potential with one report of a HR traveling 415 ft.  Another likely underslot deal.

Round 4:  Lorenzo Meola SS, College Jr(Stetson).  DOB:  12/17/2003.  B-R, T-R.  5' 11", 172 lbs.

2024(Cape Cod):  .162/.260/.279, 7 2B, 2 HR, 6 SB, 14 BB, 37 K, 129 PA.

2025(College):  .324/.402/.532, 9 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 10 SB, 29 BB, 46 K, 256 PA.  

Scouting report says he has defensive tools to play SS at the MLB level.  More contact over power.  Contact slipped when he tried to sell out for power.  Above average runner.

Round 5:  No pick.

Round 6:  Jordan Gottesman LHP, College 5Sr(Northeastern).  DOB:  8/29/2002.  6' 1", 195 lbs. 

2024(Futures Collegiate League):  1-0, 3.45, 15.2 IP, 3 BB, 19 K.

2025(College):  9-2, 2.27, 83.1 IP, 17 BB, 97 K.  

5'th year senior.  Per Brian Recca via McCovey Chronicles Gottesman has a low 90's FB and a full complement of secondary pitches.  As a graduate student he has almost no negotiating leverage so will likely be a significant underslot bonus.

Round 7:  Cameron "Cam" Maldonado OF, College Jr(Northeastern).  DOB:  11/8/2003.  B-R, T-R.  6' 3", 200 lbs.

2024(Cape Cod):  .258/.357/.427, 4 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 13 SB, 17 BB, 36 K, 143 PA.

2025(College):  .351/.467/.631, 17 2B, 15 HR, 29 SB, 42 BB, 51 K, 272 PA.  

Big, athletic OF with plus speed to cover all 3 OF positions and steal some bases.  Size for raw power which he tapped into better his junior year after a down sophomore season.  Some analysts projected him as a first rounder after his freshman season but the sophomore regression left some lingering questions about the hit tool.  Nice upside play for Round 7.

Round 8:  Ben Bybee RHP, College Jr(Arkansas).  DOB:  9/2/2003.  6' 6", 230 lbs.

2024(Cape Cod):  0-0, 4.11, 15.1 IP, 5 BB, 15 K.

2025(College):  3-0, 4.38, 37 IP, 15 BB, 42 K.

I like big pitchers.  Mid-90's FB with a "swing and miss changeup and hard cutter" per MLB Pipeline.  Another nice upside play in round 8.

Round 9:  Reid Worley RHP, HS.  DOB:  6/27/2006.  6' 2", 175 lbs.  

Worley looks like the big overslot target.  Has a self-invented, self-taught pitch, a "spike" slider with a unique 2-seam grip in which he "spikes" his index finger to the right of the left seam in the narrow strip between the "horseshoes" then wraps his middle finger completely around and in front of the spiked forefinger.  This grip, along with a low arm slot and crossover step results in extreme spin rates up to 3200 RPM.  He also has a 93 MPH FB that could get more firm with maturity.  He "tunnels" the slider well with the fastball which makes it difficult for hitters to see him well.  Extremely interesting pitching prospect.  I assume the Giants know what it takes to sign him and figured out how to cobble the bonus money together.  I am sure he's why almost every other pick appears likely to be an underslot deal.  Photos and videos of his grip are viral on the internet so I invite you to look them up for yourself.

Round 10:  Isaiah Barkett 2B, College Jr(Stetson).  DOB:  11/17/2003.  B-R, T-R.  5' 11", 186 lbs.  

2024(Cape Cod):  .267/.364/.337, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 SB, 12 BB, 9 K's, 102 PA.

2025(College):  .389/.461/.498, 16 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 32 SB, 25 BB, 9 K's, 256 PA's.  

Some bloodlines here as the son of former Red Sox assistant hitting coach Andy Barkett.  Another ultra-high contact hitter with some speed but little power.  There seems to be a noticeable shift in philosophy from FZ to Buster and it's not to more power.  Buster says F strikeouts.  Keep the damn line moving!

Round 11:  Rod Barajas Jr.  C, JC.  DOB:  7/12/2004.  B-L, T-R.  6' 3", 200 lbs.

2024(Alaska Summer League):  .146/.222/.202, 2 2B, HR, 2 SB, 99 PA.

2025(JC):  .329/.412/.500, 10 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 3 SB, 22 BB, 23 K, 202 PA.

Son of former MLB catcher Rod Barajas.  Stats look like he needs some seasoning but Michael Holmes says he has "huge upside with the bat."  

Round 12:  Cody Delvecchio RHP, College Jr.(UCLA).  DOB:  1/15/2004.  5' 10", 180 lbs.

2025(College):  1-4, 6.81, 37 IP, 12 BB, 39 K.

2025(MLB Development League):  0-1, 9.64, 9.1 IP, 3 BB, 12 K's.  

Missed most of junior season due to academic issues.  Hit 96 MPH in College World Series start.

Round 13:  Broedy Poppell C, College Sr(Florida A&M).  DOB:  6/13/2002.  B-S, T-R.  5' 11", 180 lbs.  

2025(College):  .325/.451/.613, 7 2B, 9 3B, 12 HR, 7 SB, 47 BB, 41 K, 268 PA.

2025(Summer):  .261/.433, 391, 2B, 3B, HR, SB, 13 BB, 11 K, 60 PA.

Switch-hitting catchers don't grow on trees.  Some interesting numbers.

Round 14:  Trey Seeley RHP, College Sr(Hope International U).  DOB:  6/28/2002.  6' 2", 194 lbs.  

2024(College-NAIA):  11-3, 3.73, 99 IP, 34 BB, 135 K.

