Arizona Fall League Update; Tony Vitello News Conference

The big news for Giants fans out of the Arizona Fall League is Parks Harber who is absolutely raking with the third best OPS in the league.  His batting line is .400/.563/.800, 3 HR, 11 BB, 12 K, 46 PA.  Harber came to the Giants from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade.  He is corner IF who bats right.   He's pretty much raked everywhere he's played and posted a .333/454/.644 line with 7 HR in 108 PA's for the A+ Eugene Emeralds after the trade.  He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Yankees out of UNC in 2024.  It's not clear what kind of future a corner IF has in the Giants organization but he is not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft until December 2027 so no rush to add him to the 40-man roster.  Here are some stat lines for other Giants prospects in the AFL:

Maui Ahuna SS:  .189/.268/.216.

Walker Martin 3B- .152/.222/.212.

Ryan Murphy RHP:  1-2, 5.40, 10 IP, 8 BB, 8 K.

Ricardo Estrada LHP:  0-0, 2.57, 7 IP, 1 BB, 5 K's.

Juan Sanchez LHP- 2-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 2 BB, 9 K's.  

Spencer Miles RHP:  1-0,  0.00, 5 IP, 1 BB, 7 K's. 

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I watched the video of Tony Vitello's introductory news conference.  He and Buster Posey were asked over and over about whether his managing style will translate from college to MLB.  I thought both men answered as best they could.  Buster acknowledged there are risks to hiring Tony but rightly pointed out there are risks no matter who you hire and he feels Tony has a chance to be a special manager.  

What I found most impressive was how he seems to connect to the people and community around him no matter where he is.  Each and every time he mentioned somewhere he has been in his career he connected the experience to specific people and specific characteristics of the community.  Based on his friends and family who attended and were acknowledged he maintains connections long after he leaves a situation.  For example his host family from when he spent two years in Salinas were his guests at the news conference.  

As always and as Buster Posey acknowledged, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak, but based on this small sample, Tony Vitello appears to be a far better communicator than either Gabe Kapler or Bob Melvin.  He mostly avoided talking in cliches and when he did, he made an effort to explain what the cliche means to him and to give examples of how he puts it into action.  He made it clear he cares about his players as people beyond what they can give on the field and maintains contact with them and cheers for them long after he coached them.  

All in all I felt he crushed the news conference and got himself off to a great start as Manager of the San Francisco Giants.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Closer

As in past depth charts, it's virtually impossible to make a depth chart for all potential relievers so we confine it to pitchers who have a reasonable chance to close out games.  Another gaping hole in the Giants roster in 2025 was the role of Closer.  Ryan Walker held it on Opening Day but series of disastrous Blown Saves led to a revolving door of candidates, none of whom made a convincing case for the job in 2026.  Who are the "in-house" possibilities?  Our methodology is to look at pitchers who recorded more than one Save last season as well as non-closer pitchers who have a reasonable chance to move into the role.  

MLB:

Ryan Walker:  Recorded 17 Saves but also 7 Blown Saves, 7 Losses and a 4.11 ERA.  It's unclear how the organization views him going forward but I don't think there are many fans who want to see him walk out of the Bullpen in the 9'th inning on Opening Day.  

Spencer Bivens:  3 for 3 in Save Opps.  Pitched in multiple roles in 2025 appeared to be out of gas around midseason after a series of multi-inning appearances.  Velocity seemed to tick up to 96-97 in single-inning roles and a case could be made that he was the most effective Closer in a couple of late-season opps.  

Tristan Beck:  Another guy who ate innings in multi-inning roles but also recorded 2 Saves in 2 late-season opportunities.

Joel Peguero:  The Triple-Digit Man.  A spring phenom, he struggled in AAA for much of the season but showed improvement.  Showed he could dominate with the fastball after a late-season call up leading to speculation he might be a legit Closer candidate.

Randy Rodriguez was lights out in a setup role but struggled as the Closer.  On the IL with TJ surgery for all of 2026.

AAA:

Ryan Watson:  9/13 Saves, 4.26 ERA.

Miguel Diaz:  9/10 Saves, 3.45 ERA.

Justin Garza:  6/7 Saves, 6.11 ERA.

All 3 of these guys may be minor league free agents.  Diaz may be worth bringing back for depth.

AA:  

Tyler Vogel:  6/6 Saves, 1.13 ERA.

Evan Gates:  5/6 Saves, 3.23 ERA.

Braxton Roxby:  3/3 Saves, 1.20 ERA.

Trent Harris:  2/2 Saves, 1.69 ERA.

Marques Johnson:  2/4 Saves, 2.90 ERA.

Some of these guys struggled after late promotion to AAA.

A+:

Cameron Pferrer:  6/6 Saves, 2.20 ERA.

Austin Strickland:  5/7 Saves, 4.45 ERA.

Darien Smith:  2/2 Saves, 2.59 ERA.

A:  

Ben Peterson:  7/8 Saves, 4.18 ERA.

Cade Vernon:  7/11 Saves, 1.60 ERA.

Cole Hillier:  4/6 Saves, 2.78 ERA.

I was impressed with Hillier when I saw him pitch.

ACL: 

Jose Bello:  2/2 Saves, 2.00 ERA.

Came over from the Red Sox in the Devers trade.

DSL:

Lender Bracho:  6/12 Saves, 4.05 ERA.

Carlos Toro:  2/3 Saves, 2.15 ERA.

Jose G Gonzalez:  6/9 Saves, 5.12 ERA.

Randry DeLeon:  3/4 Saves, 3.66 ERA.

Summary:  The Giants are, once again faced with the need to acquire a reliable Closer via free agency or trade.  They cannot go into next season with Ryan Walker as the presumptive Closer and there are no obviously reliable options on the current roster or in the organization.

2025 Organizational Depth Charts: Starting Pitcher

 I started this post before the Tony Vitello announcement.  Let's tackle get back to what is probably Buster Posey's biggest challenge in the upcoming Hot Stove League:  The Starting Rotation.

