Down on the Farm: 7/18/2026

 AAA:  Albuquerque Isotoped blasted the Sacramento River Cats 11-7.

Scott Bandura CF- 3 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .273.

Parks Harber 3B- 1 for 3, 2 BB.  BA= .286.

Bo Davidson RF- 2 for 5.  BA= .500.

Will Brennan LF- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(5).  BA= .337.

Dayson Croes 1B- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .262.

Zach Morgan C- 1 for 4, HR(1), SF.  BA= .222.

Wilkin Ramos RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.96.

Ryan Walker RHP- 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

The new kids are doing well.  Will Ryan Walker get another MLB look?

AA:  Richmond Flying Squirrels topped the Erie Seawolves 7-6.

Gavin Kilen SS- 1 for 5, 2B.  BA= .250.

Dakota Jordan CF- 1 for 4, 2B, BB.  BA= .286.

Charlie Szykowny DH- 3 for 5, 2B.  BA= .248.

Ty Hanchey C- 3 for 5.  BA= .264.

Zane Zielinski 2B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .211.

Charlie McDaniel LHP- 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.18.

A+:  Eugene Emeralds defeated the Hillsboro Hops 3-1.

Carlos Gutierrez LF- 1 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .261.

Jakob Christian 1B- 1 for 1, HR(9), 2 BB.  BA= .256.

Jacob Bresnahan LHP- 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 2.92.

Mauricio Estrella RHP- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 1.42.

Ryan Slater RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's, Save(4).  ERA= 3.98.

A:  San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports 6-2.

Jose Ramos 2B- 2 for 5, 3B.  BA= .258.

Lorenzo Meola SS- 3 for 5, 2 2B, SB(12).  BA= .261.

Oliver Tejada LF- 1 for 3, 2B, HBP.  BA= .239.

Jordan Gottesman LHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 4.29.

This was Gottesman's best start since June 3.

ACL:  Angels crushed the Giants 13-2(Completion of suspended game).

Luis Hernandez 3B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .292.

Rayner Arias DH- 1 for 3, HR(3).  BA= .182.

Argenis Cayama RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.00.

ACL:  Angels outscored the Giants 10-6(7 innings).

Luis Hernandez DH- 2 for 4, 2B.  BA= .293.

Fernando Gonzalez C- 2 for 3, 2B, BB.  BA= .500.

Rayner Arias LF/RF- 1 for 3, HR(4), BB.  BA= .196.

2 HR's in one day for Rayner Arias. Is he starting to find a little traction?  That would be a big development for the Giant farm system.

DSL was idle for their All-Star break.

Game Wrap 7/18/2026: Mariners 4 Giants 3(10 Innings)

Logan Webb pitched 6 innings of shut out ball before stumbling in the 7'th inning.  Solo home runs by Rafael Devers and Willy Adames plus and unearned run were not enough to prevent an extra-inning loss.  Key Lines:

Bryce Eldridge DH- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .274.  The first two batters in the lineup, Arraez and Eldridge reached base 5 of 10 PA's but did not figure into the scoring mainly because the 3, 4 and 5 batters went a combined 2 for 13 with a walk.  

Rafael Devers 1B- 1 for 5, HR(20), R, RBI.  BA= .245.  Devers appears to be well on his way to surpassing 30 HR's on the season.  Is that enough production for the size of his contract?

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 4, HR(17), R, RBI.  BA= .230.  Adames fell off the pace for 30 HR's but HR's in consecutive games after the All-Star Break get him closer to being on track.  Maybe Adames might produce better with an occasional day off?  

Logan Webb RHP- 6.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K's, 2 HBP, 10/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.87.  It's a Quality Start but Webb was cruising to a scoreless start when he gave up a 3-run bomb to Cole Young after hitting a batter on an 0-2 pitch then walking the next batter on 4 pitches.  That tied the game setting up a walk-off win in extra-innings for the Mariners.  

The loss was the Giants 6'th time failing to extend a 3-game win streak this season.

Robbie Ray LHP goes for the series win today facing Logan Gilbert RHP who comes in with an ERA of 3.32.  

Jim Callis of mlb.com reports the Giants signed #4 overall draft choice, Jackson Flora RHP, with a signing bonus approximately $1 M below the slot bonus which frees up considerable bonus money to sign later round picks who will probably be looking for above-slot bonuses.  