2025(Summer):  1-0, 3.09, 11.2 IP, 3 BB, 18 K's.  

2025(NAIA):  12-1, 1.72, 99.1 IP, 27 BB, 127 K.

No scouting report.  Great looking numbers against questionable competition.

Round 15:  Damian Bravo OF, College Jr(Texas Tech).  DOB:  8/9/2003.  B-R, T-R.  6' 2", 195 lbs.  

2025(College):  .330/.384/.580, 13 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 18 SB, 16 BB, 47 K, 250 PA.

I think all the hitters in this Giants draft class have a K rate under 20%.  Per Michael Holmes:  "Line drive hitter.  He steals bases.  I think there is a bit of versatility where he can probably play a lot of different places in the field."

Round 16:  Garrett Langrell RHP, College Grad(Creighton).  DOB:  5/5/2001.  6' 7", 228 lbs.

2024(Summer):  0-1, 3.09, 11.2 IP, 1 BB, 17 K's, 2 Saves. 

2025(College):  7-2, 3.61, 52.1 IP, 11 BB, 57 K, 13 Saves.  

I approve of tall pitchers.  College Closer.

Round 17:  Luke Mensik RHP, HS.  DOB:  7/30/2007.  6' 2", 195 lbs.

"sits in low 90's with his fastball and can spin the ball well."  Xavier recruit.  HS prospects drafted this low are often not signable.

Round 18:  Cooper McGrath RHP Grad(Northeastern).  DOB:  5/25/2001.  6' 8", 230 lbs.

2025(College):  1-0, 1.66, 21.1 IP, 12 BB, 19 K, 1 Save.  

2025(MLB Development League):  1-0, 5.06, 10.2 IP, 3 BB, 14 K's. 

Another tall pitcher. Giants seemed to have a scout camped out at Northeastern U and Stetson U.  5 of 18 picks came from those two schools. Low-mid 90's FB with a plus slider.  Per Michael Holmes:  "He's probably more of a reliever but he's a 6'8" guy with kind of a unique, low angle. We were able to see him in the Draft League a little bit where we saw his strikes get better."

Round 19:  Braydon Risley LHP, JC.  DOB:  3/30/2005.  6' 1", 200 lbs.

2025:  3.24, 66.2 IP, 18 BB, 83 K.

No scouting report.

Round 20:  Elijah McNeal SS, HS.  DOB:  2/23/2007.  B-R, T-R.  6' 3", 180 lbs.  

Local kid out of Dublin HS.  Committed to UC Davis but Michael Holmes says his eyes got really wide during a workout at Oracle Park so he might be signable.  Big league size.

Summary:  The Giants first draft with Buster Posey in the POBO chair is probably not causing fans to do hand springs as the draft picks were mostly more high floor than ceiling.  There was a definite shift away from the 3-true outcomes philosophy with contact, contact, contact being the watchword.  Buster is apparently fed up with strikeouts.  It also feels like the entire draft was focused on cobbling together enough bonus pool money to sign Reid Worley who is definitely an unique and intriguing prep talent and the spin rate thing is definitely cutting edge analytics. So there.  Take that Farhan!  With 2 missing draft picks, a middling draft position and the 6'th lowest bonus pool, Buster and Michael Holmes didn't have a lot of financial flexibility but may have figured out how to make the most of what they had to work with.  Time will tell.

Down on the Farm: 7/13/2025

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats tamed the Salt Lake City Bees 7-0.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 4, HBP.  BA= .311.

Devin Mann 3B- 4 for 4, 2B.  BA= .252.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.78.

Kai-Wei Teng seems to have found another gear.  Line over his last 4 starts:  2-1, 0.46, 19.2 IP, 7 BB, 35 K.  

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Akron Rubber Ducks 7-2.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .273.

Vaun Brown LF- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .247.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 7.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's, 8/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.31.

Lonsway's longest and possibly best start of the season.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds outscored the Spokane Indians 11-10.

Scott Bandura RF- 2 for 5, HR(7), BB, SB(30).  BA= .307.

Jonah Cox LF- 3 for 4, HR(6), BB.  BA+ .246.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 5, HR(13).  BA= .260.

Zane Zielinski SS- 2 for 3, BB, SB(24).  BA= .227.

Quinn McDaniel 2B- 1 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .227.

Hoping to see more promotions once players get signed from the draft.  It's not that I think Bandura and Davidson are going to blow the doors off the Eastern League or anything, but I would like to see them get a preview and head start on next season which should be at AA level.

A:  Stockton Ports blanked the San Jose Giants 4-0.

Jean Carlos Sio RF/CF- 2 for 4.  BA= .286.

Lisbel Diaz CF- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .256.

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Darien Smith RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 1.65.

Complex leagues has Sunday off as usual.

Game Wrap 7/13/2025: Dodgers 5 Giants 2(11 innings)

Luis Matos hit a game-tying, 2-run home run in the 9'th inning but there was no happy ending as the Dodgers went on to win a game of pitcher-attrition in extra innings.  Key Lines:

Luis Matos PH/RF- 1 for 2, HR(5).  BA= .172.  The Giants managed just 3 hits before Chapman singled with one out in the 9'th and Matos PH for YtY against a LHP and homered.  Matos may be hitting just .172 but his 5 HR in 98 PA projects to 30 in 600 PA's.  Kid has some serious pop in that bat.  Can we please see more of him after the break?  For one thing Heliot Ramos seems to be pressing and could used a day off here and there to regroup.  To my eye, Jung Hoo Lee benefits from day off here and there too.