Last year, the Giants had a logjam of young pitchers.  Buster thought that gave him enough depth to limit his Hot Stove spending to Justin Verlander who he hoped could mentor the young pitchers to MLB success.  By all accounts, Verlander was an excellent mentor but the young pitching depth proved to be a mirage and contributed to a mid-late season collapse that cost Manager Bob Melvin his job.  If anything the logjam of young pitchers appears to be more jammed than last year and Buster will be well advised to go outside the organization to bolster the rotation.

MLB:

1.  Logan Webb:  Webb had the 5'th highest fWAR of MLB pitchers and improved both his K and BB rates from 2024.  With his 4'th season in a row of over 190 IP, he is building up a lot of miles on that arm.  How much longer can he keep that up?  

2.  Robbie Ray:  After missing 2023 and most of 2024 recovering from surgery, Ray threw 182 innings last season and ran out of gas down the stretch.  Should be at full strength for 2026.  

3.  Landen Roupp:  The bad news is Roupp missed the last 6 weeks of the season with an injury.  The good news is it was a bone bruise on his knee and he should be fully recovered by spring.  He may have been close to his innings limit at the time of the injury anyway.

4.  J. T. Brubaker?:  The Giants need at least one veteran pitcher who can compete for a #5 SP or swing role.  Brubaker is on the roster and arbitration eligible with a MLBTR projected salary of $1.3 M.  Giants should try to get him signed before an arbitration hearing.  

5.  Trevor McDonald?:  Of the prospects and post-prospects on the 40-man roster, McDonald had by far the most success but in a very small sample.  He's a sinker-slider guy who relies on a high groundball ratio which may play better in MLB than the PCL due to ballpark elevations.  He probably needs a better changeup if he's going to be a long term SP.  

Kai-Wei Teng:  A bit of an enigma.  He makes some beautiful pitches but when he gets hit, he gets hit hard.

Carson Seymour:  Stuff is similar to McDonald.  Big time sink with a high GB ratio.  Has the size and stuff to be a MLB SP.  Needs to find a little more consistency of command.  Gave up some long taters.  

Carson Whisenhunt:  Nice 3-pitch mix.  Changeup did not live up to reputation in his MLB stint.  Can he gain confidence and command?  

Blade Tidwell: Big hard-thrower from Tennessee.  Stock is already pretty high but likely to go up if his college manager signs with the Giants.

Hayden Birdsong: What happened to him?  He suddenly couldn't find the strike zone and continued to walk batters after a demotion to AAA.  If he can get his ship righted has as high a ceiling as anyone on this list.

Keaton Winn:  Probably more of a reliever now after a series of injuries.

Tristan Beck:  Used as a reliever who could go multiple innings.  Even closed a couple of games near the end of the season.  

AAA:

John Michael Bertrand:  Bertrand has made is a lot further in the organization than I thought when he was drafted as an older "pitchability" college graduate student.

Seth Lonsway:  Command runs hot and cold.  When it's on he can dominate.

Nick Zwack:  Still hanging around from the Darin Ruf trade.  Feels like more of a lefty reliever type but has been used more as a SP.

AA:  

Jack Choate:  Also has a lefty reliever profile but used more as a SP.

Shane Rademacher:  Another undrafted free agents who came out of nowhere to move smartly up the organizational ladder.

Joe Whitman:  Second round compensation pick in 2023.  Disappointing season in AA which is generally a pitcher-friendly environment.

Trystan Vrieling:  Came over from the Yankees in the  Doval trade.  Decent ratios negated by too many HR's.

Manuel Mercedes:  Extreme groundball pitcher who gives up too much contact.

A+:  

Josh Bostick:  MLB frame.  Dominates when command is consistent.

Dylan Carmouche:  6' 6" lefties don't grow on trees.  Pitched really well but finished the season on the  60-day IL.

Greg Farone: Another 6' 6" lefty.  A little less effective after promotion to A+.

Charlie McDaniel:  Undrafted free agent.  ERA ballooned after promotion to A+.

Cesar Perdomo:  Smallish lefty with more inconsistent results in A+ ball.  Dominant in some games.

Josh Wolf:  High walk rate negated a strong K rate.

Hayden Wynja:  Season lost to injury.  6' 9" lefties don't grow on trees.

A:  

Jacob Bresnahan: Acquired from the Guardians in the Alex Cobb trade.  Didn't turn 20 yo until June 27.  I saw him pitch maybe his weakest start in Rancho Cucamonga on April 19 when he gave up 3 runs in 3 IP.  At that point, his ERA hit 8.18.  I obviously wasn't impressed.  His next start he pitched 5 scoreless innings with 8 K's.  He continued to gain traction as the season went along and finished up with 1.59 ERA in August and 5.1 scoreless frames with 9 K's in his September start.  Obviously someone to watch going forward.  

Luis De La Torre:  Good command of a 3-pitch mix.

Hunter Dryden:  Smallish for a SP but with a mid-90's FB that induces groundouts.  

Ricardo Estrada:  Left who pitched will after a late-season promotion from the ACL.

Gerelmi Maldonado:  High 90's FB with a solid ground ball tendency.  Still gets hit hard too often.

Keyner Martinez: 20 yo international prospect but in just his second professional season.  Pitched to a 2.86 ERA withy 30 K's in 22 IP after promotion to A ball.

Niko Mazza:  8'th round draft pick in 2024.  Pitched to a 2.22 ERA in A ball in 2025 which is a conservative placement for a college draftee.

Argenis Cayama:  Age 18 season.  2.25 ERA in the ACL.  Struggled after a promotion to A San Jose.  Still young for level and has another chance in 2026. Considered one of the organization's top pitching prospects.

ACL:

Marlon Franco:  5.00 ERA but had 51 K's against 16 BB's in 54 IP. 5'th pro season after spending 4 years in the DSL.

Alexander Fuentes:  Big body pitcher at 6' 7", 245 lbs.  2.62 ERA in 34.1 IP.

DSL: 

Brayan Narvaez:  Third DSL season at age 20.  Was their best SP.  Low K/low BB, High FB. 

Alberto LaRoche:  2.11 ERA in second DSL season at age 19.  High GB, low BB

Dilan Fernandez:  Second DSL season at age 20.  Modest GB tendency.  

