Just five games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Tuesday, as AA Richmond had their game postponed (they’re playing a doubleheader today), while the Arizona Complex League season is over. Let’s dive into the action.
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Some unfortunate news, as AA Richmond outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was placed on the 7-Day IL. That’s not normally something that happens during off-days, so that’s a little strange. Hopefully he’s OK and this isn’t the end of his excellent season. High-A Eugene second baseman Isaiah Barkett, who was also just promoted, was also placed on the 7-Day IL.
In happier news, AAA Sacramento RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) was named Pitcher of the Week in the Pacific Coast League!
AAA Sacramento (56-44)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 8-4
Box score
This game was all about the players at the back. The top (and heart) of the lineup was awful, while the back of it was excellent. The starting pitching was poor, while the bullpen was mostly strong.
That was especially stark on the lineup front, where the 1st 6 hitters recorded just 2 of the team’s 8 hits. The 1st 4 — a quartet of players who are all hoping to make MLB debuts by the end of this season or early next year — especially struggled. Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) hit 0-4 with a strikeout and a double play; center fielder Scott Bandura went 1-4 with a strikeout; third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 0-4 with 2 strikeouts (his 1st hitless game since getting promoted); and left fielder Bo Davidson went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
But at the back of the lineup? Designated hitter Turner Hill, catcher Adrián Sugastey, and shortstop Aeverson Arteaga each hit 2-4. Hill in particular had an excellent game, smacking a 2-run home run and stealing a base, as his splendid 2026 continues.
Hill’s numbers are really jumping off the page through 76 games with the River Cats: that’s a large enough sample that there’s nothing fluky about his average (.333), OPS (.899), wRC+ (137), strikeout rate (8.4%), or base-stealing (22 in 25 attempts). The only thing that probably isn’t sustainable is the power, which is largely a result of the Pacific Coast League … Hill has 7 homers in those 76 games, with just 5 home runs in 281 games at all other levels of the Minors, and his average exit velocity is 39th percentile in AAA.
With Jonah Cox and Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) likely returning to health soon, and with the Giants motivated to get longer looks at Grant McCray and Drew Gilbert, it seems highly unlikely that Hill, who is 27, will make his MLB debut this year and clog the roster through the offseason. But, assuming he survives the Rule 5 Draft (which is no certainty, though there’s a good chance there isn’t a Rule 5 Draft this year), he’s a player who should show up to Spring Training in position to fight for a backup outfield spot.
Sugastey also went deep, smacking a solo home run in the 9th inning. He’s fit right in since getting promoted, hitting 6-16 with 2 home runs, 1 walk, and just 1 strikeout. Though, like Hill, Sugastey is not a player who has a lot of power, so the homers are a little PCL-influenced. Still, great to see him hitting the ground running at the highest level of the Minors.
On the mound, it was a very poor start for LHP Matt Wilkinson, who really struggled to fool batters with his pitches. He was simply far too hittable, giving up 8 hits in 3.1 innings, with 3 of those hits clearing the fence (and another 2 of them being doubles). Tugboat also walked 2 batters, en route to allowing 6 runs, though he did strike out 4 (though 4 strikeouts in 3.1 innings sounds a lot better than the equally factual 4 strikeouts out of 20 batters faced).
It’s a little hard to evaluate hittability in the PCL due to to all the aforementioned home runs. How much of it is because of the Coors Field-esque environments, and how much is the result of 90-mph fastballs and breaking balls set up by 90-mph fastballs being quite hittable? Wilkinson has a solid 10.2 strikeouts per 9 innings in AAA, with a not-too-bad 3.9 walks, but he’s also ceded 6 home runs in 25.2 innings, leading to a 5.61 ERA and a 6.28 FIP. I know fans are clamoring for a debut on that front but … maybe let’s give him some time to develop!
The bullpen was solid. RHP Braxton Roxby pitched 1.2 no-hit innings, though he walked 2 and didn’t strike anyone out. RHP Spencer Bivens gave up a home run to a rehabbing Brendan Donovan, but otherwise didn’t allow any baserunners in 2 innings, while recording 4 strikeouts.
High-A Eugene (59-38)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 10-5
Box score
A brilliant and well-rounded offensive display from the Emeralds, despite their best prospect, Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) getting a day off. Eugene hitters had 14 hits and 6 walks on the day, with 8 of the 9 players in their lineup recording a knock.
The best day belonged to third baseman Walker Martin, who hit 1-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout.
Martin, the team’s 2nd-round pick in 2023, has really been able to tap into his power a bit this year, as he has 14 home runs (5th in the organization), and a career-best .184 isolated slugging percentage (26th out of 72 Northwest League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances).