Robbie Ray LHP- 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 2.65.  The walks came back-to-back in the 4'th inning and led to the first Dodgers run.  The other run came on solo HR by Miguel Rojas, one of the Dodgers weaker hitters.  Matos got him off the hook for the Loss but he pitched well enough to win with even decent support from his lineup.

Ryan Walker RHP, Randy Rodriguez RHP, Camilo Doval RHP and Joey Lucchesi LHP kept the Dodgers at bay for 4 innings but Spencer Bivens RHP couldn't hold them back, giving up a 3-spot in the top of the 11'th.  

The Giants get a 4-day break for the All-Star Game.  Logan Webb RHP and Randy Rodriguez are participants.  Robbie Ray was named to the All-Star team but can't play in the game due to his start today.  They start the second half on Friday, July 18 with a road trip to Toronto and ATL.

Blogging The Draft

7:57 PM:  This will be a wrap for this live blog of the draft.  Guys on BA's podcast like Trevor Cohen's tools and think he could even develop a little power with maturity and development.  I would think the Giants can save some pool money with both these picks so will look for them to cobble enough together to take a lottery pick high schooler sometime tomorrow.

I'll probably wait until tomorrow evening to summarize the Day 2 picks.

7:12 PM:  Giants are up.  Giants select Trevor Cohen College OF.   Welp, Buster said it was going to be a scouting draft.  Cohen is not on MLB Pipeline's top 250 draft prospects.  A mystery pick!  Will have to do some research.  

Trevor Cohen College OF(Rutgers).  DOB:  11/29/2003.  B-L, T-L.  6' 1", 195 lbs.  

.387/.460/.523, 24 2B, 2 HR, 19 SB, 30 BB, 19 K, 273 PA.  

Numbers sure look good, but more of a CF/hit/speed guy with little power.  More later on this pick.

6:37 PM:  Checking in to respond to a couple of comments.  Padres take Kruz Schoolcraft at #5.  Padres have a long history of swinging for the fences in their drafts and it's paid off for them.  I feel like this pick vindicates my enthusiasm for Schoolcraft on some level.  I will follow his pro career with interest.  I have to say the Kilen pick feels like a draft for need at the MLB level.  3B and SS are filled for the next 5-6 years but the Giants are scuffling at 2B so they go out and get a college 2B who can move fast but maybe with limited ceiling. Fingers crossed for a good player at #85.

4:22:  Gonna sign off for awhile. Will check back later for the Giants third round pick at #85 overall.

4:18:  Gavin Kilen College SS.  DOB:  3/28/2004.  B-L, T-R.  5' 11", 187 lbs.  Best tool is Hit.  Played more 2B after transfer from Louisville to Tennessee.  Has a very Joe Panik feel to him.  More hit tool than power. Likes to swing early in count.  Probably a 2B in the pros.

4:15 PM:  Here we go......Gavin Kilen College SS.  May not stick at SS but the bat seems to be real.

4:12 PM:  Witherspoon or a college bat is looking better for the Giants....unless they want to pop Schoolcraft.....

4:11 PM:  Gavin Fien HS SS to the Rangers. Giants are up.  

4:08 PM:  Another tough loss for the Giants.  

4:06 PM:  Jamie Arnold College LHP pretty easy pick for the A's at #11.  

4:01 PM:  The HS SS's are flying off the board.  Billy Carlson, ++ fielder, questionable bat, to the ChiSox at #10.  Giants are going to have a choice out of excellent prospects:  Schoolcraft, Arnold, Witherspoon, Ike Irish, Summerhill all still on the board.

3:59 PM:  Game slipping away from the Giants.....

3:55 PM:  I didn't see Steele Hall HS SS to the Reds(#9) coming.  Jamie Arnold College LHP and Kyson Witherspoon College RHP still on the board as are several college bats.  Hall's big tools are catch and run.  One of the youngest and fastest players in the draft.  

3:50 PM:  JoJo Parker HS SS, a player who was mocked to the Giants by several analysts goes to the BJ's at #8.  Seemed to catch helium late in the cycle.  Possibly best bat of the HS SS's.  

3:45:  Marlins take the top college position player in the draft, Aiva Arquette SS at #7.  

3:39:  Pirates know something about drafting and developing HS pitchers.  They are ecstatic to have Seth Hernandez HS RHP fall into their laps.  IMO, very possibly the best player in the entire draft.

3:34 PM:  Cardinals take Liam Doyle College LHP.  They take the big fastball and size over the advanced pitch mix of Jamie Arnold.  How far will Seth Hernandez drop?  13?  

3:30 PM:  ....and Luis Matos ties it up in the 9'th inning!!!!

3:28 PM: And Ethan Holliday HS SS goes to his dad's old team.  Massive power potential and Coors Field something to dream on.

3:23 PM:  And the drop for Seth Hernandez begins.  Mariners can't believe Kade Anderson College LHP falls into their laps.  Pretty much a complete pitcher now.  Could be pitching in the majors by this time next season.  Harold Reynolds makes the point that the first two picks were almost certainly driven by under slot deals.  

3:17 PM:  Whoa!  As expected, the Angels go for the fast-moving college pitcher but it's not Kade Anderson.  Tyler Bremner College RHP from UCSB has had a roller coaster ride.  He fell down draft boards early in the college season but seemed to regain velocity and his slider command later in the season and caught late helium.  Some mocks had him at #13 to the Giants.

3:12 PM:  Wow!  Nationals go with their Best Player Available and it's not Ethan Holliday or Seth Hernandez, but..... Eli Willits HS SS might be more willing to accept a below-slot bonus.  Willits was always ranked in the top 10 but he caught additional helium late in the cycle.  Willits seems like more well-rounded prospect than Holliday but he doesn't have anything close to Holliday's immense power potential.