Down on the Farm: 7/17/2026

There's been a major readjustment of the Giants minor league rosters with several promotions at almost every level.  We'll try to make note of them as we come across names in the boxscores.

AAA:  Sacramento River Cats defeated the Albuquerque Isotopes 5-2.

Nate Furman 2B- 3 for 5, 2 2B.  BA= .283.

Parks Harber 3B- 1 for 4, 2B.  BA= .250.

Bo Davidson RF- 3 for 5.  BA= .600.

Osleivis Basabe SS- 3 for 4, BB.  BA= .267.

Turner Hill CF- 2 for 5.  BA= .328.

Blade Tidwell RHP- 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.40.

Braxton Roxby RHP- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.62.

Joe Whitman LHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 4.13.

Parks Harber and Bo Davidson have successful AAA debuts. 

AA:  Erie Seawolves beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 5-2.

Gavin Kilen SS- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .333.

Dakota Jordan CF- 1 for 3, BB, SB.  BA= .333.

Diego Velasquez 2B- 1 for 3, BB.  BA= .292.

Yunior Marte RHP- 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 5.20.

Freshly promoted players Trevor Cohen RF, Kilen and Jordan batted 1, 2, 3 in the Squirrels lineup.  Cohen went 0 for 5.  

A+:  Eugene Emeralds topped the Hillsboro Hops 6-2.

Isaiah Barkett 2B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .500.

Carlos Gutierrez LF- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .261.

Zander Darby 3B- 2 for 4, HR(8).  BA= .263.

Walker Martin SS- 2 for 4.  BA= .224.

Hunter Dryden RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 4.70.

Esmerlin Vinicio LHP- 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 3.12.

Liam Simon RHP- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 5.97.

Gerelmi Maldonado RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 3.57.

Isaiah Barkett does not miss a beat in first A+ game.

A:  Stockton Ports outscored the San Jose Giants 7-6.

Lorenzo Meola SS- 1 for 5, HR(10).  BA= .255.

Junior Barajas C- 2 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .238.

Dario Reynoso 3B- 2 for 4, BB.  BA= .294.

Andy Polanco CF- 3 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .265.

Keyner Martinez RHP- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 4.36.

Fernando Vasquez RHP- 2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.35.

Chen-Hsun Lee RHP- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 0.00.

Lorenzo Meola is batting .404 with 4 HR's in July.

ACL:  Giants shut out the A's 3-0(7 innings).

Josuar Gonzalez SS- 1 for 2, 2B, BB.  BA= .360.

Adrian Sugastey DH- 2 for 3.  BA= .357.

Darien Smith RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.  ERA= 4.50.

Leandro Rodriguez LHP- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.18.

I wonder if the Giants will give Josuar Gonzalez a preview of A ball before the end of the season?

DSL:  Giants Black topped the Nationals 7-6.

Djean Macares CF(18 yo)- 2 for 4, BB, 3 SB(16).  BA= .257.

Franco Willias LF- 2 for 4, HR(5), SB(17).  BA= .342.

Dennys Riera 3B- 2 for 5, 2B, SB(4).  BA= .324.

Diego Alambarrio C(18 yo)- 2 for 4.  BA= .231/

Alexander Camacaro 2B(18 yo)- 2 for 4, HR(1).  BA= .281.

Luis Hernandez RHP- 5 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 5.40.

DSL:  Angels blasted Giants Orange 13-6.

Yeison Oviedo SS(18 yo)- 3 for 5.  BA= .337.

Yoxander Benitez 2B- 1 for 3, 2B, 2 BB.  BA= .275.

Jose Valdez CF(17 yo)- 1 for 3, 3B, BB.  BA= .252.  

Game Wrap 7/17/2026: Giants 7 Mariners 0

Landen Roupp and two relievers shut down the Mariners while Bryce Eldridge and Willy Adames powered the lineup  and the Giants ended up cruising to an easy win.  Key Lines:

Bryce Eldridge DH- 1 for 5, HR(9), R, 2 RBI.  BA= .269.  Eldridge broke the scoreless tie in the 5'th with a 2-run HR.

Jung Hoo Lee RF- 3 for 4, HBP, 2 R.  BA= .307.  Lee's 103 hit ties him for 12'th in MLB.  His .307 BA is 6'th.