Unfortunately, while the power is there, the contact simply isn’t, as Martin continues to struggle with just putting the ball in play. Among those 72 hitters, his .230 batting average is 54th, his 33.6% strikeout rate is 67th, and his 19.7% swinging strike rate is 71st (ahead of only his teammate Jakob Christian [No. 40 CPL]). So there’s certainly a lot for Martin to work on.
A pair of other players had extra-base hits: left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who went 1-4 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout, and designated Robert Hipwell, who hit 2-4 with a double, a hit by pitch, and 2 strikeouts. Gutierrez has now hit safely in 18 of the last 21 games, and during that time is 27-70 with 2 homers, 9 total extra-base hits, 18 walks, and just 13 strikeouts. That’s brought him up to an .840 OPS and a 126 wRC+ on the season, and I’m wondering if he might get a taste of AA ball before the year ends … which would be wildly impressive, considering as how the 21-year old lefty had played in just 85 games before this season began.
As for Hipwell, he’s been hitting well since returning from a brief demotion to Low-A, as he’s gone 7-13 with 3 extra-base hits and 3 walks in 4 games since getting back to Eugene … though he’s also struck out 8 times. Those strikeouts are the downfall for the 2024 6th-rounder currently, as he has a terrifying 41.6% K rate at the level, which has resulted in just a .183 batting average and a .687 OPS … though his wRC+ is still 94, thanks to a sky-high 18.1% walk rate.
A trio of other players reached base 3 times: center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) hit 3-5 with a strikeout, raising his OPS to .780 and his wRC+ to 98; catcher Daniel Rogers went 2-4 with a walk, boosting his OPS to .627 and his wRC+ to 71; and shortstop Zane Zielinski hit 2-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and a stolen base, giving him a .739 OPS and a 102 wRC+. Zielinski had been playing in AA Richmond for a while, but was struggling, and returned to Eugene when Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) was promoted.
A very odd start for LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL). We’ve grown very accustomed to De La Torre limiting hits but giving up a ton of walks, but even so, this start was an extreme for him, as he allowed just 2 hits in 5 innings, while walking 6 batters. The good news is that resulted in just 1 run against him; the bad news is that his typical strikeout stuff was nowhere to be found, as he only K’d 2 batters on the day.
LDLT, who threw just 45 of 87 pitches for strikes, is now up to a terrifying 7.2 walks per 9 innings … a very bizarre number after he only walked 3.3 per 9 in his breakout campaign last year, including just 2.8 per 9 in his 35.2-inning stint in Low-A to end the year. Where did all these walks come from? His strikeout rate has also dropped a bit, though that’s not surprising when moving up a level, and it remains at a very nice 11.4 per 9.
But the walks and the home runs (he’s allowed 9 in 78.2 innings, despite just 54 total hits) have done him in, giving him a 5.15 ERA and a 5.21 FIP, despite some clearly electric stuff in his arsenal. Weird season.
A pair of other pitchers who struggle to avoid walks pitched, but, unlike De La Torre, they did a good job at suppressing free passes. That would be, of course, the 2 relievers with arguably the nastiest and hardest-throwing stuff in any Giants affiliated bullpen, RHPs Liam Simon and Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL). Simon pitched 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout, while Maldonado struck out the side in his scoreless frame, with 1 hit and 0 walks. Both players have comical strikeout and walk numbers: 49 strikeouts and 31 walks in 33 innings for Simon (who has a 5.45 ERA and a 5.46 FIP), and 37 strikeouts and 32 walks in 24.2 innings for Maldonado (who has a 3.65 ERA and a 6.27 FIP). Always good to see them pitch in control … Maldonado was especially impressive, throwing 12 of 16 pitches for strikes. More of that, please!
Low-A San Jose (56-41)
San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 12-4
Box score
The big news for San Jose is, of course, the arrival of a pair of shortstop phenoms, Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) and Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL). And you know what? That’s going to be the news and the story for the rest of the year with the Baby Giants, and nothing will come close it it.
Tuesday was a good day on that front. It was good for González because he played, period. The 18-year old switch-hitter, who played shortstop in this game, left his Low-A debut on Saturday with what the team called a groin cramp. It was a scary scene at first … González has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries this year, and he left the game in the middle of an at-bat, so the assumption was that it was something fairly serious. Thankfully it was not, and he was back in the lineup and leading off on Tuesday, where he went 0-4 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
He scored after one of those walks, thanks to Hernández. The 17-year old righty, who played third base in this game, only hit 1-5, but he sure made that “1” count, with an absolutely stunning 2-run home run in the 1st inning.
It’s hard to properly state how impressive Hernández’s combination of power and contact ability are, especially for a 17-year old infielder. So I won’t even try to state it. I’ll just say that the kid is very, very special.