3:04 PM:  Commissioner's Opening Remarks.  Some intrigue around the #1 pick.  Why was Mike Rizzo fired just 1 week before the draft?  That seems more than a coincidence, no?  I'll guess Rizzo insisted on taking one of the two best players in the draft, Ethan Holliday SS or Seth Hernandez RHP and ownership wants to accelerate the rebuild with a fast-moving college pitcher which would point to Kade Anderson LHP.  But that's pure speculation adding 2+2 and getting 5.

2:38 PM:  So who might the Giants be looking to draft at #13?  I've mostly reconciled myself that it's not going to be Kruz Schoolcraft HS LHP although the BA podcast yesterday had a rumor that the A's showed interest at #11 which is the first hint of any buzz on him the whole cycle.  

MLP Pipeline has Kyson Witherspoon College RHP falling to the Giants but other mock drafts have him going higher.  

Someone asked about Caden Bodine College C.  I kind of dismissed him as a reach at #13 but too good to drop to round 3.  Now I am not so sure.  Bodine is a serious college hitter in a draft that his thin for that demographic and he plays a good enough defensive C to play the position at the MLB level.  He's a switch-hitter to boot.  He has a classic catcher's build with a thick, heavy lower half.  As a probably HOF catcher himself, I am sure Buster Posey has an added interest in the position.  Does he prioritize it enough to reach for one he really likes?  Is he a tougher evaluator of catchers than other POBO's?  

2:16 PM:  Several factors impacting the Giants draft:

It's a little frustrating that they had the 9'th worst record in the draft the dropped to #13 due to teams jumping over them in the lottery.  Giants have yet to move up in any draft lottery.  Hopefully their luck turns next year?  But we hope they do well enough to not be in the lottery so we can't win.

Giants lost their 2'nd and 5'th round picks due to signing Willy Adames SS.  I would rather have Willy Adames than whoever they might get with those two players but they also lose the ability to spend the bonus money in those slots which limits how much they can go overslot with the first pick or use the first pick to allocate extra slot money to lower picks. 

How will changes in Giants management impact their draft decisions?  Buster has said he wants the Giants draft to be more scout oriented, but nobody knows exactly what that means.  Zach Minasian is now the GM and his bro has effectively used a strategy of drafting polished college players then rushing them to the majors.  Is Zach inclined to advocate for that approach with the Giants?  

2:09 PM:  Back at ya.  I've got 3 windows open on my computer screen:  Gameday, MLB.com predraft broadcast and the blog.  How is everybody feeling about the draft?  Do we even care or are we focused on the Giants-Dodgers game?  Ray is pitching well but as we have seen, just not quite well enough to overcome the lack of hitting.  A couple of walks in the fourth cost him and then a HR to one of the Dodgers weaker hitters.  Ugh!  

11:09 AM:  I'm going to try something different here and see if I can live-blog the draft.  I will use this post and add new comments at the top rather than bottom.  Use the comments section to submit draft-related questions or comments.  I will plan to log back in somewhere around 2-2:30 PM to respond here in the text and post my own thoughts on the draft.   Thanks to everybody for reading and commenting which makes When the Giants Come To Town the greatest of the Giants-oriented blogs.

Down on the Farm: 7/12/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Salt Lake City Bees 16-11.

Wade Meckler LF- 2 for 4, BB, SF.  BA= .297.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 5, SB(1).  BA= .293.

Grant McCray CF- 3 for 4, 2 BB, 2 SB(25).  BA= .270.

Marco Luciano DH- 2 for 4, 2 HR(19), 2 BB.  BA= .227.

Daniel Johnson RF- 2 for 4, 3B, 2 BB, SB(7).  BA= .294.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .433.

Devin Mann 1B- 2 for 4, BB, SB(1).  BA= .233.

Joel Peguero RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.84.

Carson Seymour RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.86.

One of those games at elevation.  Ballparks in the mountain west produce crazy numbers.  

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Akron Rubber Ducks 5-3.

Victor Bericoto DH- 1 for 5, HR(7).  BA= .218.

Turner Hill CF- 3 for 4, 2 2B, SB(9).  BA= .231.

Jack Choate LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 3.91.

Tyler Myrick RHP- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(7).  ERA= 3.71.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Spokane Indians 6-3.

Jonah Cox LF- 1 for 3, 2 BB, SB(37).  BA= .240.

Bo Davidson CF- 2 for 3, 2 BB, SB(12).  BA= .310.

Luke Shliger C- 2 for 5.  BA= .243.

A:  Fresno Grizzlies defeated the San Jose Giants 4-2.

Maui Ahuna SS- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .268.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, 5/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.43.

Rookie AZL:  Angels crushed the Giants 13-3.

Oliver Tejada RF- 2 for 4.  BA= .230.

Jose Astudillo CF- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .436.

Ryan Reckley 2B- 2 for 4.  BA= .333.

RJ Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Jan Caraballo RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.50.

DSL:  Giants Orange beat Giants Black 6-3.

Nothing to see here.

Game Wrap 7/12/2025: Dodgers 2 Giants 1

Landen Roupp and the bullpen gave everything we could reasonably expect but it wasn't enough as Shohei Ohtani RHP and Emmet Sheehan RHP shut down the Giants lineup.  Key Lines:

Landen Roupp RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8  K's, 7/2 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.27.  That's a mighty fine line and against one of the most talented lineups in MLB.  The unearned run came in the 2'nd inning as a result of a throwing error by Willy Adames allowing the lead runner to advance to 3B on an IF single.  Roupp's stuff and command seems to be getting better with each start.