Willy Adames SS- 1 for 5, HR(16), R, 4 RBI.  BA= .229.  Adames grand slam HR capped the Giants scoring in the 7'th inning.  The Giants lead MLB with 8 grand slam home runs on the season.  On the downside, Adames committed his 14'th error which ties him for second highest by shortstops in MLB.  

Drew Cavanaugh C- 2 for 2, 2 BB, R.  BA= .265.  Interesting that Susac was activated before the game and Eric Haase DFA'd but Cavanaugh started at catcher against the RHP.  They may now be in a strict L-R platoon.  

Casey Schmitt 3B- 2 for 5, SB(8), R.  BA= .282.  Schmitt has a 5-game hit streak with 3 2-hit games.  

Landen Roupp RHP- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K's, 13/3 GO/AO.  ERA= 3.98.  4 of Roupp's last 5 starts were Quality Starts.  This was his first scoreless start since his first on March 30.

Jason Foley RHP and Caleb Kilian RHP pitched clean 8'th and 9'th innings respectively.  

Logan Webb RHP comes back from not playing in the All-Star game to face Bryan Woo RHP who comes in with a 4.23 ERA.

Down on the Farm: 7/16/2026

 ACL:  Giants edged out the Guardians 3-2.

Adrian Sugastey DH(Rehab):  2 for 4.  BA= .320.

Fernando Gonzalez C(24 yo):  1 for 3, HR(1).  BA= .400.

Evan Estevez 1B(18 yo)- 1 for 2, HR(7), BB.  BA= .253.

Brayan Narvaez RHP(21 yo)- 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 4.71.

Jose T Perez RHP(22 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.43.

If you are looking for a deep sleeper in the Giants system, Evan Estevez and his 7 HR's are tied for 16'th in HR's for the ACL but tied for 4'th among players 18 yo or younger.  

DSL:  Giants Black tamed Tigers 1 9-3.

Luis Padron DH(16 yo)-  3 for 4.  BA= .400.

Alexander Camacaro 2B(18 yo)- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .271.

Brayan Cabello RHP(22 yo)- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K's.  ERA= 1.52.

Rainiel Duran RHP(22 yo)- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 5.28.

DSL:  Giants Orange shut out the Braves 5-0.

Yeison Oviedo 2B(18 yo)- 2 for 2, BB.  BA= .323.

Ricardo Crespo LF(19 yo)- 1 for 3, 3B.  BA= .289.

Mario Gonzalez RHP- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 7.08.

2025 Draft Review: MLB First Round

Just for the fun of it we will assign a letter grade which is based on to-date performance only, not on future value.  

1.  Nationals:  Eli Willits SS HS.  DOB:  12/9/2007.  B-S, T-R.  6' 1", 180 lbs.

A:  .300/.418/.500, 6 HR, 29 SB, 16.4 BB%, 23.3 K%, 232 PA.

A+:  .227/.409/.466, 6 HR, 9 SB, 21.7 BB%, 17.4 K%, 115 PA.  

Terrible BABIP luck since promotion to A+ but otherwise his line looks better than A ball.  Ultra athlete who will be a superstar if he continues to hit like this.  Grade A

2.  Angels:  Tyler Bremner RHP College.  DOB:  4/20/2004.  6' 2", 190 lbs.

A+:  0-3, 4.24, 34 IP, 12.71 K/9, 3.18 BB/9.  

Started the season strong but missed a month with arm fatigue and performance has not been the same since.  That's the risk with drafting pitchers.  Grade C.

3.  Mariners:  Kade Anderson LHP College.  DOB:  7/6/2004.  6' 2", 180 lbs. 

AA:  8-1, 1.36, 72.2 IP, 13.38 K/9, 1.24 BB/9.

And here is the upside to drafting an ace college pitcher.  We can only hope Jackson Flora takes this trajectory.  Grade A+!

4.  Rockies:  Ethan Holliday SS HS.  DOB:  2/23/2007.  B-L, T-R.  6' 2", 210 lbs. 

A:  .262/.395/.557, 9 HR, SB, 15.1 BB%, 28.3 K%, 152 PA.  

Age appropriate level for a player drafted out of HS.  Looking like more of a 3-true outcomes profile but as long as the K rate stays below 30% it's probably manageable and a natural byproduct of the plate discipline.  BABIP of .319 is only slightly above the mean.  Grade B+.

