Yesterday’s action on the Giants farm.
All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, so lots to talk about! Let’s dive into it.
Link to the 2024 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the positions played in that particular game.
News
By now you’ve likely heard the big news: AAA Sacramento RHP Hayden Birdsong (No. 9 CPL) has been called up to make his Major League debut tonight, after just 2 starts in AAA. That is extremely exciting and makes tonight’s game must-see TV!
AAA Sacramento (44-32)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators (A’s) 11-0
Box score
On Tuesday morning, when it was unclear how the Giants would handle the “TBD” pitching assignment for both that night’s game and Wednesday’s, a “report” went around that LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 4 CPL) would be starting Tuesday’s game.
That, of course, proved to be false, and seemed to be based on nothing other than the Giants having been so injured that they’d made it all the way to Whisenhunt on Fangraphs’ fully-automated depth chart-based pitcher projections.
Whisenhunt did start on Tuesday, just for Sacramento rather than San Francisco. And while you can never read too much into a single performance, Whisenhunt unfortunately provided a fairly compelling piece of evidence supporting the organization’s decision to promote Birdsong rather than Whisenhunt.
It was a very tough outing for the lefty, who only made it through 2 innings, and once again struggled with control. Even though he threw 40 of 66 pitches for strikes (not a great figure, but not an awful one, either), Whisenhunt walked 3 batters in those 2 innings, while also having a wild pitch. But the bigger issue seemed to be that he simply wasn’t missing bats: he gave up 5 hits (which included a home run and a double), and struck out just 2 batters, leading to 5 runs (4 of which were earned).
Whisenhunt remains one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, and arguably the top pitching prospect (though personally I’d have Birdsong and Reggie Crawford ahead of him), but he’s definitely dealing with a learning curve in Sacramento, where he now has a 5.29 ERA and a 4.98 FIP. The strikeout stuff continues to give Whisenhunt a sky-high ceiling: his 12.00 Ks per 9 innings is 2nd among 38 Pacific Coast League pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched, just a hair behind 2021 2nd-overall pick Jack Leiter. But when he’s struggling to record outs when he’s not getting strikeouts, as his walks per 9 innings (5.14) ranks 31st, his batting average against (.273) is 21st, and his home runs per fly ball percentage (17.0%) is 23rd.
A reminder that development takes time! Whisenhunt was drafted 2 years ago, so none of this is an indictment.
The pitching was bad even after Whisenhunt, though RHP Nick Garcia pitched 2 scoreless innings. Garcia, a Minor League Rule 5 pickup this offseason, had been lights out with AA Richmond but had been struggling since a late-May promotion to Sacramento. Good to see him have a nice game.
Unfortunately, someone saw his perfect ERA come to a close: second baseman Donovan Walton. After hitting 1-3, Walton was called into mop-up relief duty for the 6th time this year. and gave up 2 runs in an inning of work, though he struck out a batter. Remarkably, it was the 1st time he’d allowed any earned runs this season, which is stunning for any pitcher in the PCL, let alone an infielder!
Not much offense to speak of. Third baseman Casey Schmitt had the only notable day, hitting 2-3 with a walk. Good to see that since he’d been struggling since returning to Sacramento: since being optioned earlier this month, he’s 3-16 with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. played in his 2nd rehab game and played in the field for the 1st time. He hit 0-3 with a strikeout before being removed from the game. Marco Luciano (No. 2 CPL) did not play.
AA Richmond (34-36)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 12-4
Box score
Another game where the pitching got absolutely wrecked. This time it was RHP Wil Jensen (who recently returned to Richmond after a short stint with AAA Sacramento), RHP Kyle Cody (who was recently promoted to Richmond from High-A Eugene), and LHP Seth Corry (who was also recently promoted from Eugene) who got beat up.
Jensen, who gave up 5 baserunners and 3 runs in 4 innings (albeit with 5 strikeouts), was on fire to start the season but has really struggled lately. In his last 6 outings (3 each with Richmond and Sacramento), he’s pitched 14.1 innings and allowed 22 hits, 9 walks, and 14 earned runs, though he does have 20 strikeouts. Cody, who gave up 5 baserunners and 4 runs in just 1 inning, has been hot-and-cold since his promotion: he gave up 4 runs in his 1st game with Richmond and his most recent game with Richmond, but didn’t allow a run or even a walk in the 4 outings in between. And Corry, who also gave up 5 baserunners and 4 runs in an inning of work, saw a brief break from what has been a great season for him. It was just his 2nd time in 17 outings this year that he gave up multiple runs.
A tough day for the offense, but a few good performances. Right fielder Victor Bericoto (No. 18 CPL) hit 2-4 with a double and a strikeout, boosting his OPS to .689 and his wRC+ to 92. He’s really starting to lock in, having hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games, and during that time going 22-57 with 3 homers, 4 doubles, 4 walks, and just 7 strikeouts.
Center fielder Ismael Munguia (No. 35 CPL) is making the most of his recent demotion, as he hit 2-4 with a double, a stolen base, an outfield assist, and a caught stealing. He’s looked really good since returning to Richmond.