Joey Lucchesi LHP(3.00), Ryan Walker RHP(4.21) and Tyler Rogers RHP(1.55) pitched a scoreless inning each.

The Giants run scored on a one-out, bases-loaded Sac Fly by Rafael Devers DH in the 8'th inning.  The threat ended when Matt Chapman 3B couldn't deliver the 2-out hit.

Robby Ray LHP tries for a series win in the final game of the official first half tomorrow afternoon against Yoshinobu Yamamoto RHP. TV is on ROKU.  

MLB Amateur Draft starts at 3:00 PM tomorrow afternoon. Christmas in July!

Down on the Farm: 7/11/2025

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 6-4.

Grant McCray CF- 1 for 4, HR(13), BB.  BA= .265.

Daniel Johnson RF- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .288.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .423.

Drew Ellis 1B- 2 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .225.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.05.

Matt Gage LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Sergio Alcantara IF elected free agency.

AA:  Akron Rubber Ducks downed the Richmond Flying Squirrels 9-3.

Carter Howell CF- 2 for 4, 3B.  BA= .207.

Justin Wishkoski 3B- 2 for 4.  BA= .239.

Aeverson Arteaga SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .194.

Ian Villers RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 6.75.

Will Bednar RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.93.

Michael Stryfeller RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 4.76.

Will Bednar has allowed 1 ER in 11.2 IP over his last 7 appearances.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds outscored the Spokane Indians 8-4.

Jonah Cox LF- 2 for 5, 2B, HR(5).  BA= .240.

Bo Davidson CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .307.

Jack Payton DH- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .245.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4, 3B, HR(11).  BA= .258.

Ben Peterson RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 1.42.

A:  San Jose Giants destroyed the Fresno Grizzlies 10-1.

Jean Carlos Sio RF- 2 for 4, 2 BB.  BA= .287.

Dakota Jordan DH- 2 for 5, HR(10), BB.  BA= .304.

Juan Perez C- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .161.

Zander Darby 2B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .311.

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K's.  ERA= 2.90.

Ricardo Estrada LHP- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

Rookie ACL:  Giants blasted the Royals 10-0.

Dario Reynoso 2B- 1 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .299.

Ramon Peralta 3B- 2 for 5, HR(3).  BA= .265.

Rayner Arias LF- 1 for 3, BB, HBP.  BA= .250.

Oliver Tejada RF- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, SB(4).  BA= .224.

Jose Astudillo CF- 3 for 4, 2B.  BA= .400.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 1.91.

Mat Olsen RHP- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 2.45.

Alix Hernandez RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.27.

DSL:  Giants Orange defeated Blue Jays Red 4-1.

Yulian Barreto SS- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .333.

Carlos Concepcion RF- 3 for 4.  BA= .289.

Luis Hernandez RHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.20.

Brayan Cabello RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 5.40.

DSL:  Cubs Blue topped Giants Black 7-5.

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 2 for 4, 2B, BB. 2 SB(19).  BA= .265.

Evan Estevez DH- 2 for 5, 2 2B, SB(7).  BA= .293.

Albert Jimenez 1B- 2 for 4, HR(4), BB.  BA= .244.

Dilan Fernandez RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.05.

Game Wrap 7/11/2025: Giants 8 Dodgers 7

The Dodgers got to Logan Webb for 4 runs in the 6'th inning to turn an 8-2 route into a tight nail biter.  Camilo Doval did his usual torture thing in the 9'th inning but held on for the Save and a critical Giants win.  Key Lines:

Mike Yastrzemski RF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB, Sac, R.  BA= .245.  YtY's double in the 3'rd inning went for naught but his walk kept the line moving in the Giants 5-run 5'th inning.  

Willy Adames SS- 2 for 4, 3B, HR(12), 2 R, 3 RBI.  BA= .225.  Big game for Adames.  He solo HR in the 2'nd inning got the Giants their first run.  His 2-run triple was the key to the 5-run rally in the 5'th driving in 2 runs then scoring on Jung Hoo Lee's infield single.  Adames seems to have finally found his comfort zone at the plate. Hopefully that continues through this series and into a big second half.  He's hitting .361 in July so far.

Jung Hoo Lee CF- 3 for 4, 3B, 3 RBI.  BA= .251.  Speaking of big games, Lee drove in 2 runs in the 4'th inning with his 8'th triple of the season and added another RBI on the IF single to cap off the scoring in the 5'th inning.  After a brutal June in which he batted just .143, he is off to a much better start in July with a .355 BA in his last 8 games.

Dominic Smith 2B- 1 for 4, HR(2), R, RBI.  BA= .244.  Smith started the 5'th inning with his second HR of the season.  The Giants added 4 more runs in the inning to give them a short-lived 8-2 lead.  In the end, the 8 runs proved to be just enough.

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 3, BB, R.  BA= .200.  Bailey is 4 for 8 over his last 3 games.  Is he starting to find some traction at the plate?

Logan Webb RHP- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 6 K's, 3/6 GO/AO. ERA= 2.94.  Things looked mighty good for the Giants as Webb came out for the 6'th inning with an 8-2 lead.  He got two strikes on Mookie Betts but then hit him with a pitch.  Freddie Freeman lined out to LF but that was followed by double, double, HR and they were not fluky.  Webb's last pitch was a 91 MPH sinker that didn't sink enough and Michael Conforto, of all people hit it out to CF.  We'll hope Webb doesn't party too hard at the All-Star Game and gets some rest.  Giants might want to give him an extra day or two at the start of the official second half.