Carlos De La Rosa:  17 yo LHP who came over in Doval trade with Yankees.  51 K's, 10 BB's in 32.1 IP.  Love this acquistion.  Has a long way to go but might have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Giants organization.

Randry De Leon:  Third DSL season at age 19.  High walk rate holds back his effectiveness.

Elkyns Villareal:  Second DSL season at age 18.  Strong GB ratio but give up too many walks.

Iverson Paulino: First DSL season at age 18.  Numbers not great but size matters,  6' 6", 212 lbs.

Jose D. Gonzalez:  First DSL season at age 19.  low K, fairly low BB.

Luis Hernandez: Second DSL season at age 19.  2.00 GO/AO but too many walks.

Comment:  Tremendous pitching depth throughout the system but leans more to quantity than ace level quality.  If I had to pick out my top 3 in the upper levels I would say Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell and Carson Whisenhunt.  In the lower minors I would take Josh Bostick, Jacob Bresnahan and Carlos De La Rosa.

Thoughts On New Giants Manager Tony Vitello

 It's official!  Tony Vitello is the new Giants manager.  No details available yet but I doubt Vitello would leave his rock-solid job as head baseball coach at University of Tennessee for anything less than a rock-solid multi-year contract that pays significantly more then the $3 M/yr he's been getting at Tennessee.  After several weeks of interviewing exclusively ex-catchers, Buster makes his decision and hires an ex.......well, he's not an ex anything!  He never played or coached professional baseball even at the minor league level!  So what's Vitello's cred?

He played college ball at University of Missouri with Max Scherzer and earned degrees in management both as an undergraduate and in a masters program.  He used those skills to become an impact college baseball coach with a reputation for not only being a big motivator but a stickler for "fundamental" baseball, whatever that means.  It seems Scherzer thinks very highly of him and thinks he will make a fine MLB manager.  Does that mean we might see Mad Max in a Giants uniform next season in the Justin Verlander role? Hey!  Maybe Buster can sign both Verlander and Scherzer!  

Reports say Vitello has been on Buster Posey's radar for at least several months, maybe even for years.  It seems they have had many deep conversations about the game of baseball and how it should be played and their ideas are in synch.  While I have no idea if their ideas are what will transform the Giants but I find it encouraging that both men appear to be very thoughtful about the game and are both continually searching for improvement.  

I like that Vitello has formal education in management.  While managing people in any capacity is very much an art and in inborn talent, it's also very much a science.  The days of hiring an ex-player just because they "know the game" and/or are great guys in the clubhouse should be a relic of the past.  Yes, you need someone who knows the game and has the right personality but you also need someone who understands the science of leading and motivating people, as baseball players are people with people personalities and people problems just like all the rest of us.  

What I do think is an open question is how veteran MLB players will react to leadership from someone who never had any formal contact with the professional side of the game.  Mike Krukow, who is way older than old-school has already sounded that alarm.  It would not be a surprise if other old-schoolers like Will Clark and J. T. Snow chimed in with their 2-cents worth.  If they do, and if Buster is committed to seeing this through, then he needs to find a way to lower those guys profile in the organization.  The last thing this team needs is another 4-5 years of influential ex-players carping about lack of respect for the game and about playing the game the "right way."  

As a fan, I am excited by this bold decision and am rooting hard for it to work out.  As for any predictions about that, as always, I remain cautiously optimistic.

2025 Organizational Depth Charts: Right Field

Right Field is, by far, the most unsettled position on the Giants roster going into the Hot Stove League.  If you go back and look at posts from last offseason and 2024 season previews I believe I said one of Buster Posey's big tasks was to sort out the logjam of young outfielders on the roster.  Welp, that didn't happen and now that annoying and potentially crippling problem is hanging around like a bad intertrigo rash with no clear presumptive starter and no obvious ranking on the depth chart.

MLB(in no particular order):

Jerar Encarncacion:  It feels like Encarnacion is the guy the Giants wanted to step up and take the position.  Unfortunately he never got that chance due to a series of muscle strain injuries.  There is a righthanded platoon/bat off the bench roster spot there for the taking.  Do the Giants believe in him enough to roll with him again?  Tremendous power potential.  Great throwing arm.  Limited range in the OF.  Out of options.

Drew Gilbert: The way Oracle Park is configured, a RF who throws left has an angle advantage in tracking down those long R-CF gappers.  Think Gregor Blanco saving Matt Cain's perfect game.  I don't think a righthanded fielder gets to that ball.  Gilbert is the only OF on the roster who throws left.  Has 3 options.

Luis Matos:  We've already endlessly talked about his ups and downs.  Out of options.  If Buster doesn't go outside the organization to fill this gaping hole in the roster/lineup, I would like to see Matos get one more shot at 200 PA's before the Giants DFA him.

Grant McCray:  To my eye, McCray has the loudest tools in the logjam and therefore the highest ceiling.  He also has 2 options to work on bringing down that K rate in AAA.

AAA:  

None

AA:  

Victor Bericoto:  Bericoto is a good righthanded hitter.  His toolset probably profiles better in LF but he's played mostly RF and 1B in the minors.

Bo Davidson:  Davidson is developing as a CF but could cover Triples Alley from RF and looks like he may hit well enough for a corner OF.

Carter Howell:  Very disappointing season at the plate for Carter Howell.  The Eastern League curse got him.

A+:

Jakob Christian:  Tall, athletic player with nice hit/power combination.  

A:

Cam Maldonado:  Physical size profiles as a corner OF.  Modest start to pro career in 71 PA but walked at a 15.5% clip and stole 5 bases.

Carlos Gutierrez:  Was having a breakout season for San Jose when it was cut short by injury.  

ACL:

Rayner Arias: Arias development has suffered from a series of injuries.  Needs to find some traction in 2026.

Oliver Tejada:  Modest age 18 numbers in the ACL after a very promising start to his pro career in the DSL.  Will likely repeat the ACL in 2026 and look to dominate.

DSL:

Carlos Concepcion:  Taking 3 seasons to get out of the DSL is generally not a good sign for a prospect but put up nice numbers in his age 19 season including 6 HR.