A pair of players from the 2025 draft class also went deep, as catcher Junior Barajas and right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) both hit 2-5 with a solo home run. For Barajas, it’s the continuation of a 3-act play where power is concerned. Just look at how the home runs have gone for the debut season of last year’s 11th-rounder:
First 8 games: 4 home runs
Next 54 games: 2 home runs
Last 3 games: 4 home runs
When it rains it pours, for better and for worse! Barajas has just a .763 OPS and an 89 wRC+ on the year, but the son of Rod Barajas is certainly showing flashes with the bat, and he’s a damn good defensive player.
Maldonado, last year’s 7th-round selection, has also been extremely streaky with the long ball. The 22-year old righty, who had a stretch in April where he homered 6 times in 4 games, hit his 1st big fly since June 12, ending a streak of 23 consecutive games (17 with San Jose, and 6 while rehabbing an injury in the ACL) without leaving the yard. July had been fairly dismal for Maldonado (who was 1-22 since returning to San Jose prior to this game), so hopefully this is the start of him ending his season on a high note. He has a .790 OPS and a 91 wRC+ on the year.
Another tough outing for RHP Trey Seeley, who came an out away from a very aesthetically pleasing line: last year’s 14th-round pick gave up 4 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs, with 4 strikeouts, though he only made it through 3.2 innings. So close! Seeley, a 24-year old who signed for $25,000 out of Hope International, has a 9.00 ERA and a 9.90 FIP with San Jose, though he is striking out 12.2 batters per 9 innings. Wildly, nearly half of his allowed hits are home runs: in 20 innings he’s given up 22 hits, including 10 big flies.
RHP Evan Gray, a 15th-rounder in 2024, threw 2 no-hit innings with 1 hit batter and 1 strikeout. It was a much-needed nice outing, after giving up runs in 3 straight appearances. The 25-year old has a 5.01 ERA and a 5.20 FIP.
Dominican Summer League Black (26-15)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Tigers 1, 7-6 (8 innings)
Box score
Nice games from a pair of DSL veterans who will likely make their way to Arizona come the spring. Left fielder Franco Willias, a 21-year old from the DR who is in his 3rd season, hit 2-4 with a triple, a walk, and a caught stealing. That pushed his hitting streak to 11 games, and he’s 20-43 with 8 extra-base hits and 5 walks during that time, pushing his OPS to 1.064 and his wRC+ to 159. He’s been one of the best players in all of the DSL this season.
Shortstop Keiberg Camacaro, a 19-year old from Venezuela who is in his 4th season, went 3-4 with a stolen base. After a strong June, Camacaro has been otherworldly in July, posting a 1.169 OPS in the month. On the year he has a 1.041 OPS, a 157 wRC+, and 23 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Just a spectacular year, following a very poor 2025.
The best pitching performance belonged to LHP Moises Soto, a 17-year old from Venezuela who was making just his 2nd career appearance. Soto struck out 2 batters in a no-hit relief inning, though he did issue 2 walks. LHP Santiago Guerrero, a 19-year old from Mexico who is also in his debut season, struck out 6 batters in 2.2 innings, though he allowed 2 hits, 4 walks, and 5 runs. Guerrero has 31 strikeouts in 27 innings this year, and has only allowed 13 hits … but he’s walked 28.
Dominican Summer League Orange (23-18)
DSL Giants Orange beat DSL Miami 11-4 (7 innings)
Box score
A few nice games in this one. Center fielder Jose Valdez, a 17-year old from Venezuela, had a perfect outing, going 3-3 with a walk, 4 runs batted in, and a stolen base. Valdez has had a really nice debut season, with an .854 OPS, a 110 wRC+, and 8 stolen bases. My guess is that he’ll be staying in the DSL for another year, though, so that he can work on his contact skills (he has a .263 average and a 23.9% strikeout rate).
A pair of other players in their debut seasons shined: shortstop Jonathan Valle, an 18-year old from Cuba, went 1-1 with a double and a walk, while left fielder Angelo Ugueto, a 17-year old from Venezuela, hit 2-3 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. Valle has really struggled (.475 OPS, 19 wRC+), while Ugueto (.666 OPS, 75 wRC+) has been a little better.
RHP Frainer Mejias, a 20-year old from Venezuela who is in his 4th season, threw 1.2 no-hit innings with 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 2 strikeouts. It’s been a tough season for him, as he has a 5.71 ERA, a 7.85 FIP, and more walks than strikeouts.
Home run tracker
14 — Walker Martin — [High-A]
12 — Cam Maldonado — [Low-A]
10 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A]
7 — Turner Hill — [AAA]
7 — Luis Hernández — [1 in Low-A; 6 in ACL]
5 — Adrián Sugastey — [2 in AAA; 2 in AA; 1 in ACL]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: TBD)
Richmond: 9:05 a.m. PT doubleheader at Somerset (SPs: Trystan Vrieling & Greg Farone)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Tri-City (SP: Hunter Dryden)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. Pt at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: TBD)
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