Camilo Doval RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, Save(15).  ERA= 3.02.  Doval had the unenviable task of facing the top of the Dodgers lineup in the 9'th with just a one run lead.  Things looked good when he got Ohtani to ground out but he then give up a single and walk to Betts and Freeman with Will Smith, who might be their second best hitter coming up.  No worries, Papi.  Smith GIDP'd and the Giants squeaked out the high-scoring win.  And man!  Have I ever seen them lose some similar games to the Dodgers in my lifetime.

Big day for Landen Roupp RHP tomorrow afternoon facing Shohei Ohtani RHP who is still being stretched out so will probably only be out there for 3 or 4 innings.

Down on the Farm: 7/10/2025

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees defeated the Sacramento River Cats 6-4.

Grant McCray CF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(23).  BA= .265.

Marco Luciano LF- 1 for 4, HR(17).  BA= .226.

Thomas Gavello 3B- 3 for 4, 2B, HR(2).  BA= .364.

Drew Ellis 1B- 2 for 3, BB.  BA= .206.

Mason Black RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.68.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels sank the Akron Rubber Ducks 6-1.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 3 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .272.

Jairo Pomares LF- 2 for 5, HR(9).  BA= .208.

Justin Wishkoski 1B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .232.

John Bertrand LHP- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 11/4 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.28.

Dylan Hecht RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Bertrand pitched in AA last season to a 4.32 ERA.  Will his contact-heavy approach work at higher levels? His 1.46 GO/AO is good but not dominant.

A+:  Spokane Indians topped the Eugene Emeralds 7-4.

Scott Bandura RF- 1 for 4, HR(6).  BA= .309.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 2 for 4.  BA= .254.

Greg Farone LHP- 3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K'S, 7/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 9.49.

Tyler Vogel RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 2.72.

Matt Dunaway RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.18.  

A stumble for Farone.

A:  San Jose Giants tamed the Fresno Grizzlies 6-1.

Jean Carlos Sio 2B- 2 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .284.

Dakota Jordan CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .303.

Luis De La Torre LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Keaton Winn is on the rehab trail for the how-manyeth time?  Can he help the Giants in the second half?   De La Torre is an interesting international lefty prospect who has a successful first start in full season ball.

Rookie ACL:  Rangers outscored the Giants 7-6.

Dario Reynoso 2B- 2 for 5, HR(8).  BA= .303.

Santiago Camacho DH- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .224.

Rayner Arias LF- 1 for 4, HR(2).  BA= .248.

Jesus Alexander C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .260.

Jose Astudillo CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .355.

Mauricio Estrella RHP- 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.16.

Rayner Arias is back at the complex after a brief stint in San Jose.

DSL:  Giants Black edged out Mets Orange 4-3(7 innings).

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB(17).  BA= .255.

Alessandro Duran 1B- 2 for 3.  BA= .282.

Frainer Mejias RHP- 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.17.

DSL:  Giants Orange pounded Arizona Red 14-4.

Anthony Marquez SS- 4 for 5, BB.  BA= .258.

Carlos Concepcion RF- 2 for 5, HR(2).  BA= .267.

Fernando Pena 1B- 3 for 5, HR(1), BB.  BA= .296.

Diego Villegas LF- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .300.

Jeyson Moya 3B- 2 for 4, 2 BB.  BA= .150.

Iverson Paulino RHP- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.27.

Scouting the 2025 Draft: What's the Buzz?

What's the Buzz?  There is no buzz, at least around the Giants pick at #13.  A big part of that is because #13 is kind of a blah pick anyway, but it's mostly because whatever the Giants are up to in the draft, they seem to be keeping it to themselves, which is probably a good thing.  There does seem to be a small buzz out there that under new President of Baseball Operations, Buster Posey, the Giants will use a more scouting-based approach to the draft.  What does that mean?  Nobody seems to quite know. 

There is also no buzz around my favorite draft prospect, Kruz Schoolcraft HS LHP and not just in connection with the Giants.  There just is no buzz about him at all.  When draft analysts finally get around to (briefly) mention him, they still have glowing things to say about his size, stuff and upside but then they quickly move on.  Is that because of the general industry aversion to prep pitchers in the first round?  Is is because he seems pretty serious about his commitment to Tennessee and may be tough to sign?  I'm starting to think the latter as prospects I liked in the past in similar situations ended up dropping out of sight on draft day and going to college.  I will keep a sliver of hope alive that the Giants scouts love him and are just keeping it extremely quiet.

One name I keep seeing in mock drafts and discussions about the Giants pick is Ike Irish College C/OF.  Some analysts think he is the best pure hitter in the draft.  I'm thinking part of the reason he is frequently linked to the Giants is that C after his name.  Problem is he is considered a marginal at best defensive catcher and played most of his games this season in the OF.  Sorry but after the Giants loaded up on corner bats last draft I'm just not feeling this one(although admittedly, their top pick James Tibbs III is already traded).  Some mock drafts have Irish going higher than #13.

There is a whole raft of high school shortstops who in terms of sheer numbers are expected to be the dominant demographic in the draft.  What bothers me about this group is none, other than Ethan Holliday at the top, have emerged as standouts over the others.  There is a small buzz out there that the Giants are heavily scouting these kids.  The specific names I've seen linked to the Giants are JoJo Parker, who some analysts think might be the best hitter of the bunch and Steele Hall, one of the youngest players in the draft, a ++ defensive shortstop, ++ speed and some projectability at the plate.

That's all I have for now.

Down on the Farm: 7/9/2025

 AAA:  Sacramento River Cats outscored the Salt Lake City Bees 13-6.

Wade Meckler LF- 3 for 6.  BA= .300.

Tyler Fitzgerald 2B- 2 for 5, BB.  BA= .321.

Grant McCray CF- 3 for 5, 3B, HR(12), BB.  BA= .263.