Comment:  Right field was a hot mess in 2025.  Buster found himself in a situation of looming free agency for Mike Yastrzemski, who was in one of his brutal slumps, and in sell mode at the trade deadline but without any obvious replacement.  None emerged in the final 2 months of the season.  If anything the depth chart became more muddled.  If Buster feels he needs more certainty from the position he's going to have to bring in a player through free agency or trade.  If he feels he doesn't have the resources to do that, my opinion is give Luis Matos one more shot of at least 200 PA's and see if he can reprise what Heliot Ramos did in 2024.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Center Field

The Giants are paying Jung Hoo Lee a lot of money to be their center fielder for at least the next two years.  He is another player who feels like he's at a crossroads in his career having lost his first season in the role to injury and experiencing ups and downs in his first full season of action.  Buster Posey needs to keep his eye on two depth parameters this offseason:  Who is the back up CF in case of another injury and is there a player or players in the farm system who can develop into a replacement should Lee opt out in two years.  

MLB:

Jung Hoo Lee:  Lee started the season hot hitting 6 home runs in the first 2 months.  Pitchers figured out he was pulling everything and his BA plummeted into a long string of rolled over ground outs to 2B.  After reworking his approach at the All-Star Break the home runs disappeared but his overall line improved considerably to .293/.345/.414.  Questions about his D in CF also arose as he appeared to keep one eye on the wall and another on Heliot Ramos.  Overall Fangraphs rated his defense in negative territory.  Historically Korean players have taken a year to adjust to MLB pitching.  Did Jung Hoo Lee make that adjustment at midseason and can we expect the second half version for a full season next year?  If so, he's probably worth his contract and should probably switch places with Heliot Ramos in the lineup and bat leadoff.  

Drew Gilbert:  Gilbert had a wild month after his call up.  He definitely brought energy with him, maybe too much energy!  He showed a bit of pop, speed to cover CF and arm to play RF.  What he didn't do is hit much finishing with a .190 BA.  Did he show enough to be a 4'th OF next season?  He has 3 options.

Grant McCray:  McCray was parked in AAA most of the season.  He came 3 SB's short of a 15/30 season but a persistent high K rate held his overall line down.  I still think he has the best overall tools of any OF in the system except possibly Bo Davidson.  To me the big issue is the strikeouts.  Can he get those under control?  He has 2 more options.

AAA:  

Turner Hill:  Undrafted free agent signed May 2023.  Similar profile to Wade Meckler and Drew Gilbert.  Smallish lefty batting CF with some speed.  Hill is listed on the AAA roster but spent most of his season in AA Richmond with a respectable line of .256/.356/.357, 18 SB.   His walk rate(11.5%) was higher than his K rate(10.2%).

AA:

Bo Davidson:  Another undrafted free agent, Davidson is starting to get some national attention as an overlooked gem with effusive scouting reports.  He fell just short of a 20/20 season across two levels and held his own after a midseason promotion to AA.  Double digit walk rates while keeping his K rate in the low 20's% is another positive sign.  He has a half-season head start on his AA season.  You don't have to squint too hard to see him advancing to AAA sooner than later and maybe even making his MLB debut in 2026.

A+:

Jonah Cox:  Cox came over to the Giants from the A's in the Ross Stripling trade.  He has one outstanding skill:  Stealing bases. He stole 58 bases in each of the last two seasons.  He obviously has the speed to play CF and added 10 HR's in 2025.  He cut his K rated down from around 30% to a more manageable 22.4%.  He should get the AA test in 2026.

A:  

Dakota Jordan:  Very muscular.  Built like a football linebacker.  Power plus speed.   Unpolished game.  Put up a fine line of .311/.377/.497 for A San Jose which is a very conservative placement for a 4'th round draft pick out of college in his first full season.  Ended the season on the IL, I think with a muscle strain.  Should move up to A+ in 2026. Physically a unique player it's fun to dream on.

Trevor Cohen:  Third round draft pick out of Rutgers who wasn't ranked in MLB's top draft prospects.  Contact hitter extraordinaire with an inverted K/BB of 11.5/15.4.  Stole 8 bases in 130 PA's but just one HR. Speed to play CF.  Based on Buster Posey's comments of the type of hitter he thinks will thrive in Oracle Park, we should be hearing a lot more about Cohen going forward.  

ACL:

Andy Polanco:  11'th round draft pick in 2024.  Polanco put up a line of .264/.346/.336 with 22 SB's in 163 PA's in the ACL in his age 20 season.  At 6' 4", 195 pounds he has to size to develop power.  We should see him in San Jose in 2026.

DSL:

Luis Frias:  Batted .288 in the DSL but this was his 4'th season down there.  

Djean Macares:  6 digit bonus baby from the 2025 international signing cycle.  Batted just .214 in his first pro season but with inverted K/BB, 13.0/14.5.  

Comment:  Pivotal season coming up for Jung Hoo Lee.  He needs to continue his second half approach and show a little more aggressiveness in the OF and he'll be fine.  Should be the leadoff batter where he can use his all-fields, line drive, gap power approach to maximum effect.  Is his back up Drew Gilbert or Grant McCray?  Deeper in the system the Giants have several interesting prospects led by Bo Davidson who could be just about ready to step up if Lee ends up opting out after the 2027 season.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Left Field

Outfield is more challenging to work out depth charts for, especially left field.  Since any outfielder should be able to play left field, we could list every outfielder in the organization!  Since that seems potentially redundant and pointless, we'll try to keep the list down to players more likely to end up in specific outfield positions.  We will try to not repeat names except in a few cases where it seems warranted.

Heliot Ramos became the first Giants "homegrown" starting outfielder since Chili Davis.  Will he become Giants first leftfielder to start two opening days in a row in 19 years?  That's a burning question for Buster Posey to answer this offseason.

