Minor League roundup, 7/18-20: The 2nd half begins!

The weekend on the farm.

After a break for All-Star week — which featured the A-Ball teams as well — we’re back with a roundup of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. We’ll pick things up beginning with Friday’s games, since that’s where a lot of new promotions got settled in.

Link to the 2025 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the positions played in that particular game.

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News

A lot of movement over the break! Most important is that the Giants have signed 17 of their 18 draft picks, which you can read about here.

There were some big promotions. Most notably, outfielders Bo Davidson (No. 11 CPL) and Scott Bandura were promoted from High-A Eugene to AA Richmond, while outfielder/first baseman Jakob Christian (No. 30 CPL) was promoted from Low-A San Jose to Eugene. Outfielder/second baseman Ryan Reckley (No. 35 CPL) was promoted from the ACL to San Jose, to see if he can figure out that level in his 2nd attempt.

Richmond LHPs Chris Wright and Nick Zwack, who have been rehabbing, were activated, while San Jose outfielder Jose Ortiz (No. 22 CPL) was given a rehab assignment in the ACL. AAA Sacramento first baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) was activated from his rehab stint, while MLB outfielder/first baseman Jerar Encarnación moved his rehab to Sacramento.

San Jose center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 8 CPL), who was injured in the penultimate game of the 1st half, was placed on the 7-Day IL.

And in celebratory news, a trio of DSL players were named to the All-Star team: shortstop Josuar González (No. 5 CPL), infielder Yulian Barreto, and RHP Alberto Laroche.

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AAA Sacramento (47-49)

Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 5-2 [box score]
Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Oklahoma City Comets 14-3 [box score]
Sunday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Oklahoma City Comets 5-4 [box score]

Just like the Giants, the River Cats got swept in their return to action this weekend. They almost pulled off a Sunday win to salvage the weekend, but blew a 9th-inning lead.

The big news in Sacramento was that top prospect Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) and MLB slugger Jerar Encarnación both returned from their injuries to take the field for the River Cats (technically speaking that means Eldridge was activated while Encarnación, who is out of options, moved his rehab from the ACL to AAA).

Both players played all 3 games over the weekend, which was great to see, even if the results weren’t great. Eldridge, who played first base in all 3 games, hit 1-9 with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Encarnación, who bookended a game at designated hitter with a pair of games in right field, went 2-9 with 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and an error. It will be interesting to see what happens with Encarnación over the next 2 weeks.

In all, the weekend was lacking in good hitting performances. Third baseman Thomas Gavello continued to shine, though, as he had a dynamic Sunday. After going just 0-2 with a walk and 2 strikeouts on Friday, and sitting on Saturday, Gavello went 2-4 with a strikeout on Sunday, but achieved some serious success against a pair of big-league pitchers, as he homered off of Landon Knack and knocked a double off of Blake Snell. That’s quite a day to remember for someone who began the season in High-A!

Gavello’s story is interesting. The 2022 13th-round pick got promoted to AA Richmond in early May, and in early July was moved to Sacramento. It seemed to be a move to fill a roster hole and, indeed, a week later he showed up on the transactions page as being returned to AA. That never happened, though, as he’s stayed in AAA and … well … has been fantastic there, posting a 1.182 OPS and a 181 wRC+ through 11 games. It’s obviously a tiny sample size, but it’s nice to see!

Designated hitter Marco Luciano joined Gavello in having a nice Sunday, hitting 1-2 with 2 walks, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout after an 0-4 on Saturday (he didn’t play on Friday). He has a .796 OPS and a 107 wRC+ on the year. Pretty big struggles for a pair of top athletes who are trying to get back to the Majors: second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald went 0-12 with a walk and 3 strikeouts, while center fielder Grant McCray hit just 1-12 with a walk and 7 strikeouts, and the lone hit being a bunt. Fitzgerald now has a .604 OPS and a 69 wRC+ in his short AAA time this year, while McCray’s numbers are .771 and 100, respectively.

Not very good pitching performances, especially from the starters. Sunday was a step in the right direction for LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 CPL), though. He has been scuffling something severe over the last 2 months, and a lot of it has come from an inability to throw strikes. He got that under control Sunday, tossing 44 of 68 pitches for strikes, which is a notable improvement. That said, those 68 pitches only got him through 3.2 innings, during which time he gave up 5 hits, including 2 extra-base hits. But he had no walks, struck out 4, and gave up just 1 run, which constitutes far and away his best start since his quartet of 7-inning outings to begin May. He now has a 4.42 ERA and a 4.69 FIP. Here’s to things moving up!