And it was a day that ends in “Y,” so you know that shortstop Christian Koss played well: he went 2-3 with a walk, putting his OPS at 1.172 and his wRC+ at 223. Koss is now at 20 games in Richmond this year … at one point do absurd numbers with excellent shortstop defense become something we need to really pay attention to??
Ladies and gentlemen, Christian Koss’ on-base percentage in 2024 has now eclipsed .500 pic.twitter.com/9NY2Yzmmqs
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 26, 2024
High-A Eugene (34-35)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Angels) 6-2
Box score
In Eugene we finally find some good pitching. Maybe even some great pitching! The game was started and ended by a pair of exciting prospects who were only recently promoted to Eugene. Kicking things off was LHP Joe Whitman (No. 16 CPL), who made his 2nd start since getting moved up a level.
And it was once again an impressive start for last year’s 69th-overall pick, who is really settling in after a slightly slow start to the year. The southpaw did give up 3 doubles and 5 hits total in 4 innings, which tacked 2 runs to his ledger, but he didn’t walk anyone and he struck out 6. That’s the sort of stuff that displays why the Giants are so enamored with Whitman’s stuff.
Whitman’s career is only just starting, but he’s already showing dramatic improvement in the strikeout-to-walk ratio. Just check out his progress this year:
First 4 starts: 13.2 innings, 15 walks, 19 strikeouts
Next 7 starts: 31.2 innings, 11 walks, 27 strikeouts
Last 3 starts: 13 innings, 2 walks, 20 strikeouts
Lovely!
And closing it was RHP Trent Harris, who made his 3rd appearance since his promotion. Harris, who was thoroughly dominant in San Jose this year, was equally dominant in his Eugene debut, but got rocked his next time out. But he was back to his dominant ways in this game, striking out 3 batters in 2 perfect innings to pick up the win. His ERA may only sit at 4.26, but in 6.1 innings since getting promoted, Harris has allowed just 4 hits and 1 walk, with 9 strikeouts.
Center fielder Jonah Cox made his Eugene debut following a recent promotion, and picked up right where he left off in San Jose, hitting 2-4 with a stolen base and an outfield assist, though he was also thrown out trying to steal. He’s now up to 39 stolen bases in just 43 attempts this year … at least someone is running!
But the star of the offense was designated hitter Thomas Gavello, who is really starting to play well after a brutal start to the year. Gavello hit 1-3 with the big hit of the game, a 3-run home run in the 8th inning. He also drew a walk, stole a base, and struck out.
THOMAS. GAVELLO. GONE.#RootedHere pic.twitter.com/zBzkpfbary
— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) June 26, 2024
As mentioned, Gavello really struggled out of the gates this year, as the 2022 13th-round pick had a .542 OPS in April, a .494 OPS in May, and was 1-15 through his 1st 4 June games. But in the games since, he’s 8-23 with 2 home runs, 3 doubles, and 3 walks. Love to see that improvement!
Low-A San Jose (40-29)
San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 7-2
Box score
More great pitching! This time it was a tandem, with LHP Dylan Carmouche and RHP Brayan Palencia combining to lead the Baby Giants to victory.
Carmouche was virtually unhittable, giving up just 1 hit in 6 innings of work, though it’s worth noting that the hit was a home run, and that he walked 3 batters, so he ended up with an earned run plus an unearned run to his name, right next to his 5 strikeouts. It was a much-needed quality outing for Carmouche, last year’s 15th-round pick, who was having a fantastic season prior to a pair of speedbumps in his last 2 outings. Back on track!
With his ERA sitting at a tidy 3.31, the next step for Carmouche is to cut back on the free passes: he’s given up at least 2 walks in each of his last 10 starts, including 4 games with 3 walks and a game with 4 walks.
Palencia was, if you can believe it, even more unhittable than Carmouche, as he pitched 3 no-hit innings (yes, San Jose only allowed 1 hit, even if they gave up 2 runs). Palencia did walk a pair of batters, but 7 of his 9 outs came by way of strikes, which is marvelous. The 21 year old has one of the cleanest strikeout-to-walk ratios in the organization, with 36 strikeouts to just 6 walks in 29 innings across 2 levels. His promotion to San Jose hasn’t slowed him one bit, as he has a 1.80 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings.
A strong day for shortstop Cole Foster (No. 30 CPL), which was great to see, with the 2023 3rd-round pick hitting a cool 3-5 with 2 doubles, 4 runs batted in, and a strikeout. It hasn’t been the electric debut year that we perhaps hoped for with Foster (he has a .723 OPS and a 100 wRC+), but he’s reminding us of how quickly he can heat up: in his last 4 games, the switch-hitter has 8 hits, 5 extra-base hits, and 11 RBI.
B6: Giants 7 | Fresno 2
1-2-3-4 runs batted in for Foster! Cole can’t be stopped tonight! pic.twitter.com/2wrCaujgIf
— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) June 26, 2024
Second baseman Justin Bench hit 1-4 with a double and a walk, which bumped his OPS to .785 and his wRC+ to 125. A quietly strong season for him. And 18-year old left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 42 CPL) made his San Jose debut after an exciting promotion and hit 1-4.