MLB:

Heliot Ramos:  There's a reason why the "Sophomore Jinx" is a time honored right of passage for young MLB players.  If you are a hitter, pitchers find the holes in your swing.  If you are a pitcher, hitters learn what you like to throw in certain counts and situations.  It's the start of the endless adjustment and readjustment game that separates the players who have long careers from the flashes in the pan.  As sophomore jinxes go, Heliot Ramos had a relatively mild one but it was there.  The good news is he lowered his K rate and slightly increased his walk rate.  The bad news is he made weaker contact and made a series of mental gaffes in the outfield and on the basepaths.  He got hit with a few pitches which at one point seemed to get into his head a bit.  The big question facing Buster Posey is does he believe Ramos is a player who will make the readjustment and enter the peak years of his career or has that peak come and gone?  If it's the latter, Buster has a lot bigger job this winter than just building depth in the pitching staff.  He might be willing to trust an internal option to emerge in right field.  He can't do that with both right field and left field.

Luis Matos:  Matos started the season as the fourth outfielder behind Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Mike Yastrzemski.  He did not get a lot of opportunities to play and and did not find traction.  After YtY was traded he burst out to a .415 BA in August.  Then, after a cold 2 weeks in September he was optioned out to Sacramento for Drew Gilbert who showed a lot of energy but little else.  So where does that leave Matos who is out of options for 2026?  Another burning question Buster has to make a decision on. It does not seem likely that if Buster were to move on from Ramos, he would put his faith in Luis Matos.

Marco Luciano:  After a disastrous series of defensive gaffes while playing infield positions in 2024, the Giants former top prospect was moved to LF to concentrate on his hitting.  The results were mixed.  He hit 23 home runs in AAA and at one point I think he led the organization.  He was patient at the plate and drew walks at a 15% rate which is excellent.  But plate discipline is a tow-edged sword and his strike out rate remained over 30% and a .214 BA cut into his OPS.  He is also out of options in 2026 and for all of Heliot Ramos struggles it's hard to see Buster tossing him aside to put his trust in Luciano.  

Wade Meckler:  It tells you something that a new player, Drew Gilbert, with a very similar profile Meckler got the call up and Meck didn't.  In fairness, Gilbert seems to have just a bit bigger tools across the board and probably has more upside than Meckler.  Meckler, like Matos and Luciano, is out of options and seems more likely to be DFA'd than to make the team out of spring training.

AAA:

None:

AA: 

Scott Bandura: We've discussed Bandura's back story several time.  He played well in A+ in his age 23 season and earned a promotion to the dreaded AA Eastern League where he predictably struggled.  He has a year before he becomes Rule 5 draft eligible. Hopefully the experience he gained after his promotion will give him a head start on figuring out AA pitching.

Victor Bericoto:  By Eastern League standards, Bericoto had a pretty good season splitting time between RF and 1B.  Despite logging more innings at 1B, he's listed as an OF on the roster.  If he goes unselected in the Rule 5 Draft, he could come to spring training as a longshot to win a roster spot in a right handed bat off the bench role.

A+:

Jakob Christian:  Listed on the Eugene roster as an OF, he also split time at first base.  Big guy with power potential. and some athleticism.  Put up strong numbers at the plate in both A and A+ ball.  

Damian Bravo:  15'th round draft pick.  Assigned to A+ ball right out of the draft and wasn't overwhelmed batting .276 in 98 PA's.  

A:

Lisbel Diaz: Bat took a slight step back in his age 19 season but still had 10 HR's and 23 SB's.  Needs to build on that in 2026.

ACL:

Rayner Arias:  Bonus Baby from 2023.  Development delayed by a series of injuries.  Needs to stay healthy and find traction in 2026.

DSL:

None.

Comment:   Buster failed to sort out the outfield prospect logjam so has to try again with time running out on the option clocks for several players and to fill a gaping hole in right field.  If Heliot Ramos isn't his left fielder going forward the job suddenly gets a whole lot tougher.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Shortstop

We can pretty much take what we said about Matt Chapman and third base and transpose it to Willy Adames and shortstop for the next 6 years.  Barring a catastrophic injury, there just isn't much need for depth at the position.  

MLB:

Willy Adames:  After a horrendous start to the season, Adames ended up about where we would expect.  Hopefully the first half of the season was the oft-seen stress of feeling like he had to live up to the contract.

Christian Koss:  Christian Koss's ace-in-the-hole is his ability to play shortstop at a higher level than other utility infielders.  He may not be needed much with Adames holding down the position but it's nice to have someone who can step in and not be a defensive disaster at the position.

AAA:  

None.  Osleivis Basabe is listed on the AAA roster but I am pretty sure he's a minor league free agent who may or may not re-sign.

AA:

Aeverson Arteaga:  Had a rough season at the plate after missing most of 2024.  AA a tough assignment coming off a lost season like that.

A+:

Maui Ahuna:  Has been held back by injuries but seems to have the defensive chops to play SS at higher levels.  Needs to hit.

Zane Zielinski:  Was the primary shortstop for A+ Eugene most of the season.  He didn't show much power but stole 32 bases to go with a .338 OBP.

A:  

Jhonny Level:  Giants are excited about this sparkplug type player.  Full season ball will be a bigger test of his tools.

Lorenzo Meola:  Fourth round draft pick out of Stetson.  Considered more of a true shortstop than Gavin Kilen who will likely end up at 2B.  Hit 3 HR in 70 PA's in his pro debut.

ACL:

None.  Jhonny Level was the primary shortstop for the ACL season but is now on the A San Jose roster due to promotion after the ACL season ended.

DSL:

Josuar Gonzalez:  Current shiniest new toy.  Considered a true shortstop with speed comped to Jose Reyes which is pretty heady stuff.  Can he live up to the hype at higher levels?

Anthony Marquez:  Decent line of .276/.423/.362 with 13 SB's in his second pro season at age 18.  Not much of an improvement on his 2024 line so where does he go from here?

Comment:  Most of this list is probably academic until you get to Jhonny Level and Josuar Gonzalez. They are both several years away which is probably a good think since Willy Adames has their position locked down for the next several years.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Third Base

The only reason we need to talk about a depth chart for third base is in case of injury to Matt Chapman, otherwise he's the third baseman for the next 5 years and he's going to be out there every day.  

MLB:

Matt Chapman:  The only question mark with Chapman is whether his hand will be fully healed by spring.  He seemed more comfortable down the stretch so reason to be optimistic.  