RHP Mason Black (No. 7 CPL) had an odd outing on Saturday, giving up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 4 innings, with 4 strikeouts, but 2 of his hits cleared the fence, so he got tagged for 3 runs, bumping his ERA to 4.78 and his FIP to 5.48. RHP Carson Ragsdale (No. 19 CPL) started on Saturday and got roughed up in a big way, ceding 4 hits (including 2 homers) and 3 walks in just 3 innings, which put 5 runs (4 earned) on his ledger, bumping his ERA to 5.52 and his FIP to 7.29.

RHP Trevor McDonald, who has really been struggling lately, was moved into a relief role on Saturday. It unfortunately did nothing to quell the struggles, as he gave up a whopping 6 hits, 3 walks, 7 runs, and 5 earned runs in just 2 innings of work, and now has a 5.86 ERA and a 5.33 FIP. It was the 4th time in his last 6 outings that he’s given up 5 or more runs, and during that time has pitched 26.2 innings and allowed 35 hits, 15 walks, 33 runs, and 28 earned runs. Oof.

The best news on the pitching front was that RHP Keaton Winn returned to Sacramento following a lengthy injury absence. Winn pitched an inning of relief on Saturday and gave up 1 hit and 2 walks, but kept runs off the board and struck out a batter. Welcome back, Keaton!

An excellent weekend for RHP Sean Hjelle, who appeared twice and gave up just 1 hit in 2 shutout innings, with 4 strikeouts. RHP Joel Peguero faced 5 batters and got 6 outs on Saturday, while RHP Braxton Roxby pitched on Sunday and struck out the side in an inning, with a walk. Roxby has been spectacular since a recent promotion, appearing in 5 games and pitching 5.1 no-hit innings, with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. It wouldn’t be shocking if the 26-year old, who was acquired in the Taylor Rogers trade, is in the Majors at some point this year.

AA Richmond (34-54)

Saturday Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 8-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Saturday Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 6-1 (7 innings) [box score]
Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 8-3 [box score]

Richmond’s start of the 2nd half was delayed by weather on Friday, and they made it up with a doubleheader on Saturday instead.

The excitement for Richmond is the arrival of a pair of outfielders off to dynamic seasons, as Bo Davidson (No. 11 CPL) and Scott Bandura joined the ranks over the break, and made their AA debuts on Saturday. Bandura, a lefty taken in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, wasted no time getting acclimated to the level. Starting at DH in his 1st AA game, he hit a brilliant 3-4 while bopping a solo home run that capped an 8-run inning for the Squirrels. He played left field in the other 2 games, and hit 2-6 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.

Davidson, a left-handed hitter who was an undrafted free agent in 2023, took the opposite approach, as he started slow and then heated up. Playing center field on Saturday, he went 0-4 with a strikeout in his debut, and then 1-3 with a strikeout in the 2nd game of the doubleheader (the hit was a 112-mph single, though!). But on Sunday, getting the start at DH, he figured things out, hitting 2-5 with a leadoff home run in the 1st inning and a stolen base, though he also struck out twice and was caught stealing. Welcome to AA to both of them!

First baseman/right fielder Victor Bericoto (No. 24 CPL) had a nice weekend, which was good to see as he’s been struggling lately. He hit 3-10 with a grand slam, a double, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, bumping his OPS to .722 and his wRC+ to 114.

Speaking of players trying to put struggles behind them, shortstop Aeverson Arteaga (No. 12 CPL) hit 2-8 with a home run, a walk, and a strikeout. It’s really been a rough return to action for him after missing nearly all of 2024 with an injury, so nice to see him have a good showing.

Not the best pitching weekend, but it sure started off well. LHP Jack Choate (No. 29 CPL) got the nod in Game 1 of the doubleheader and tossed 4 shutout innings with just 1 hit and 0 walks, while striking out 5. What a great game for the 2022 9th-round pick, who now has a 3.70 ERA and a 4.39 FIP on the season. Choate is having a fantastic July so far, as he’s allowed just 11 hits, 6 walks, and 3 earned runs in 16 innings, while striking out 21 batters.

