As I am wont to do, I sometimes cover the top prospects of the Giants. I call it the Big Six in honor of Giants great Christy Mathewson, as well as because, as much as I would like every prospect to be stars, there are at most six prospects, generally, who look like they can be regular major leaguers.
MLB Pipeline has published their Giants Top 30 list, and I will be pulling some interesting quotes from there that supports what I think about each prospect.
ogc thoughts
First, I thought I would compile Giants prospects rankings in the Top 100 rankings that are released annually. This gives a good review of the prospects who are on the radar of prospect evaluators.
- Baseball America:
- Bryce Eldridge: 18
- Josuar Gonzalez: 30
- Bo Davidson: 87
- Jhonny Level: 98
- Baseball Prospectus:
- Eldridge: 33
- Gonzalez: 20
- Jhonny Level: 69
- MLB Pipeline:
- Eldridge: 25
- Gonzalez: 44
- Keith Law (The Athletic, subscription required)
- Eldridge: 23
- Gonzalez: 38
- Gavin Kilen: 69
- Fangraphs:
- Eldridge: 16
- Gonzalez: 44
- Level: 77
Giants Big 2026 IFA Signing: Luis Hernandez
Luis Hernandez, the Giants big International Free Agent catch (NBC Sports) this January ($5M bonus), likely would rank in some Top 100, if all rankings included recent IFA (some do, MLB has him #3 in Giants Top 30 ranking, but not in their 100), but some (like Keith Law) wait for professional results before adding IFAs to rankings. He is considered a five tool player, and his addition apparently made Josuar Gonzalez tradeable, as he was rumored to be the headline prospect for CJ Abrams of the Nationals.
Showing how talented and important he is, the Giants used most of their $5.4M IFA pool money to sign him (they subsequently traded players to get extra IFA money from other teams). Also a sign of how good he is: most Latin American IFA starts their pro career on the teams’s Dominican team, but the Giants are rumored to be placing him already on their Arizona Complex League team.
Part of the reason for why he is being pushed faster than most IFA: At age 15 in 2024, he hit .346 in 104 at-bats against much older and more experienced competition in the Venezuelan Major League, including going 16-for-49 (.327) vs. pitchers who had reached the Majors or Triple-A. That’s extremely good for any pro prospect, but especially so for a 15 YO amateur.
For vast majority of IFA players, we have to recognize that they are teenagers who aren’t even college age, and thus it is extremely hard to find that next good player among IFA. When the Giants signed Angel Villalona for the biggest bonus up to that point, I saw the Top 10 list of highest bonus players, and Miguel Cabrera was on top of the list, but then the other nine were basically flops, none became even a regular starting player, he was a platoon player who didn’t last long in the majors. Luciano looked like he would be the one, but then a back injury set him back, and he never got over that loss of playing time, nor the season lost to the pandemic. Sandoval was the best, but his bonus wasn’t all that high, from what I recall. At minimum, his signing was not publicized.
That said, it is still very impressive what Hernandez did against Venezuelan major leaguers and especially against those who also played in the highest two levels of the MLB.
Big Six Giants Prospects
- Bryce Eldridge: He has basically dominated as he quickly rose up the minors. He wasn’t elite in AAA, but he at least was not overwhelmed, he was slightly above average, despite being almost 7 years younger than other players, plus was held back by wrist pain, which needed surgery to fix right after the season ended. He also made the majors before turning 21, something only the best prospects do. It seems like it is just a matter of time before he hits well in the majors. He was just sent down to AAA, but can force his way up with elite hitting. I expect him to do that before the All Star break.
- Luis Hernandez: He’s been paid $5.4M and is jumping to a stateside league for his first pro season, ‘nuff said!
- Josuar Gonzalez: Baseball America discusses how Josuar could be the #1 overall draft pick in the 2026 draft. Fangraphs reported that a scout would bet he’s #1 overall next season. Great defensive SS potential, good hit and power, greater speed, he would be the heir apparent to Eldridge for the Giants top prospect if not for Hernandez. He and Hernandez could be the middle infield for a decade if they both can figure it out.
- Bo Davidson: As the scout who found him said, “JUCO Barry Bonds.” Power, speed, CF defense, his biggest knock is on his hit tool. He has been held back by his missing development time in college, so despite his age, he has less experience than others his age, and yet doing very well.
- Gavin Kilen: Was with Vitello last season at UT, has a great bat for contact, but otherwise average, so he looks like he will be a 2B if he makes the majors.
- Dakota Jordan: A 5-tool draftee, his hit tool is his weakness, but he has elite speed and very good power, leading to 30/30 potential, and can stay in CF.
Other Interesting Giants Prospects
As seen in the past, prospects can suddenly rise to the majors, before prospects lists can identify them or sometimes after they fell out of favor, like Pablo Sandoval, who fell out of Baseball America’s Top 30 Giants prospect list the same season he made the majors.
This season has a number of prospects who are close to majors and/or highly regarded. Here are prospects who I am also following to see if they take the next steps:
- Daniel Susac
- Jhonny Level
- Jacob Bresnahan
- Drew Gilbert
- Blade Tidwell
- Carson Whisenhunt
- Argenis Cayama
- Kayner Martinez
- Parks Harbor
- Trevor McDonald
- Luis de la Torre
- Jesus Rodriguez
- Carson Seymour
- Nate Furman
- Victor Bericoto
- Jack Choate
- Will Bednar
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