Daniel Johnson RF- 2 for 6, 2B, HR(7).  BA= .293.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 3 for 5, 2 2B, HR(7).  BA= .267.

Hunter Bishop DH- 3 for 5, 2B, 2 3B.  BA= .262.

Logan Porter C- 3 for 4, HR(4), BB.  BA= .235.

Matt Gage LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 0.00.

Ryan Watson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.73.

PCL ballparks produce crazy boxscores.  Grant McCray's HR was an inside-the-parker.  McCray's batting line for June was .265/.311/.561 with 8 HR.  In 8 games in July it's .375/.488/.594.  The Giants cannot let this kid go without giving him at least one more legit shot at finding traction at the MLB level.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels edged out the Akron Rubber Ducks 2-1.

Carter Howell CF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .205.

Joe Whitman LHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.15.

Tyler Myrlck RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, Save(6).  ERA= 3.86.

After a string of rough starts, Whitman has allowed 3 ER in 11 IP with 13 K's in his last two.

A+:  Spokane Indians topped the Eugene Emeralds 5-4.

Cole Foster DH- 2 for 2, HR(4), BB.  BA= .153.

Shane Rademacher RHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 2.83.

A:  San Jose Giants defeated the Fresno Grizzlies 3-1.

Dakota Jordan CF- 1 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .302.

Robert Hipwell 1B- 2 for 4, HR(9).  BA= .246.

Nico Mazza RHP- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K's, 8/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 2.36.

Cole Hillier RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.19.

Cade Vernon RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(5).  ERA= 1.85.

All Giants affiliates in the complex leagues were idle.

Game Wrap 7/9/2025: Phillies 13 Giants 0

This game was a lot closer than the score looks.  Justin Verlander had his best stuff of the season but was hurt by uncharacteristic errors by Matt Chapman and the Giants lineup never found traction against Jesus Luzardo.   Key Lines:

Justin Verlander RHP- 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.70.  Verlander looked sharp, almost electric, in this one.  Alas, between the unearned runs and lack of run support, it's all went to waste. The bullpen got pounded over the last 2 innings and had to wear it because late-inning relievers had to be spared for the Dodger series.  

Beyond that, there really isn't anything else to mention.  The lineup had just 4 hits and two walks with no XBH's.  

The Giants already clinched a series win on Bailey's crazy home run last night.  They get a day off at home to regroup then start the final series of the official first half against the Dodgers with Logan Webb RHP facing Dustin May RHP who comes in with an ERA of 4.52.

Down on the Farm: 7/8/2025

AAA:  Salt Lake City Bees stung the Sacramento River Cats 2-0.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 2 for 3, 2 2B, HBP.  BA= .261.

Daniel Johnson CF- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .291.

Devin Mann 3B- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .233.

Kai-Wei Teng RHP- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K's.  ERA= 4.18.

Sean Hjelle RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.22.

Kai-Wei Teng seems to have suddenly found something as he now has 28 K's against just 2 BB's in his last 14.2 IP over 3 games.

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels defeated the Akron Rubber Ducks 4-2.  

Diego Velasquez 2B- 3 for 4, BB, SB(13).  BA= .271.

Victor Bericoto DH- 1 for 4, BB.  BA= .224.

Seth Lonsway LHP- 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 3.50.

Nick Sinacola RHP- 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.25.

Marques Johnson RHP- 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K's, Save(2).  ERA= 1.08.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Spokane Indians 5-4.

Charlie Szykowny 1B- 1 for 4, HR(10).  BA= .251.

Zane Zielinski SS- 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB(23).  BA= .224.

Jose Ramos 3B- 3 for 4.  BA= .324.

Josh Bostick RHP- 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K's.  ERA= 4.33.

Cameron Pferrer RHP- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's, Save(4).  ERA= 2.86.

Josh Bostick has the tools if we can just see a little more consistency.

A:  Fresno Grizzlies defeated the San Jose Giants 6-4.

Dakota Jordan CF- 1 for 4, HR(8), 4 RBI.  BA= .302.

A grand slam by Jordan in the third inning was the total Giants scoring.

Rookie ACL:  Giants blasted the Angels 11-2.

Jhonny Level SS- 0 for 3, 2 BB. BA= .302.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .299.

Santiago Camacho C- 1 for 2, HR(4), 2 BB.  BA= .221.

Oliver Tejada RF- 4 for 5, 2B, 3B.  BA= .227.

Andy Polanco CF- 0 for 3, 2 SF.  BA= .267.

Jose Astudillo LF- 2 for 4.  BA= .333.

Ryan Reckley 2B- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .333.

RJ Dabovich RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 0.00.

Melvin Pineda RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

An RJ Dabovich sighting!  I thought he was long gone from the organization.  Maybe just a prolonged rehab?

DSL:  Giants Black beat Blue Jays Red 8-1.

Luis Frias RF- 2 for 4, SF, SB(8).  BA= .294.

Evan Estevez 1B- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB, SB(6).  BA= .294.

Yohendry Sanchez C- 2 for 5.  BA= .264.

Ricardo Crespo LF- 2 for 4, SB(3).  BA= .385.

Alberto LaRoche RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 0.42.

Carlos Toro RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.22.

Lender Bracho RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.21.

DSL:  White Sox romped over Giants Orange 7-2(7 innings).

Miguel Caraballo DH- 1 for 3, HR(4).  BA= .261.