There were some nice relief performances over the weekend. RHP Dylan Hecht kept his pristine ERA intact by striking out the side in a scoreless inning in Game 1, even though he allowed a hit and 2 walks. His amazing story continues, as he’s yet to allow a run in 5 outings with Richmond. RHP Michael Stryffeler pitched 2.2 shutout innings in Game 2 with just 2 hits and 0 walks, while striking out 3. He’s still trying to find a rhythm after missing all of 2024 with an injury, but he’s starting to find a groove. This was the 9th time in his last 10 outings that he hasn’t given up a run. LHP Helcris Olivárez, recently demoted from AAA, pitched 2 perfect innings on Sunday with 3 strikeouts.

High-A Eugene (50-39)

Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 12-5 [box score]
Saturday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Tri-City Dust Devils 2-1 [box score]
Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 4-0 [box score]

With Bo Davidson and Scott Bandura off to AA, right fielder Jakob Christian (No. 30 CPL) was called up to replace them, and made his High-A debut over the weekend. The 2024 5th-round pick made an instant impact by doubling in his 1st game, though over the course of the weekend he hit just 2-13 with 2 doubles and 6 strikeouts. Adjustments take time!

Someone who knows that all too well is first baseman Charlie Szykowny (No. 43 CPL), who didn’t have the best start to the year but has really started to figure things out lately. He doubled in all 3 games, finishing the weekend 5-11 with 4 doubles, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and 1 error. Szykowny has found his power recently, and dramatically cut back on the strikeouts. Just look at how much better he got when the calendar flipped to the summer months:

April: .713 OPS, 8 extra-base hits, 24 strikeouts in 84 at-bats
May: .637 OPS, 6 extra-base hits, 24 strikeouts in 83 at-bats
June: .892 OPS, 11 extra-base hits, 14 strikeouts in 91 at-bats
July: 1.115 OPS, 13 extra-base hits, 7 strikeouts in 61 at-bats

Keep that up, Charlie! It’s brought his OPS to .820 and his wRC+ all the way up to 119. A strong year for the 2023 9th-rounder.

Just 2 home runs for the Emeralds over the weekend, and they came from a pair of unlikely sources on Friday: third baseman Cole Foster and designated hitter Guillermo Williamson, who are both trying to figure things out in the Northwest League. Foster finished the weekend hitting 1-9 with 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and an error, while Williamson hit 1-4 with a homer and 2 strikeouts in his only game. Neither player has hit very well this year, but nice to see them smash a pair of 3-run dingers.

The best pitching performance belonged to Sunday’s starter, who has been the rock of Eugene’s rotation all year: RHP Shane Rademacher. It was yet another display of strike-throwing prowess for Rademacher, who tossed 46 of 65 pitches in the zone en route to 5 shutout innings, giving up just 3 hits (all singles) and 0 walks, while striking out 4. That lowered his ERA to 2.65 and his walk rate to a tidy 1.4 per 9 innings. But the 6.8 strikeouts per 9 are part of why he has just a 4.16 FIP. It’s been such an awesome year for Rademacher, but it’s certainly fair to wonder if a low-strikeout, low-groundball pitcher can have much success at higher levels of play.

RHP Josh Bostick (No. 27 CPL) had a fairly nice start on Saturday, going 5 innings and allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 1 earned run, with 5 strikeouts. It’s been a hot-and-cold year for the 2023 8th-rounder, who has a 4.15 ERA and a 5.05 FIP, with 83 strikeouts against 31 walks in 73.2 innings. Bostick is starting to settle in, it seems: after 3 straight 5-run outings in mid-June, he’s allowed just 4 earned runs total over his last 4 games, and he has 25 strikeouts against 4 walks in that time.

RHP Austin Strickland had a great relief outing, striking out 3 in 2 no-hit innings, with 1 walk. He has a 4.23 ERA and a 3.88 FIP on the year. RHP Matt Dunaway, a recently-signed 26-year old in his debut season, pitched perfect innings on both Friday and Sunday. He only has 4 strikeouts in 9 innings in his brief career, but has yet to walk a batter.