5.  Cardinals:  Liam Doyle LHP College.  DOB:  6/3/2004.  6' 2", 220 lbs.  

AA:  1-5, 5.46, 56 IP, 12.05 K/9, 5.30 BB/9.  

Hard throwing lefty drafted out of Tennessee.  AA is an aggressive placement but the performance is disappointing for the pedigree.  Too many walks and HR's are holding him back.  Home runs are a byproduct of an extreme flyball tendency plus a HR/FB of 15%.  Grade C.

6.  Pirates:  Seth Hernandez RHP HS.  DOB:  6/28/2006.  6' 4", 190 lbs.

A:  3-0, 0.96, 28 IP, 16.07 K/9, 2.25 BB/9.  

A+: 3-1, 3.73, 41 IP, 14.48 K/9, 3.91 BB/9.

Dominated age-appropriate A ball.  Not as dominant but more than holding his own with an aggressive promotion to A+.  Grade A.

7.  Marlins:  Aiva Arquette SS College.  DOB:  10/17/2003.  B-R, T-R.  6' 5", 220 lbs.

A+:  .276/.333/.517, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 5 SB, 6.3 BB%, 27.0 K%, 63 PA.

AA:  .221/.279/.434, 7 HR, 7 SB, 6.5 BB%, 18 K%, 122 PA.

Sample sizes are small enough there is probably significant noise and the AA BABIP should regress upward.  The power/speed combo seems legit.  Currently sidelined with a thumb injury.  Grade B.

8.  Blue Jays:  JoJo Parker SS HS.  DOB:  8/8/2006.  B-L, T-R.  6' 2", 200 lbs.

A:  .242/.381/.426, 18 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 21 SB, 17.1 BB%, 24.7 K%, 328 PA.

Early 3-true outcomes profile but only subpar number is BA which many analysts ignore.  Could probably stand to be a bit more aggressive at the plate but that partly depends on organizational philosophy.  Grade B.

9.  Reds:  Steele Hall SS HS.  DOB:  7/24/2007.  B-R, T-R.  5' 10", 180 lbs. 

ACL:  .286/.387/.532, 16 2B, 10 HR, 24 SB, 13.5 BB%, 24.2 K%, 244 PA.

Nice numbers but a conservative placement for a #9 overall draft pick.  Grade B.

10.  White Sox:  Billy Carlson HS.  DOB:  7/29/2006.  B-R, T-R.  6' 1", 185 lbs.

.257/.374/.335, 8 SB, 15.3 BB%, 25.4 K%, 177 PA.  

Just started a rehab assignment in the ACL after a 6 week IL stint for a fracture of the tip of his left thumb.  Decent numbers before the injury but with no power.  Grade C.

11.  A's:  Jamie Arnold LHP College.  DOB:  3/21/2004.  6' 1", 188 lbs. 

AA:  4-5, 4.15, 80.1 IP, 9.52 K/9, 4.26 BB/9, 2.41 GB/FB.  

K/BB comes up a bit short but AA is an aggressive placement.  Grade B.

12.  Rangers:  Gavin Fien SS HS.  DOB:  3/8/2007.  6' 3", 200 lbs.

A(Nationals):  .249/.335/.425, 9 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 4 SB, 11.8 BB%, 28.1 K%, 221 PA.  

Drafted by the Rangers as a SS then traded to the Nationals and moved to the OF.  

High K rate is holding him down a little but still young.  Grade B.

13.  Giants:  Gavin Kilen SS College.  DOB:  3/28/2004.  B-L, T-R.  5' 10", 187 lbs.

A+:  .282/.350/.462, 27 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 9.2 BB%, 13.8 K%, 349 PA.

Performing to what the Giants drafted him for.  Strong contact numbers with moderate power.  A veritable doubles machine.  Giants must think he is progressing enough to justify a post-All-Star break promotion to AA.  Grade B+(If he puts up similar numbers in AA his grade improves to an A).  

14.  Rays:  Daniel Pierce SS HS.  DOB:  8/4/2006.  B-R, T-R.  6' 0", 185 lbs.  

A:  .252/.336/.390, 5 2B, 4 HR, 6 SB, 7.9 BB%, 28.6 K%, 140 PA.  

Fairly average stat line for a HS draftee in his first full season in A ball.  Unfortunately Pierce must have suffered a serious injury as he hit the 60-day IL on June 9 after his last game on 5/30. Grade C(although serious injuries early in a player's career can have long lasting results).   