ACL Giants (19-20)
ACL Giants lost to the ACL White Sox 5-3
Box score
A heartbreaker for the ACL Giants, who tied the game in the 9th inning only to get walked off in the bottom half. Allowing those scoring runs was one of the new players, RHP Elijah Pleasants (24 years, 2024 free agent signing), who made his 2nd appearance after the Giants signed him from the Oakland Ballers.
After a strong Minor League debut, Pleasants’ 2nd game was less smooth, as he allowed 6 baserunners and 3 runs in just 2.1 innings of work, though he did strike out 4 batters. Clearly a lot of life in his arm!
A very exciting start from LHP Jose Rengel (18 years, 2023 international signing), who dealt 4 strong innings, giving up just 1 hit, 3 walks, and 1 run, while striking out 4. That’s exactly the kind of bounceback you want to see from a young player after getting rocked, as Rengel gave up 11 runs and 8 earned runs his last time out. He has a ton of talent, which probably doesn’t need to be said given that he’s an 18-year old already playing in the states!
The pair of relievers between Rengel and Pleasants had notable days for different reasons. LHP Timmy Manning (22 years, 2023 12th-round) made just his 2nd appearance of the year and was quite perfect, striking out all 3 batters he faced. Fantastic! And then it was RHP Billy Sullivan, a recent signing who is surely headed for the upper Minors when he’s up to speed, who had one of the funnier lines I can remember seeing: 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 earned run.
You don’t see that very often! Sullivan started the inning wild, by hitting a batter and letting them advance to second on a wild pitch. He then settled down, but a groundout moved the runner to third, and a flyout scored a run.
The offense was fairly pathetic, with just 4 hits (all singles) and 16 strikeouts. Center fielder Wade Meckler (No. 11 CPL) and right fielder Ryan McKenna continued their rehab assignments, with Meckler hitting 1-4 with a stolen base and 2 strikeouts, and McKenna hitting 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
DSL Black (14-3)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL White Sox 10-9
Box score
A dramatic victory for the Giants Black squad, as they scored 7 runs in the final 2 innings. That’s one way to do it!
A fantastic day for shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 38 CPL, 17 years, 2024 international signing), who very much wanted a fantastic day. It hasn’t been an ideal start to the highest-profile player in the team’s latest signing class, who entered the game 0-19 with 9 strikeouts in his last 5 games. But he put that behind him in a big way on Tuesday, hitting 2-5 with a home run, a double, and a strikeout. What a great game! Hopefully The switch-hitter is back on track.
It was obviously a good game for center fielder Oliver Tejada (17 years, 2024 international signing), because he seems to only have those games. He hit 1-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch, though he also had a strikeout and was caught stealing twice. Just a tremendous start to his career, as he’s reached base safely in 14 out of 15 games, and hit safely in 13 of those games, en route to a 1.014 OPS and a 154 wRC+.
Third baseman Juan Colorado (17 years, 2024 international signing) also reached base thrice, hitting 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout. He’s been having a pretty solid season. Unfortunately, catcher Yohendry Sanchez (17 years, 2024 international signing) left the game early, which usually means an injury. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.
The star on the mound was RHP Jeison Jimenez (20 years, 2023 international signing), who gave up just 1 hit in 2 shutout innings, while striking out 5 batters. What an outing! Jimenez has only pitched 14.1 innings in his short career, but already has 20 strikeouts.
DSL Orange (8-8)
DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL Marlins 8-6 (8 innings)
Box score
The hits just keep coming for first baseman Jesus Alexander (18 years, 2023 international signing). It’s hard to believe that this is the same left-handed hitter who made his debut last year and hit .171/.259/.263 … after going 1-3 with a home run on Tuesday, Alexander is now .404/.438/.789 in his 2nd pass through the DSL. May we all see that type of year-over-year growth in our own lives and careers! After having 13 hits last year in 85 plate appearances, Alexander already has 13 extra-base hits in just 64 plate appearances this year!
Shortstop Jeyson Moya (17 years, 2024 international signing) also got in on the extra-base fun, hitting a brilliant 2-2 with a triple, a double, and 2 walks. Moya had really been struggling — no big surprise for such a young player — as he was just 1-23 entering the game. So that was a happy sight!
And rounding out the great offensive days was left fielder Luis Frias (19 years, 2021 international signing) who hit 1-4 with a triple, a walk, and 2 stolen bases. It hasn’t been the smoothest year for Frias, who is trying to escape the DSL in his 3rd pass through. But days like this help!
A bit of a struggle on the mound, but a great outing for the opener, RHP Argenis Cayama (17 years, 2024 international signing), who gave up just a walk in an otherwise clean inning, while striking out 2. Not only was that a great outing for Cayama, but it was his professional debut!
Home run tracker
High-A Thomas Gavello (3)
DSL Jesus Alexander (4)
DSL Jhonny Level (2)
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: @ Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m. PT
Richmond: vs. Somerset, 3:35 p.m. PT
Eugene: vs. Tri-City, 6:35 p.m. PT
San Jose: vs. Fresno, 1:00 p.m. PT
Reminder that most Minor League games can now be watched on MLB TV.