Game Wrap 7/8/2025: Giants 4 Phillies 3

Well, well, well!  How many of you all had an inside-the-park, walk-off, 3-run homer by Patrick Bailey as the game winner on your betting parlay, oh ye of little faith?  Yeah, me neither.   Key Lines:

Patrick Bailey C- 2 for 4, HR(2), R, 3 RBI.  BA= .194.  The Giants scratched out a run in the 2'nd inning on a walk by YtY and singles by Jung Hoo Lee CF and Dominic Smith 1B.  Bailey GIDP'd to end that rally and the Giants did not threaten again until the 9'th which they entered trailing 3-1.  I had an inkling they might have a puncher's chance when I saw Jordan Romano RHP come out for the 9'th.  And what's up with Romano?  Is he like mentally and/or physically OK?  Dude looked awful!  Anyway, Casey Schmitt 2B led off with a a ringing double into the LF corner.  Jung Hoo Lee popped out but Wilmer singled sharply up the middle with Schmitt wisely stopping at 3B.  If you are the lead runner, you don't want to get thrown out at home if your team is down by 2 runs!  That brought Patrick Bailey to the plate.  I was hoping he could slap a single or something but he crushed it to the top of the brick wall in Triples Alley.  It caromed away from the OF's and skittered along the base of the fence all the way to L-CF.  Kuip was yelling that Bailey was on the move and he was, all the way around for one of the more amazing endings to a Giants game.  Didn't Angel Pagan hit a walk-off inside-the-parker once upon a time and pull his hammy in the process?

Robbie Ray LHP- 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.63.  Ray pitched well enough against a tough lineup but couldn't quite get out of the 6'th inning.  Spencer Bivens got the final out of the inning with runners on 2'nd and 3'rd.  Bivens then gave up a 2-run bomb to Kyle Schwarber in the 7'th which made the score 3-1 setting up Patrick Bailey's heroics.

Justin Verlander RHP tries for his first Win as a Giant and a series swweeeep tomorrow afternoon against Jesus Luzardo LHP who comes in with a 4.44 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 7/7/2025

Full Season Leagues had their standard Monday off.

Rookie ACL:  Giants clobbered the Brewers 9-4.

Jhonny Level SS(18 yo)- 1 for 4, 3B, BB, SB(14). BA= .308.

Dario Reynoso 3B(19 yo)- 1 for 3, HR(7), 2 BB, SB(15).  BA= .295.

Santiago Camacho C(18 yo)- 2 for 4, 2 HR(3).  BA= .216.

Javier Francisco DH(22 yo)- 1 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .205.

Oliver Tejada RF(18 yo)- 2 for 5, 2B.  BA= .208.

Keaton Winn RHP- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 9.00.

Jose T. Perez RHP(21 yo)- 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 6.39.

Although Jhonny Level is the star for the ACL Giants, don't sleep on Dario Reynoso who I also like a lot.  He had a tougher adjustment to ACL ball last season but he's come on strong this year with a terrific power, patience and speed package.  I'd like to see him get a head start on A ball before the end of the season.

DSL:  Blue Jays Blue edged out Giants Orange 1-0(7 innings).

Yulian Barreto 2B(17 yo)- 2 for 3, SB(8).  BA= .321.

Jose D. Gonzalez RHP(19 yo)- 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.99.

DSL:  Mets Orange defeated Giants Black 5-3(7 innings).

Albert Jimenez DH(18 yo)- 1 for 2, HR(3), BB.  BA= .225.

Game Wrap 7/7/2025: Giants 3 Phillies 1

The Giants scratched out three runs while Landen Roupp and the bullpen held down a tough Phillies lineup to take the all-important first game of the series.  Key Lines:

Matt Chapman 3B- 3 for 4, 2B, 2 R.  BA= .248.  Chapman went 0 for 4 in his first game back from the IL but did not show any signs of residual hand issues tonight with 3 hits which helped him score 2 of the Giants 3 runs.  It's definitely a longer, better lineup with Chapman in it.

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP, R.  BA= .227.  It's a whole different lineup when Willy Adames is contributing and he's definitely contributing right now, including ways that he may not prefer.  Adames led off the 8'th inning with a HBP on another heat-seeker that got away from Orion Kerkering RHP.  That was obviously not a purpose pitch but he was trying to jam Adames up and in.  After an oppo-field single by Chapman put runners at the corners, Wilmer Flores stepped up.  As Kruk pointed out, 2B was open and with Schmitt, Lee and Matos coming up, Kerkering appeared to be pitching around Flores when the count went to 3-1.  Then next pitch drilled Flores and looked to me like it was thrown right at him.  Kerkering slammed the rosin back in disgust but you have to wonder how disgusted he really was.  Whatever the case, the Giants made Kerkering pay as they plated the two winning runs out of it on a pair of fielder's choices.  

Landen Roupp RHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K's, 7/1 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.39.  Roupp keeps building his resume.  He faced one of the better lineups in the league as well as a hot opposing SP and didn't flinch.  He kept the Phillies batters off-balance all evening with a 3-pitch mix any of which he threw on any count.  It's an inning short of a Quality Start but we'll say it was a near-Quality Start.  How's that?  The Giants have won 11 of his 18 starts on the season.

Bullpen- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  Doval recorded his 14'th Save.  He walked the first batter he faced on 4 pitches which is almost obligatory for him.  Then TJ Realmuto gave him an extended AB fouling off numerous pitches.  At times it appeared Realmuto was toying with Doval with prolonging the AB more of a goal than, you know, getting on base.  Casey Schmitt took care of that nonsense with a leaping catch of a soft liner at 2B.  Bryson Stott then GIDP'd with Wilmer Flores making a nifty play at 1B, stepping on the bag for out #1 then throwing out the runner with feet to spare for the game-ender.

All-Star Robbie Ray LHP tries to clinch a series win tomorrow evening against Taijuan Walker RHP who comes in with a 3.64 ERA.