15.  Red Sox:  Kyson Witherspoon RHP College.  DOB:  8/12/2004.  6' 2", 220 lbs.

A+:  2-4, 5.07, 65.2 IP, 9.46 K/9, 4.39 BB/9.  

Late riser in the draft cycle. Those guys often don't work out.  Grade C.

16.  Twins:  Marek Houston  SS College.  DOB:  4/14/2004.  B-R, T-R.  6' 3", 205 lbs.

A+:  .325/.406/.461, 14 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 24 SB, 11.9 BB%, 18.3 K%. 

AA:  .304/.380/.464, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 SB, 11.4 BB%, 17.7 BB%.

Wow! Not much to quibble about in these lines.  Twins have to be feeling pretty good about this draft.  Grade A!

17.  Cubs:  Ethan Conrad OF College.  DOB:  7/5/2004.  B-L, T-L.  6' 2", 220 lbs.

ACL:  .412/.500/.647, 2B, HR, SB, 9.5 BB%, 9.5 K%, 21 PA.

A:  .071/.133/.286, HR, 6.7 BB%, 26.7 K%, 15 PA.

Had shoulder surgery his senior year of college at Wake Forest then got a late start this spring due to a lower back injury.  Extremely small pro sample size.  Grade D(may perform better if he is now healthy but that is a lot of delayed development).

18.  D'Backs:  Kayson Cunningham SS HS.  DOB:  6/25/2006.  B-L, T-R.  5' 10", 182 lbs.

A:  .381/.471/.506, 11 2B, 4 3B, HR, 10 SB, 14.5 BB%, 18.4 K%, 207 PA.

A+:  .202/.303/.286, 4 2B, HR, 4 SB, 13.1 BB%, 22.2 K%, 99 PA.

Rated one of the best hit tools in the 2025 draft.  Numbers don't refute that notion.  BABIP took a hit after promotion to A+ but that is an aggressive promotion forced by huge numbers in age-appropriate A ball.  Grade A.

19.  Orioles:  Ike Irish C College.  DOB:  11/26/2003.  B-L, T-R.  6' 2", 201 lbs. 

A+:  .262/.376/.468, 16 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 18 SB, 13.4 BB%, 22.3 K%, 314 PA.

Highest rated catcher in the draft with excellent performance at age-appropriate level.  Grade A.

20.  Brewers:  Andrew Fischer 3B College.  DOB:  5/25/2004.  B-L, T-R.  6' 0", 210 lbs.  

A+:  .298/.443/.675, 20 HR, 4 SB, 18.3 BB%, 33.3 K%, 246 PA.

AA:  .274/.424/.753, 9 HR, 5 SB, 18.5 BB%, 33.7 K%, 92 PA.

Another Tennessee stud.  Huge power.  High K's suggest a 3-true outcomes profile but can't deny those 29 HR's which continued unabated after an aggressive promotion.  Grade A.

21.  Astros:  Xavier Neyens SS HS.  DOB:  10/29/2006.  B-L, T-R.  6' 3", 210 lbs. 

A:  .240/.449/.462, 14 HR, 16 SB, 25.9 BB%, 30.2 K%, 305 PA.

3 true outcomes profile here.  Gets an aggressive promotion to A+ to start tomorrow.  Grade A.

22.  Braves:  Tate Southisene SS HS.  DOB:  10/6/2006.  B-R, T-R.  5' 11", 180 lbs.

A:  297/.429/.500, 9 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 36 SB, 15.4 BB%, 21.3 K%, 240 PA.

A+:  .234/.375/.423, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 7 SB, 16.9 BB%, 25 K%, 136 PA.

I don't recall this name in predraft lists.  This was truly the year of the high school shortstop.  Terrific numbers in A ball got him an aggressive early promotion to A+.  Grade A.

23.  Royals:  Sean Gamble OF HS.  DOB:  7/6/2006.  B-L, T-R.  6' 1", 188 lbs.

A:  .188/.307/.278, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 23 SB, 12.0 BB%, 26.0 K%, 342 PA.  

You can see the tools in the line but has some work to do on batting skills.  Grade D.

24.  Tigers:  Jordan Yost SS HS.  DOB:  12/21/2006.  B-L, T-R.  6' 0", 170 lbs.

A:  .255/.387/.340, 9 2B, 2 3B, HR, 9 SB, 14.3 BB%, 13.0 K%, 230 PA.