Casey Schmitt:  One big point for rolling with Schmitt and Koss again at 2B is their versatility.  Koss can cover SS and Schmitt can cover 3B in situations where coverage is needed but likely to be seldom used.

AAA:  

None:

AA:  

Sabin Ceballos:  Had a great spring training and and abysmal AA season.  He finally go hot in the final month.  Did he finally figure out AA pitching or was that a sample size blip?

Justin Wishkoski:  The Eastern League Curse bites him too.  Weak line of .223/.316/.325 got worse as season progressed.

A+:  

Zander Darby:  12'th round draft pick out of UCSB in 2024.  Batted .291/.403/.459 for A San Jose, .123/.261/.228 in a small sample after a late promotion to A+.

A:  

Walker Martin:  Had a burst of home runs midseason but overall another disappointing season at the plate with a high K rate.  Assigned to Arizona Fall League but I have not seen his name in the boxscores there.

Dario Reynoso:  Started out as a shortstop in the DSL.  Played 2B and 3B last season about equally last season.  20 years old with 3 seasons of pro experience.  Batted .298/.442/.556 for the ACL Giants.  Struggled to a .128 BA in a small sample after promotion to A San Jose after the ACL season ended. 

ACL: 

None:  Most third basemen start out as shortstops who outgrow the position.

DSL:

None 

Comment:  Giants may be in the market for a 3B with MLB experience on a minor league deal but that's about it for 2026.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Second Base

 For the second consecutive season, second base was a problematic position for the Giants as the player expected to stabilize the position, Tyler Fitzgerald struggled to make contact and finished the season in AAA purgatory.  Casey Schmitt showed some improvement in plate discipline and power potential but faded in the second half while Christian Koss showed steady improvement in his role as a utility infielder as the season progressed.  Buster Posey and Zach Minasian have a big decision to make:  Do they put their trust in Schmitt and Koss to continue the upward trajectory of their careers or do they go outside the organization to upgrade the position?

MLB:

Casey Schmitt:  Schmitt's first half line was .254/.343/.398, 4 HR in 135 PA's.  His second half line was .227/.282/.402, 8 HR in 213 PA's.  Although his K rate remained about the same as previous years at between 23-24%, his walk rate improved to around 8% but regressed in the second half.  While the power potential is intriguing, there just is not a lot here to create confidence going forward.  

Christian Koss:  Christian Koss's overall numbers were not much different than Casey Schmitt's but he had two really good months and one of them was in September when he hit .310.  The other was in June when he broke out with a .353 BA after struggling the first two months.  In between, he spent July on the IL with a hamstring strain and took awhile to get going after he came back with a .234 BA in August.  Still, the general impression was that he improved his game as the season went along and seemed to thrive with more playing time.  He will almost certainly stick around as a utility infielder but can he progress to a starting gig at 2B?  

Tyler Fitzgerald:  To say 2025 was a disappointing season for Tyler Fitzgerald is an understatement.  He entered the season as the starting second baseman but K rates approaching 30% took their toll and he found himself optioned out to Sacramento.  He returned several times to fill in for injuries but did not appear in any MLB games after 8/22.  At this point he appears to be a lot closer to a DFA than to reclaiming a MLB role.  

AAA:  

Dayson Croes:  Signed out of indy ball at age 26 after a collegiate career at Quincy University in Illinois.  Where?  He's raked everywhere he's played and proceeded to hit .300 across 4 levels in his first season of affiliated ball.  He's now listed on AAA Sacramento roster.  He's a lefty bat.  If he continues to hit there is a great chance we see him in The Show sometime in 2026.

AA: 

Nate Furman:  Acquired from the Guardians for Alex Cobb in late August of 2024.  Got a late start on 2025 but batted .369 across 4 levels.  Showed a little pop with 7 HR in 227 PA.   Rule 5 Draft eligible in November.

Diego Velasquez:  International bonus baby in 2021 signed as a shortstop.  Good contact hitter but power failed to develop.  Played exclusively 2B in 2025 which really puts a dent in his value.  Rule 5 eligible in November.

A+:

Jean Carlos Sio:  Batted .304/.395/.422, 8 HR, 18 SB across two levels in 2025.  11% walk rate with 13.4% K rate.  Not Rule 5 eligible until Dec 2027.  Sleeper in the system.

Quinn McDaniel:  Nice power and speed combo but K rates near 30% continue to drag down his overall value.

A:  

Gavin Kilen:  First round draft pick from 2025.  Drafted as a SS but future is likely at 2B.  Appeared in just 10 pro games for A San Jose and batted just .205 before an injury ended his season.  Maybe just a blip in his pro career but that's not what you want to see from your top draft pick in their pro debut.

ACL:  

None

DSL:  

Yosneiker Rivas:  Batted .315/.412/.462 in his third DSL season at age 19.  

Yulian Barreto:  .322/.449/.394 9 SB, 15.9 BB%, 14.5 K% in his first pro season at age 17. 

Comment:  Second Base is a potential position for upgrade this offseason.  Some potential free agent names include Jorge Polanco, Luis Rengifo and Gleyber Torres.  Polanco and Torres will be pricey.  Rengifo is coming off a down season and would likely accept a 1 year contract but Oracle Park would likely be a deterrent.  Isiaiah Kiner-Falefa is a multi-positional player the Giants reportedly had interest in at the trade deadline.  A lot depends on how much Buster has to spend on upgrading the pitching which is a much higher priority.

Organizational Depth Charts: First Base

The Giants clearly hope Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge lock down first base and designated hitter for the next 6-8 years.  The only question is when Eldridge takes his place in the tandem and of course there is no such thing as a can't miss prospect and Eldridge is still a prospect.   If everything goes as planned, organizational depth at first base is essentially a moot issue. 

MLB:

Rafael Devers:  Like it or not, for better or worse, Rafael Devers and the Giants fortunes are now tied to each other for the next eight seasons.  On the plus side, Devers is one of the best hitters in the game and comes at a reasonable price by today's standards.  On the other hand, eight years is a long, long time.  At this point it seems clear that playing first base is going to be part of Devers job description which creates an inneresting situation because that's the position top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, plays.  For now, the stated plan is for them to divide first base and DH.  From an aesthetic standpoint it seems less than ideal for both your 1B/DH and top two power hitters bat from the same side but it might just work since the next 3 best hitters, Adames, Chapman and Ramos all bat righthanded.  

