Every year, I struggle through the Giants system. I like Bryce Eldridge and Carson Whisenhunt, but after that, there’s a lot of “meh.” Kyle Harrison looks like he will be at least a number three starter, so that worked out. As did Heliot Ramos. Who else has?
Marco Luciano finally graduated, and he was hard to rank because of his swing-and-miss, which played out in his MLB debut. In his debut, Grant McCray has shown speed and power, but he’s striking out at 40% of the time. Hyden Birdsong? Not really. Then there’s Vaun Brown, Luis Matos, and Mason Black. All were owned heavily by Dynasty League managers, and none will become stars.
The Giants have done a lousy job at drafting and developing players and haven’t taken advantage of the Latin market. It’s a shame. The Championship years of the early 2010s are long gone. What are they going to do now?
Prospect Snapshot
- Top Prospect: Bryce Eldridge
- Biggest Mover: Jhonny Level
- Biggest Disappointment: Mason Black – I thought there would be more.
- Emerging Prospect: Jesus Alexander
1. Bryce Eldridge (1B)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 1B
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: His carrying tool is his 70-grade raw power. However, at 6 feet 7 inches, there are concerns about how much contact he will make.
When Bryce Eldridge was drafted in 2023, the Giants announced him as a two-way player. While that might still play out, he’s been playing the field (first base) for the entire season. His height at 6-foot-7 will make him one of the tallest current MLB positional players if he makes it that far. Remember, height brings length to the swing and plenty of swing and miss.
In watching some of his at-bats, he does an excellent job at staying short to the ball to limit his whiff rate. Still, projecting anything less than a 25% strikeout rate is not warranted. What he will provide is enormous power. He had some of the best power in the 2023 Draft and could rival Luciano’s, although Luciano has better bat speed.
One comp I’ve heard is Matt Olson. Olson also has length (6-foot-5) but has been able to manage it. The last time I looked, he pumped 54 home runs in 2023 to lead the league, although it’s been far from that pace this season. If Eldridge can keep his strikeout rate in the 23 to 25% range, perhaps the comp makes sense.
While Eldridge finished the season in Triple-A, he’ll likely start 2025 back in Double-A.
2. Carson Whisenhunt (LHP)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 SP
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He has a plus arsenal but needs to improve his strike-throwing to hit his ceiling.
I continue to be quite bullish on Carson Whisenhunt. His ERA was 5.42 in Triple-A this season, with more walks than you would like (4.6 BB/9), but it’s the PCL. He has great stuff. He’s a sinker/change-up pitcher. The sinker will touch 95 MPH (averages 92.8 MPH), but it gets a ton of weak contact and a reasonably high whiff rate. His change-up is at least a 70-pitch and will get Major League batters out as soon as he is promoted.
He’s not a great strike thrower, but he’s athletic and repeats his delivery, so I think it’s in there. If it all comes together, the ceiling is at least a number three starter.
3. James Tibbs (OF, #13)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2026-27 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He controls the strike zone well, with enough power to hit 20+ home runs annually.
James Tibbs had a breakout season in 2024 at Florida State University (FSU), slashing .374/.497/.813 with 28 home runs. He also cut his strikeout rate in half and walked nearly twice as much as he struck out (10.3% strikeout rate and an 18% walk Rate). Pop-up players are always challenging to invest in as you don’t know how much of it is accurate.
His professional debut didn’t help much with the evaluation as he slashed .241/.293/.343 with two home runs and a 31% strikeout rate.
He’s an average runner, so speed will not be a big part of his profile.
4. Rayner Arias (OF)
- Highest Level: Complex ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF with risk
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He had a down season, but the power potential and feel to hit is still there.
After a solid debut in the DSL, Rayner Arias could not build on that in 2024. He showed no power after posting a .793 SLG in the DSL. He was dealing with a wrist injury, possibly contributing to his lack of power. But a .364 SLG was different from what I wanted to see.
He’s a big kid (6-foot-2) with plenty of bat speed, so I will still project future power potential despite his performance in 2024. After all, he just turned 18 in April. Otherwise, he held his own. He did have a few too many strikeouts but also walked 11% of the time.