Light on power but good contact with some speed.  Grade B.

25.  Padres:  Kruz Schoolcraft LHP, HS.  DOB:  4/18/2007.  6' 8", 229 lbs.

A:  1-5, 6.59, 54.2 IP, 9.38 K/9, 5.93 BB/9, 1.66 GB/FB.  

This is the kid I drooled over predraft.  Boom or bust pick.  Struggles with command/control not surprising for a kid this size but overall a disappointing first full pro season.  Maybe I'll have to figure out when he is pitching and make a trip down to Lake Elsinore to see him for myself.  Grade C.

26.  Phillies:  Gage Wood RHP College.  DOB:  12/15/2003.  6' 0", 205 lbs.

A:  0-2, 3.42, 26.1 IP, 13.67 K/9, 4.10 BB/9, 2.00 GB/FB.

AA:  0-1, 3.45, 28.2 IP, 12.24 K/9, 2.83 BB/9, 1.13 GB/FB.

Started out the season with a conservative placement in A ball then skipped the age-appropriate A+ level for an aggressive promotion to AA, but doing well there in a limited sample size.  Grade A.

27.  Guardians:  Jace LaViolette OF College.  DOB:  12/4/2003.  B-L, T-L.  6' 6", 228 lbs. 

A+:  .236/.340/.449, 13 2B, 2 3B, 14 HR, 8 SB, 12.1 BB%, 36.5 K%, 323 PA.

Polarizing player leading up to the draft.  Was preseason #1 overall in some predraft, preseason rankings but stock dropped due to inconsistent junior season and severe hit-tool concerns.  So far staying true to his 3-true outcomes profile but the K rate is concerning to say the least.  Will it play at higher levels?  Grade C.

28.  Royals:  Josh Hammond SS HS.  DOB:  9/21/2006.  B-R, T-R.  6' 1", 210 lbs.

A:  .282/.354/.404, 17 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 19 SB, 10.0 BB%, 20.2 K%, 351 PA.

Yet another HS shortstop I don't remember in predraft chatter.  Nice start at age appropriate level.  Grade B+.

29.  D'Backs:  Patrick Forbes RHP College.  DOB:  7/11/2004.  6' 3", 220 lbs.

A+:  0-0, 2.84, 12.2 IP, 12.08 K/9, 1.42 BB/9, 1.50 GB/FB.  

Got a late start to the season due to some sort of elbow injury.  Nice start in an extremely small sample.  Grade C(but room for big jump up in second half if he can stay healthy).

30.  Orioles:  Caden Bodine C, College.  DOB:  12/2/2003.  5' 10", 200 lbs.

A(Rays):  .379/.433/.614, 12 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 9.2 BB%, 3.9 K%, 152 PA.

A+(Rays):  .341/.411/.477, 6 2B, 4 HR, 7.3 BB%, 6.6 K%, 151 PA.

AA(Rays):  .289/.391/.447, 3 2B, HR, 10.9 BB%, 8.7 K%, 46 PA.

I did not remember that the O's took two catchers in the first round of this draft.  They traded Bodine to the Rays along with 2 other prospects for Shane Baz RHP.  Contact hitter extraordinaire.  Baz has put up 2.2 fWAR so far for the O's but they may regret this trade down the road.  

I've read comments by draft analysts that 2025 is looking like an extremely weak draft, even disastrous.  I think that may be due to weakness in the college pitching drafted in the top half of the first round, but it looks to me like there is unexpectedly strong value in the bottom half of the first round, especially among HS shortstops.  

Down on the Farm: 7/15/2026

ACL:  Giants defeated the Royals 7-5.

Luis Hernandez SS(17 yo)- 2 for 3, 2B, 3B, BB.  BA= .297.

Rayner Arias LF(20yo)- 1 for 2, 2 BB.  BA= .186.

Luke Mensik RHP(18 yo)- 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.45.

Jose Rengel LHP(20 yo)- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 6.75.

Melvin Pineda RHP(22 yo)- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K's.  ERA= 2.59.

 Someone asked for a scouting report on Mensik.  I don't have one.  He has decent K and GB rates.  Walk rate is a bit high but he's only 18 and working in a hitter-friendly environment.  I'll hopefully get a chance to see him next season with A San Jose.