Low-A San Jose (58-32)

Friday: San Jose Giants lost to the Modesto Nuts (Mariners) 11-10 [box score]
Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Modesto Nuts 8-4 [box score]
Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Modesto Nuts 4-2 [box score]

A lot of fun performances in this one, and 2 hitters in particular stood out. One was center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 17 CPL) who has been on a mission recently to put his slow start to the season behind him. Diaz, who is starting in center field in the absence of Dakota Jordan (No. 8 CPL), who is dealing with an injury, finished the weekend 5-12 with 2 home runs, 1 double, 1 walk, and 1 outfield assist, with no strikeouts. Since June 26, the righty is 29-84 with 5 home runs, 7 doubles, 3 walks, and just 14 strikeouts. That’s brought his OPS up to .708 and his wRC+ to 92, as his ice cold start to the year gets further and further away.

The other star was shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 23 CPL), who is fully healthy and playing the field every day for the 1st time in his professional career. The 2023 4th-round pick had a blissful weekend, hitting 4-12 with a triple, 3 doubles, 2 walks, a hit by pitch, and 4 strikeouts. Ahuna has fit in fantastically since returning from his latest injury, and has an .802 OPS and a 125 wRC+ with the Baby Giants. What a great thing to see!

Third baseman Walker Martin (No. 14 CPL) had a good weekend, though it certainly continued his all-or-nothing approach: he hit 4-12 with 3 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. 27 of Martin’s 66 hits have gone for extra-bases this year, which is how he has a .774 OPS and a 115 wRC+ despite just a .240 batting average (though that average has been steadily increasing!).

Right fielder Ryan Reckley (No. 35 CPL) made his return to San Jose, and it came playing in the outfield! Reckley began the year with the Baby Giants but couldn’t hit to save his soul, so he went to the ACL where he mostly worked behind the scenes rather than in games. The early returns are positive, as Reckley hit 4-12 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, and just 1 strikeout, which has been one of his big issues.

On the pitching front, there was a crystal clear star: RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 36 CPL). Maldonado is still working his pitch count up after missing 2024 with Tommy John, but he pitched 3 innings on Saturday and they were sensational, with the 21-year old allowing just 1 hit, 0 walks, and 0 runs, and striking out 6 batters with his outrageous fastball/slider combo. Maldonado threw 31 of 43 pitches for strikes, and has now allowed just 2 baserunners over 6 innings in his last 2 starts. Given that he’s still building up arm strength, I would expect him to stay in San Jose all year. But given that he has a 3.19 ERA and a 3.95 FIP, a move to Eugene wouldn’t exactly be shocking, either.

RHP Darien Smith, a 25-year old undrafted free agent in his debut season, started on Friday with nice results, tossing 4 innings with 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, while striking out 4. He has a 1.71 ERA through a dozen games, and a 3.97 FIP.

And on Sunday it was a brilliant tag team by LHP Charlie McDaniel and RHP Ubert Mejias. McDaniel, an undrafted free agent in his debut season, pitched 5 innings and gave up just 4 hits, 0 walks, and 1 run, while striking out 6, lowering his ERA to 2.66 and his FIP to 3.21. Mejias tossed 3 no-hit innings with 1 walk, 1 unearned run, and 4 strikeouts, and now has a 5.80 ERA and a 4.75 FIP. After really struggling in the early goings of the season, Mejias has allowed just 1 earned run over his last 4 outings.

Arizona Complex League (39-18)

Friday: ACL Giants lost to the ACL Rockies 7-4 [box score]
Saturday: ACL Giants beat the ACL D-backs 7-1 [box score]

The ultra-hot season continues for second baseman Dario Reynoso (20 years, 2023 IFA), as the right-handed hitter had yet another excellent showing, hitting 4-10 over the weekend with a home run, 2 doubles, and 2 strikeouts. Reynoso’s 10 dingers are tied for the lead in the Arizona Complex League, which is impressive given that he’s a speedy second baseman (he has 17 stolen bases).

It’s pretty concerning that he still has a 31.9% strikeout rate in his 2nd pass through the ACL, but I’ll forgive anyone who wants to stare at his .997 OPS and 154 wRC+ instead.

Also nice weekends for right fielder/designated hitter Oliver Tejada (No. 39 CPL, 18 years, 2024 IFA) and center fielder Andy Polanco (20 years, 2024 11th-round). Tejada hit 2-6 with a triple, a walk, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and a strikeout, and now has a .760 OPS and a 102 wRC+ in his debut stateside season. Polanco went 3-7 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and an error, and has a .696 OPS and an 86 wRC+ … not the best numbers, but given that he’s a center fielder in his debut season who also has 19 stolen bases in 22 attempts, it’s been a good year for him.

RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 28 CPL, 18 years, 2024 IFA) took the mound to start on Friday, and it was a fine performance but not an electric one. He tossed 4 innings and gave up 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 runs, and 1 earned run, though he only struck out 1 batter. He continues to open eyes in the ACL, where he has a 2.25 ERA and a 3.56 FIP, with a staggering 63.5% groundball rate.

RHP Alexander Fuentes (20 years, 2023 IFA) had a great start on Saturday, throwing 4 shutout innings with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. His 1st foray into stateside baseball has been a strong one, as he has a 2.97 ERA, albeit with a 4.12 FIP. Have we talked about how he’s 6’7???

Another nice game for RHP Fernando Vasquez (23 years, 2020 IFA). Vasquez debuted in the DSL in 2021, then lost 3 consecutive years to injury, before returning this season. After 5 DSL appearances he was promoted to the ACL, where he’s been shining. Saturday was another example, as he tossed a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts. Through 10.2 ACL innings, Vasquez has allowed just 5 hits, 5 walks, and 2 runs, while striking out 18 batters.

Dominican Summer League Black (23-11)

Friday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Angels 4-3 [box score]

Only 1 game for the DSL teams, as they had an All-Star Game on Sunday.

The biggest name in the DSL — for any team — is on the home run board. On Friday, shortstop Josuar González (No. 5 CPL, 17 years, 2025 IFA) hit 1-4 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, and bashed the 1st home run of his professional career.

González has been flying up prospect lists with his performance in the DSL, even though the raw numbers — .725 OPS, 102 wRC+ — aren’t notable. His at-bats are comfortable and measured, his bat speed is outrageous, he looks tremendously fluid and athletic, and he’s played a swell shortstop while also being a stolen base monster (he has 20 in 31 games, while being caught just twice).

He looks like the total package, and one can assume the power numbers will show up eventually … as they did on Friday.

Center fielder Luis Frias (20 years, 2021 IFA) hit 2-5 with a double, though he was caught stealing and struck out twice, while second baseman Yosneiker Rivas (19 years, 2023 IFA) went 2-4 with a walk. Frias, a righty, has a .754 OPS and a 101 wRC+ in his 4th DSL season, while Rivas, a lefty, has a .905 OPS and a 141 wRC+ in his 3rd attempt at the level. Rivas also has just a 16.7% strikeout rate.

A nice day on the mound for RHP Alfonso Perez (19 years, 2022 IFA), as he pitched 3 shutout innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. He’s been significantly better in his 4th DSL season, with a 3.32 ERA and a 3.83 FIP.

Dominican Summer League Orange (24-10)

Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Mets Orange 5-4 [box score]

No superstars, but a quartet of hitters who did quite well in leading the Giants Orange squad to victory.

Shortstop Anthony Marquez (18 years, 2024 IFA) hit 0-1 and was caught stealing, but he also drew 3 walks, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. He has an .816 OPS and a 128 wRC+ in his 2nd pass through the DSL, with 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and just a 13.2% strikeout rate. First baseman Franco Willias (20 years, 2023 IFA) hit 2-3 with 2 hit by pitches and a strikeout, boosting his OPS to .809 and his wRC+ to 112. His numbers are very similar to his DSL debut last year, but he’s dramatically reduced his strikeouts, to a 14.6% rate. Left fielder Rainer Espinoza (16 years, 2025 IFA) hit 2-4 with a triple, giving him a .618 OPS and a 77 wRC+ … not good numbers, but hey, the dude is 16! And right fielder Brandon Vasquez (18 years, 2024 IFA) hit 2-4 with a double and an error, bumping his OPS to .659 and his wRC+ to 87. On the one hand, not very good numbers. On the other hand, much better than they were last year.

On the mound, the best day belonged to RHP Brayan Cabello (21 years, 2021 IFA), as he threw 3 shutout innings with 2 hits and 3 strikeouts. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a very good season for Cabello in his 4th attempt at the level.

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Home run tracker

AAA Thomas Gavello (8) [3 in AAA]
AA Bo Davidson (11) [1 in AA]
AA Victor Bericoto (11) [8 in AA]
AA Scott Bandura (8) [1 in AA]
AA Aeverson Arteaga (5)
High-A Cole Foster (5)
High-A Guillermo Williamson (2)
Low-A Lisbel Diaz x2 (8)
ACL Dario Reynoso (10)
DSL Josuar González (1)