If it all comes together, he profiles as a power-hitting corner outfielder with a chance to hit .260+ with 25 home runs. I know that looks impossible, given what he did in 2024, but the development process is dynamic. There will be little speed.
5. Jhonny Level (SS)
- Highest Level: DSL ETA: 2027+ Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He controls the strike zone well with plus speed and sneaky power.
Jhonny Level signed for just under a million dollars ($998K) in January 2024. While he’s not a physical guy, standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 150 pounds, there’s a lot to like. He understands the strike zone well and has more bat speed than you think. He’s also a plus runner and grades out as a plus defender at shortstop. It’s a high-floor profile that, at worst, should develop into a utility player at the highest level. I think there could be more in the tank.
6. Reggie Crawford (LHP)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Closer
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: His fastball can touch triple-digits with a nasty slider. He’s never been able to stay healthy.
Reggie Crawford was drafted as a two-way player in the first round of the 2022 Draft. I saw him in the Fall League in 2023, and it didn’t go well for him as a hitter. In 71 plate appearances, he hit .136 while striking out 30 times. It wasn’t surprising that the Giants moved him full-time to the mound in 2024, and to accelerate his path to the Majors, they moved him to the pen.
In relief, he’s been able to air it out. His fastball (sinker/4-seamer) will touch 100 MPH with a solid slider. He doesn’t always know where the ball is going, but it’s big stuff.
The elephant in the room is that he can’t stay healthy. He missed time in college after having TJS. He had a Lat strain entering 2024 and hit the IL on June 5th after his fastball velocity dropped to the low 90s. The diagnosis was “general soreness.” He did not pitch the rest of the season.
The upside is a closer, potentially a pretty nasty one. But the risk is equally high, given how little he’s pitched and his health record. If this sounds a little like Mason Miller, that’s where my head keeps going.
7. Victor Bericoto (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 60 OF or Top 20 1B
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He has struggled against more advanced pitching. There is plus power.
Victor Bericoto had a solid start to his 2023 season but struggled once he got to Double-A and faced more advanced pitching. He slashed a disappointing .261/.309/.384 with a 24% strikeout rate and a 6.3% walk rate. There is 20 to 25 home run pop lurking but with open questions about how much he can hit.
8. Grant McCray (OF)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2024 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 OF with contact risk
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: He has loud tools but significant swing-and-miss in his game.
Grant McCray has some of the loudest tools in the Giants system, but the strikeout rate is problematic. There is 70 raw power and speed, but there is length to his swing where it looks like he’s trying to hit each pitch close to the strike zone 500 feet. He made better contact after a promotion to Triple-A (25.4%), and since the Giants are always looking for production, they promoted him in late August. He showed power and speed in the Major Leagues but also struck out 43% of the time in 130 plate appearances.
I fear that McCray is following Sam Hilliard’s “If only he could hit” philosophy. Know your parameters on this one.
9. Walker Martin (SS)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2027+ Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: Big, strong kid with the chance for plus power with questions about how much he’ll hit.
Walker Martin was the Giants’ second-round pick (Pick #52) in 2023. He did not play in 2023 due to a back injury and was slowed to begin the 2024 season with a hamstring strain. He was an older high school player when the Giants selected him, and he is already 20 and just getting his career going.
Martin has plus raw power with questions about how much he’ll hit. His approach has significant chase as he has trouble picking up breaking pitches. His 37.6% strikeout rate in the Complex League and 46% strikeout rate in Low-A confirms the problem. He’s an average runner, so stolen bases will not be a big part of his profile in the future.
10. Aeverson Arteaga (SS)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 12/27/2024
- Tools Summary: Missed most of the season recovering from TOS remediation surgery. He has average power and a bit of speed. He will expand the strike zone.
Aeverson Arteaga missed most of the 2024 season after having surgery to address Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). He had a solid 2023 season, hitting 17 home runs and stealing eight bases in 126 games in High-A. However, the success of TOS is still early, and at least pitchers have struggled to return.
Assuming health, he has enough bat speed to suggest 15+ home run pop with a handful of stolen bases. He does expand the strike zone, which needs to be addressed. He’s always been a solid defender and should be able to continue to play up the middle.
If it all comes together, the floor is a utility player at the highest level, but there could be more in the tank. Hopefully, his TOS has been addressed, and he will not see any lingering effects.
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