One of the more interesting subplots to the 2025 season was watching a bewildered Devers come in looking like he didn't know what hit him and playing baseball was the last place on Earth he wanted to be then progressing to look like he was actually having fun out there.  He seemed to be nursing some sort of muscular injury when he first arrived and when he first started playing first base I held my breath on every play wondering if he was going to collapse in a heap and be done for the season.  Instead, he seemed to pick up the basics of the position quite quickly and by the end of the season was making some athletic plays that made me remember he was a third baseman not that long ago.  With an offseason and spring training to polish his defensive game I can visualize him becoming a plus fielder at the position.

Bryce Eldridge:  In 2024, Eldridge emerged as the top prospect in the organization and did nothing to diminish that designation in 2025.  Personally I would not have added him to the 40-man roster logjam even at the end of the season, but here we are.  Eldridge got his cup of coffee and maybe it will pay off with accelerating his development.  While the numbers were not impressive, he did not look nearly as wide-eyed as Brandon Belt in 2011.  He appears to already have feel for the strike zone and didn't swing at a lot of bad pitches, yet was also not afraid to swing with authority at good pitches.  It appears to be just a matter of time until some of the near-misses turn into splash hits.  He also seemed surprisingly nimble around first base.  While his future success as a major league power hitter is far from assured it seems the only remaining question is when, not if, he takes his place as the co-1B/DH with Devers.  

Jerar Encarnacion:  The Giants had high hopes for Jerar going into last season only to have it lost to a series of injuries.  He's out of options and will need to stay healthy and have an impressive spring to win a roster spot.  He can play a passable RF but is also a right handed option at first base if Eldridge isn't quite ready.

AAA:  

None:  Drew Ellis is listed on the Sacramento River Cats roster and he played a little first base but he batted just .208 and I think he's a minor league free agent.

AA:  

None:  Sabin Ceballos played a little first base but is mostly 3B and struggled at the plate most of the season.

A+:

Parks Harber:  Intriguing player who came over from the Yankees in the Doval trade.  Listed as 3B but also played first.  Big kid at 6' 3", 225 lbs.  Bats right.  scored an assignment to the Arizona Fall League. Raked every place he's played.

Charlie Szykowny:  We've talked a lot about Szykowny.  He had a power breakout in 2025.  The challenge of AA awaits.

A:  

Robert Hipwell:  Drafted as a 3B but now mostly plays 1B.  3-true outcome stat pattern with low BA, high OBP and a 30% K rate.  Appears to need work on defense.

Jeremiah Jenkins:  Tall lefty first baseman.  Got a late start on the season apparently due to injury.  Has shown flashes of power in limited playing time.

ACL:

Angel Guzman: Small for a first baseman with a disappointing batting line in the ACL after two DSL seasons.  2025 was his age 19 season.

Jesus Alexander:  Listed as a catcher but now plays almost exclusively first base.  Hits for average but so far little power.

DSL:

Evan Estevez:  Completed two pro seasons before his 18'th birthday.  Has shown early ability to hit for both average and power.

Fernando Pena: Another catcher who moved to a lower defensive position.  Decent batting line in age 18 season.  

Franco Willias:  Old for the DSL at age 20 but only 2 pro seasons so still has time to develop.  Shows some power and speed.

Comment:  The big question facing Buster Posey and Zach Minasian this offseason is whether they are ready to put their faith in Bryce Eldridge from Opening Day.  If so, they need a righthanded bat off the bench who can play the Wilmer Flores role, maybe even re-sign Wilmer?  If they feel Eldridge needs more seasoning they need to a credible DH/1B to split the two roles with Devers.  If that is the case it seems like their best bet is to re-sign Dom Smith who played a stabilizing role after joining the 2025 team.

Giants Organizational Depth Charts: Catcher

Now that we have our season reviews of all organizational levels out of the way, let's get started on our organizational depth charts.  First off, a disclaimer:  I have no knowledge of how Buster Posey and Giants management rank their players outside of what I read in easily accessible news sources.  These are my rankings.  I base this on roster lists for various organizational levels and I exclude players who I understand will be free agents once the postseason games are over.  We'll start off with the catcher position.  

MLB: 

1.  Patrick Bailey:  Bailey is the best defensive catcher in MLB by a large margin which is where almost all of his value lies because he is also one of the worst hitting catchers in league.  There are some reasons to think he might be able to improve, if only modestly, which would give him elite WAR value.  He's still young at age 26 and has not quite 3 years of MLB experience so may still be figuring out how to adjust and readjust to MLB pitching.  He was much better in the second half last season after one of the worst half-seasons at the plate of any Giants hitter in my memory and I lived through Johnnie LeMaster.  He was an early adopter of the "torpedo" bats early last season which have a mixed track record and seemed to not serve Bailey well.  His bats looked more orthodox in the second half when his numbers improved a lot.  MLBTR says Bailey is arbitration eligible and projected to make $2.2 M next season, but not so fast.  NBC Sports Bay Area says he must be a "super two" player to be eligible and will likely "just miss."  In either case, Bailey is still a bargain even if he remains completely dependent on his defense for value.

2.  Andrew Knizner:  It seems like a lot of analysts are writing off Knizner for next season and penciling in Jesus Rodriguez, acquired in the Camilo Doval trade with the Yankees, as the back up catcher.  I say not so fast.  We'll talk about Rodriquez in more detail next but are the Giants really going to turn the back up catcher role over to someone who has never played a MLB game?  Reserve catcher role is notoriously hard and Knizner provided just above league average defense and batted over .300 in the second half which is extremely tough to do in such a small sample size of PA's.  Knizner is arbitration eligible with a MLBTR projected salary of $1.3 M.  I don't think the Giants will go all the way to an arbitration hearing with him but they should do everything they reasonably can to get him re-signed for another season.  

