{"id":349196,"date":"2026-06-06T06:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/349196\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T06:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T06:39:23","slug":"take-a-look-at-the-improved-farm-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/349196\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a look at the improved farm system"},"content":{"rendered":"

I might be jumping the line here to comment on the farm system review by Brendan Gawlowski posted to FanGraphs this morning<\/a>, as Brady does such a great job covering the minor leagues for McCovey Chronicles<\/a> already and friend of the site and former contributor Roger Munter has had the corner covered for years via his There R Giants site<\/a>, but I\u2019m compelled to offer the prospect skeptic\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

The San Francisco Giants have traditionally, historically had a bad farm system, with the type of success that\u2019s on par with a broken clock being right twice a day. The \u201cbroken clock\u201d bit is my description, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s only a matter of opinion to say that except for the late-60s, mid-80s and definitely the 2010s, the Giants haven\u2019t done much in player development. Except for those little hiccups, it\u2019s vacillated between afterthought or laughingstock. But even now, I think I have to admit that Randy Winn might be the sort of classy, special sauce the farm system needed. The success this season is undeniable (basically every level has a winning record and, overall, is 151-97).<\/p>\n

The idea that the system\u2019s luck (or skill, even!) could be turning is worth investigating. Is the FanGraphs piece more evidence of a turnaround?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the piece itself, which offers 14 players with Future Values<\/a> of at least 45 (Low End Regular or Platoon Player). Five of these are a cut above that:<\/p>\n

5. SP – Keyner Martinez (50 FV \u2014 Average Everyday Player)
4. SS – Luis Hernandez (50 FV)
3. 2B – Jhonny Level (50 FV)
2. SS – Josuar Gonzalez (50 FV)
1. 1B – Bryce Eldridge (55 FV)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a fun group, and it\u2019s great to see a young pitcher in the top 5. I know of Hernandez and Gonzalez and obviously Eldridge, but I, personally, haven\u2019t heard of Keyner Martinez because, again, in my lifetime, the Giants have been pretty bad at developing prospect and I\u2019ve stayed focused on the funny-in-its-own-right major league team.<\/p>\n

Martinez was the 10th-ranked prospect in the Giants\u2019 system<\/a> by the McCovey Chronicles community back in November despite missing the 44-player list entirely in the previous season. Brady wrote:<\/p>\n

Martinez was a slightly older international signee from Venezuela, as he signed in 2023 but didn\u2019t debut until 2024, his age-19 season. He skipped the DSL and made his debut in the Arizona Complex League, where his results were very mediocre.<\/p>\n

But he transformed over the offseason, and took the ACL by storm in 2025, posting a 1.90 ERA and a 2.70 FIP, with a staggering 67 strikeouts against just 10 walks in 47.1 innings. At the end of the ACL season he joined Low-A San Jose\u2019s roster, where he continued to shine, posting a 2.86 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, while striking out 30 batters in 22 innings, with 11 walks.<\/p>\n

Just as, if not more importantly, is the way it looked. Martinez earned hype from any and all prospect hounds covering the ACL and Cal League, and even rose up to the No. 6 spot in the recently-released Giants prospect rankings at Baseball America.<\/p>\n

Brendan Gawlowski sounds like one of Martinez\u2019s hype men.<\/p>\n

He was my favorite pitcher on the Arizona complex last summer, and I\u2019m inclined to stay aggressive on his projection even as he\u2019s battled through a few growing pains in the Cal League. [\u2026]<\/p>\n

He\u2019s well built, he moves well, the delivery flows, and I think he\u2019ll clean up the control and eventually ascend into a big league rotation. Martinez was a Pick to Click<\/a> for me in the offseason, and Eric and I have seen enough to bump him into the Top 100. He projects as a mid-rotation starter.<\/p>\n

But Jhonny Level? I\u2019ve been hearing about him for at least a year. The prospect hounds and amateur scouts love the kid. I\u2019m glad to see him moving up and up and up the lists.<\/p>\n

Gawlowski\u2019s writeup paints a pretty picture for we prospect-averse Giants fans out there:<\/p>\n

Level is advanced for his age. On the lighter side, he\u2019s strong for his build and has a mature feel for when he can turn it loose and drive a pitch to the pull side from both sides of the plate. His bat is quick, and while he\u2019ll sometimes expand on spin \u2014 particularly with two strikes \u2014 he\u2019ll also show you good zone control and pitch recognition on the right day. A lot of guys who chase as youngsters tend to keep chasing as they get older, but in Level\u2019s case, he looks more discerning than the numbers indicate.<\/p>\n

AWOOGA. HUMMINA HUMMINA. PANT, PANT. I was trying to avoid getting my hopes up, but now I\u2019m even more excited than when I first heard people talking about him last year.<\/p>\n

Of course, let\u2019s focus on the two other big middle infield prospects. The FanGraphs writeup affirms the Giants\u2019 scouting of the plaeyrs. Regarding Hernandez:<\/p>\n

Even for a player widely seen as advanced beyond his years, it was still something of a surprise when the Giants had him skip the Dominican complex and sent him straight to Scottsdale for spring training this year.<\/p>\n

It was the right call, as Hern\u00e1ndez has been awesome on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n

The Josuar Gonzalez capsule is a little more concerning with the injury aspects, but he maintains:<\/p>\n

Gonzalez ultimately has a very strong heuristic profile as a switch-hitting up-the-middle player with power, and he has All-Star ceiling if his hit tool is average or better.<\/p>\n

This is all very encouraging to read. At the same time, it\u2019s tough to ignore the echoes of from the past. Your Marco Luciano report here, a Luis Matos capsule there. Indeed, let\u2019s go back a bit in time.<\/p>\n

FanGraphs gave 8 Giants at least a 45 FV grade, but two stood out with 55 FVs: Joey Bart and Marco Luciano. Heliot Ramos was right behind them with a 50 FV, and there\u2019s Logan Webb at #5 with a 45+ FV. Hunter Bishop was between Ramos & Webb with a 45+.<\/p>\n

Seems only fair to skip the year when the minor league season was canceled. Of course, the Giants\u2019 farm system still managed to produce something just slightly less depressing than a global pandemic: failed prospects. Marco Luciano led FanGraphs\u2019 ranking with a 60 FV. Joey Bart fell to 50, Heliot Ramos stayed at 50 and \u2014 oh, what\u2019s this? \u2014 Luis Matos cracked the top 5 with a 50 FV. Prodigal pitcher Gregory Santos moved up to #5 and Patrick Bailey and Kyle Harrison were 6th and 8th, respectively, with 45+ FVs.<\/p>\n

Their end-of-season updated report for the year gave us 9 Giants with 45 Future Values, Gregory Santos Heliot Ramos\u2019s stars having fallen into this range (6th and 8th on the list). Averson Arteaga was 5th with a Future Value of 45. The top 4 is a splash of cold water: Luciano (55), Matos (50), Harrison (50), Bart (50).<\/p>\n

By the time we get to this update, the top prospect is Kyle Harrison (55 FV) and Luciano has fallen even further (50). Rayner Arias is #3 with a 45+ FV and the Giants only have 6 more to crack 45 \u2014 though, debuting at #9 is Bryce Eldridge.<\/p>\n

The top prospect is Carson Whisenhunt? A 50 Future Value and 78th on FanGraphs\u2019 top 100. Bryce Eldridge is #2 in the system, per FanGraphs, with the same Future Value and 85th in their top 100. Only four other players have Future Values of 45: Rayner Arias, Joe Whitman, Reggie Crawford, and James Tibbs III. Wow, stupendous work, Farhan Zaidi and co. This is a failed farm system.<\/p>\n

Bryce Eldridge is the #16 prospect in their top 100, #1 in the Giants\u2019 system and has a 55 Future Value at the updated prospects report on FanGraphs. Josuar Gonzalez is #2 with a 50 FV and Carson Whisenhunt is #3 with a 50 FV, too. Blade Tidwell checks in with a 45+, and the Giants have four more with 45 FVs: Gavin Kilen, Drew Gilbert, Jhonny Level, and Trevor McDonald.<\/p>\n

With 14 players carrying Future Values of 45 or more, this is the best prospects list the Giants have had in at least 7 years. But let\u2019s go back as far as the list goes: 2017. I want to see something. Here are all the Giants prospects who\u2019ve made it to the majors (though, not necessarily with the Giants):<\/p>\n