3.  Jesus Rodriguez:  Rodriguez has hit for average at every level in the minor leagues but with limited power.  According to scouting reports in mlb.com and Fangraphs his superior contact skill is countered by a hyper-aggressive approach at the plate which causes him to swing at a lot of pitches outside the zone leading to weaker contact, although double digit BB% seems to indicate an improvement in plate discipline.  He has a plus arm behind the plate but the rest of his defensive profile is iffy.  Buster Posey is said to be looking for contact hitters who will keep the line moving so he may roll the dice on his trade deadline acquisition but it seems like Rodriguez might be better served polishing both his plate discipline and receiving skills in AAA Sacramento while he waits for an opportunity.  He's already on the 40-man roster but Fangraphs says he has two options.

AAA:  

None:  I assume Sam Huff, Logan Porter and Max Stassi are all minor league free agents and the only other player listed as a catcher on the AAA Sacramento River Cats roster is Thomas Gavello who played zero games at catcher last season.  I would not be surprised if the Giants bring back at least one of the vets for catching depth.

AA:  

Drew Cavanaugh:  Cavanaugh was the Giants 17'th round draft pick in 2023 and made impressive progress this season batting over .290 with some power at A San Jose and A+ Eugene.  He filled in for 14 games in AAA where he hit .184 and finished the season with a cup of coffee in AA Richmond where he hit .186.  I saw him play for San Jose early in the season where he looked like the best hitter on the team.  He will probably start 2026 in AA where he will try to overcome the Eastern League Curse.

Zach Morgan and Adrian Sugastey are also listed on the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels roster.  They have both struggled to hit with consistency.

A+:

Jack Payton, Onil Perez and Luke Shliger are all listed on the A+ Eugene Emeralds roster but are fringe prospects who have yet to find traction in professional baseball.

A:  

Daniel Rogers was an undrafted free agent who batted .278 in 54 AB's at the end of the season.  He bats left.  The other intriguing name on the roster is Diego Cartaya who was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball in the Dodgers organization.  BTW, the Dodgers have produced some fine major league ballplayers but their prospects and farm system are sometimes wildly overrated because....Dodgers.  I am not sure what Cartaya's status is for next season.  He was signed late so he may be on one of those year+ contracts which carries over to the next season.  Fernando Gonzalez, Ty Hanchey and Juan Perez are also listed on the SJ roster but appear to be more organizational players.

ACL:  

Santiago Camacho is a switch-hitting 18-year old in his second pro season who had a respectable line of .234/.295/.426 with 5 HR in 156 PA.  He can start 2026 back in the ACL and still not be old for his level

DSL:  

Yohendry Sanchez was the Giants highest bonus baby from 2024 just above Jhonny Level.  He played very little in his age 17 season but batted .275/.359/.394 in 170 PA's in his age 18 season in 2025.  I expect to see him in ACL Giants boxscores next season.  Miguel Caraballo is an intriguing prospect who played all of 2025 season at age 16.  He is a switch-hitter and put up an impressive line of .264/.432/.442 with 5 HR's.  

2025 Season Reviews: DSL Giants Orange

Giants Orange's record in the DSL was 35-19, good for first place in the Southwest division.  Like Giants Black, they were eliminated from the postseason during the pool play phase.  

Team Stats:  

Batting Average- .246(27)

OBP- .390(14)

SLG%:  .346(23)

OPS:  .736(25)

Hits:  391(29)

Doubles:  62(46)

Triples:  14(35)

Home Runs:  23(20)

Stolen Bases:  75(44)

Runs:  .323(20)

ERA:  4.17(9)

K/9:  7.58(47)

BB/9:  5.57(17)

Saves:  14(8)

GO/AO:  1.14(7)

Individual Stats:

Batting Leaders:

Plate Appearances:  1.  Yulian Barreto(17 yo)-  227.  2.  Anthony Marquez(18 yo)- 221.  3.  Djean Macares(17 yo)- 200.

Batting Average:  1.  Barreto- .322.  2.  Carlos Concepcion(18 yo)- .282.  3.  Marquez- .276.

OBP:  1.  Barreto- .449.  2.  Miguel Caraballo(16 yo)- .432.  Marquez- .423.

SLG%:  1.  Concepcion- .497.  2. Caraballo- .442.  3.  Barreto- .394.

OPS:  1. l Caraballo- .874.  2.  Concepcion- .869.  3.  Barreto- .843.

Hits:  1.  Barreto- 58.  2.  Marquez- 48.  3.  Concepcion- 46.

Doubles:  1.  Marquez- 12.  2.  Concepcion- 9.  3.  Barreto- 6.

Triples:  1.  Concepcion, Macares- 4.  3.  Barreto, Caraballo- 2

Home Runs:  1.  Concepcion- 6.  2.  Caraballo- 5.  3.  Rainer Espinoza(17 yo), Franco Willias(20 yo)- 3.

BB%:  1.  Marquez- 18.6.  2.  Caraballo- 16.6.  3.  Barreto- .159.

K%:  1.  Macares- 13.0.  2.  Marquez- 14.0.  3.  Barreto- 14.5.

Pitching:  

Innings:  1.  Jose D. Gonzalez(19 yo)- 41.1.  2.  Iverson Paulino(18 yo)- 41.  3.  Elkyns Villareal(18 yo)- 38.

ERA(Min 20 IP):  1.  Jose D. Gonzalez- 2.40.  2.  Omar Calcurian(20 yo)- 2.73.  3.  Randry DeLeon(19 yo)- 3.66.

K/9(Min 20 IP):  1.  DeLeon- 12.94.  2.  Villareal- 9.24.  3.  Luis Hernandez(19 yo)- 8.75.

BB/9(Min 20 IP):  Brayan Cabello(21 yo)- 2.54.  2.  Jose Trevizo(17 yo)- 3.16.  3.  Jose D. Gonzalez- 3.27.

GO/AO(Min 20 IP):  Cabello- 2.00.  2.  Villareal- 1.80.  3.  Calcurian- 1.43.

Comments:  Djean Macares is a CF prospect who got a sizable bonus.  Miguel Caraballo is intriguing as he is a switch-hitting catcher who played the full season at age 16.  Yulian Barreto put up impressive batting numbers but is more limited defensively to 2B.