Christian Arroyo (#1 in 2017)Tyler Beede (#2 in 2017)Bryan Reynolds (#3 in 2017)Ty Blach (#4 in 2017)Andrew Suarez (#5 in 2017)Steven Okert (#6 in 2017)Chris Stratton (#9 in 2017)Matt Krook (#10 in 2017)Chris Shaw (#11 in 2017)Steven Duggar (#14 in 2017)Dan Slania (#15 in 2017)Reyes Moronta (RIP) (#17 in 2017)Sam Coonrod (#21 in 2017)Joey BartHeliot RamosMarco LucianoShaun AndersonAlexander CanarioSean HjelleGregory SantosJake WongAramis GarciaRay BlackLogan WebbCamilo DovalMauricio Dubon (#7 in 2019)Luis MatosJoe McCarthy (#13 in 2019)Tristan Beck (#20 in 2019)Prelander Berroa (#21 in 2019)Kai-Wei Teng (#22 in 2019)Tyler Fitzgerald (#25 in 2019)Mike Gerber (#30 in 2019)Grant McCray (#33 in 2019)Jaylin Davis (#34 in 2019)Jose Marte (#37 in 2019)Trevor McDonald (#38 in 2019)Caleb Kilian (#40 in 2019)Will Wilson (#7 in 2020)Casey Schmitt (#21 in 2020)Luis Basabe (#29 in 2020)Jose Siri (#33 in 2020)Caleb Baragar (#35 in 2020)Patrick BaileyKervin Castro (#24 in 2021)Carson Ragsdale (#28 in 2021)Jason Vosler (#44 in 2021)Cole Waites (#46 in 2021)Dedniel Nunez (#47 in 2021)Carson Whisenhunt (#5 in 2022)Keaton Winn (#9 in 2022)Mason Black (#12 in 2022)Ford Proctor (#14 in 2022)Landen Roupp (#25 in 2022)Tristan Peters (#27 in 2022)Thomas Szapucki (#28 in 2022)Randy Rodriguez (#29 in 2022)Ryan Walker (#47 in 2022)Wade Meckler (#7 in 2023)Spencer Miles (#17 in 2023)Victor Bericoto (#21 in 2023)Hayden Birdsong (#22 in 2023)Erik Miller (#28 in 2023)Bryce Johnson (#44 in 2023)Nick Avila (#28 in 2024)Bryce EldridgeBlade Tidwell (#4 in 2025)Drew Gilbert (#6 in 2025)Jesus Rodriguez (#13 in 2025)Jonah Cox (#15 in 2026)Daniel Susac (#21 in 2026)** \u2014 does this count? I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 70 or 71 players across 10 seasons, and not all of them for the Giants. Many of them not even good, but if we\u2019re to say the jury\u2019s out on Hayden Birdsong, Victor Bericoto, Eldridge, Tidwell, Gilbert, Jesus Rodriguez, Jonah Cox and Daniel Susac (though, he probably shouldn\u2019t be counted as he\u2019s Rule 5), how many \u201cgood\u201d players are in this bunch? Well, here are all the ones who\u2019ve had positive fWAR in the majors:<\/p>\n

Logan Webb, 25.4 fWARBryan Reynolds, 20.0Patrick Bailey, 10.2Mauricio Dubon, 7.9Jose Siri, 6.8Chris Stratton, 4.5Camilo Doval, 4.2Joey Bart, 3.3Tyler Fitzgerald, 3.3Heliot Ramos, 3.3Landen Roupp, 3.2Ryan Walker, 2.8Steven Okert, 2.3Tyler Beede, 2.0Ty Blach, 2.0Randy Rodriguez, 2.0Reyes Moronta (RIP), 1.8Casey Schmitt, 1.8Tristan Peters, 1.1Steven Duggar, 1.0Dedniel Nunez, 1.0Trevor McDonald, 0.9Gregory Santos, 0.9Keaton Winn, 0.8Christian Arroyo, 0.6Erik Miller, 0.6Tristan Beck, 0.5Bryce Johnson, 0.5Wade Meckler, 0.5Kai-Wei Teng, 0.5Sean Hjelle, 0.4Spencer Miles, 0.4Andrew Suarez, 0.4Caleb Baragar, 0.3Kervin Castro, 0.2Prelander Berroa, 0.1Hayden Birdsong, 0.1Sam Coonrod, 0.1<\/p>\n

And how many of these ought to even be considered Giants prospects \u2014 Siri, Dubon, and Susac certainly feel like cheats, and if you wanted to include Bryan Reynolds that\u2019d make sense. Of course, if you were to compare farm systems, maybe the Giants don\u2019t seem so unusual. I\u2019m not sure of that, though, because I can pick apart this list pretty easily, and that\u2019s why I have remained a prospect skeptic where the Giants are concerned for so many years. I just think it\u2019s a bad situation when a young baseball player gets drafted by them.<\/p>\n

Reynolds, Dubon, and Siri did their best work away from the Giants. Tyler Fitzgerald\u2019s success is based entirely on a 6-week stretch. Patrick Bailey was traded away. I don\u2019t know what it means that only 2 of the top 10 prospects over the past 10 seasons are still with the Giants and that most had success with other teams. It doesn\u2019t seem like it speaks well of the Giants\u2019 situation.<\/p>\n

But what the minor league affiliates\u2019 success and this FanGraphs ranking supposes is that it\u2019s a system on the rise. Maybe we\u2019ve seen some version of this idea before, but this time it does feel a little different. A little pre-2010, if you know what I mean\u2026<\/p>\n

Does that mean it\u2019ll all work out and we\u2019ll get a parade out of this? No. Baseball is hard. But maybe the Giants are getting a little bit better at developing players?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I might be jumping the line here to comment on the farm system review by Brendan Gawlowski posted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":349197,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[101,112796,104648,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-349196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-giants-analysis","tag-san-francisco-giants-prospects","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=349196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/349197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=349196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=349196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=349196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}