SF Giants prospects: Get to know the San Jose Giants roster
The SF Giants season is underway, and their second minor league affiliate is on the verge of starting its regular season. The San Jose Giants, the Giants Single-A affiliate will begin their season at Excite Ballpark in San Jose on Thursday night. The Giants released the full roster, giving fans a chance to get to know the players they can see with the organization's lone minor-league affiliate in the Bay Area.
Triple-A roster breakdown
Double-A roster breakdown
High-A roster breakdown
San Jose Giants catchers: Onil Perez, Zach Morgan, Rayner Santana, Thomas Gavello
One of the intriguing young prospects in the Giants system is Onil Perez (Just missed the list). Perez is likely to be the primary catcher for the San Jose squad this season continuing the conga line of highly-regarded catching prospects playing for the team since 2019. Likely splitting time with Perez is last year's seventh-round choice Zach Morgan who spent his final days of the 2022 season with San Jose. Rounding out the catcher room is Rayner Santana, a returnee from last year's squad, and Thomas Gavello, last year's 13th-round pick, who the Giants converted to catcher after playing in the infield in college. Given the depth of options behind the plate, though, Gavello will likely see plenty of time in the field as well.
San Jose Giants infielders: Diego Velasquez, Garrett Frechette, Jose Ramos, Andrew Kachel, Edison Mora
With the Giants investing heavily in pitching over the past two years, it left the low-minors position player group fairly weak. Moreover, the 2021 IFA class stalled last year at the complex. So San Jose's infield includes returnees Diego Velasquez (Just missed the list), Garrett Frechette, Jose Ramos, Andrew Kachel, Edison Mora, and Anyesber Sivira.
Velasquez and Sivira should play second and third base for the squad. Sixteenth-rounder Andrew Kachel will also likely play in San Jose as a fairly advanced bat and the main utility player. Ramos is one of the most interesting players to watch on the team. Ramos is making the rare jump straight to Single-A from the Dominican Summer League and was one of the standouts in minor-league camp. If we were doing our Giants farm system rankings right now, Ramos would likely find his way onto the honorable mention list with players like Perez and Velasquez. Anthony Rodriguez will also likely join this team at some point this season but is dealing with an injury to start the season.
Frechette is this group's most prestigious draft pick, having been the Giants fifth-round pick in 2019. Frechette once flashed impressive power potential but has yet to tap into it as a pro. With that said, he's consistently hit for a decent average. Having turned 22 in December, Frechette needs to start racking up extra-base hits to return to prospect conversations.
SF Giants prospect Tanner O'Tremba during his time at Arizona. (2021)
Patrick Breen-Arizona Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC
San Jose Giants outfielders: Alexander Suarez, Tanner O'Tremba, Carter Howell, Matt Higgins
In a similar situation as the infield, the outfield will be a substantially weaker group compared to last season where prospects such as Grant McCray and Vaun Brown propelled themselves to become top-ten prospects in the organization. 2022 Arizona Complex League MVP P.J. Hilson (Giants #35 prospect) could be the best position-playing prospect on this team, but he had his camp interrupted with an injury and is continuing to ramp up in Arizona. In his place, Alexander Suarez (Giants #41 prospect), the other high-upside, toolsy outfielder with contact concerns leads this group.
Tanner O'Tremba, last year's 15th-round choice, a power-hitting corner bat, is the most notable other outfielder on the roster. Otherwise, a pair of nondrafted free agents from last year's class, Carter Howell and Matt Higgins, will fill out the depth chart. Howell is a more athletic speedster capable of handling center field while Higgins has more pop, but is likely limited to a corner.
SF Giants pitching prospect John Michael Bertrand throws a pitch during his tenure at Notre Dame. (2022)
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
San Jose Giants pitchers: Carson Whisenhunt, William Kempner, Liam Simon, Esmerlin Vinicio, Nomar Medina, Jack Choate, Manuel Mercedes, John Bertrand, Hayden Birdsong, Tyler Vogel, Julio Rodriguez, Gerelmi Maldonado, Daniel Blair, Dylan Cumming, Hayden Wynja
Like in 2022, the 2023 San Jose pitching staff will be loaded with notable names early this season because of the pitching-heavy 2022 draft class. This should result in a piggyback system once again where two pitchers will pitch in three to five innings an outing.
2022 second-rounder Carson Whisenhunt and third-rounder William Kempner are the best pitching prospects on the roster and will hope to follow in the footsteps of other recent prospects like Mason Black, and quickly earn promotions to High-A Eugene. The Giants have been notoriously conservative with the assignments of their prospects. Arguably the most surprising conservative assignment is 2022 10th-rounder John Bertrand, a pitchability southpaw who has advanced command and an ability to work deeper into games.
The most surprising omission is 2022 fourth-round pick Spencer Miles, who is presumably dealing with an injury, or still ramping up in Arizona. Still, fifth and sixth rounders Liam Simon and Hayden Birdsong are in the rotation. Simon is a high-upside arm who has reached triple-digits but has struggled mightily with control. Birdsong is a reliever who was dominant in the summer league and in his pro debut.
2022 Ninth-rounder Jack Choate and 12th-rounder Tyler Vogel are also assigned to San Jose where they will look to be the latest late-round pick to breakout upon reaching pro ball.
Tread Athletic members and recent UDFA signees Daniel Blair and Dylan Cumming will fill out the staff as single-inning relief staff. Both might have a similar situation to last year's barn find Spencer Bivens where he was bounced around the California-based teams to fill innings as injuries piled up over the course of the season. UDFA signee Hayden Wynja is also on the roster serving as a reliever.
On the international side, a trio of prospects who pitched last year in San Jose returns this year. Manuel Mercedes (Just missed the list) finished fairly well last year, but a rough first half saw his season ERA end at 5.13 with almost as many walks as strikeouts (63 walks to 67 strikeouts). The stuff is very much present but it is clear that he still has a long way to go to achieve his potential. Joining Mercedes is Esmerlin Vinicio (Just missed the list) who initially was a part of the San Jose pitching staff but was demoted to Rookie ball as he failed to establish himself with a 6.46 ERA last year in Low-A. They are two of the highest upside arms in the lower minors.
One of the few only relievers on the roster is Julio Rodriguez. He is a slinging righty who struck out 63 batters in 47.2 innings last year.
Gerelmi Maldonado might be one of the most exciting sleeper arms in the Complex League last year with a 2.27 ERA and 59 strikeouts to just 19 walks in 39.2 innings pitched. He can touch 96 mph with his fastball with a slider that has solid sweep and depth. Rounding out the projected pitching class is Nomar Medina as he deserves to pitch in Low-A after a strong ACL stint last year with a 2.22 ERA. Medina only sits in the high-80s with his fastball but has a great feel for spin.
San Jose Giants injured list: Davis Hare
Davis Hare is on the full-season injured list, so don't expect to see him in a game until 2024. A right-handed pitcher out of Florida State, Hare struck out 52 hitters in 36.1 innings pitched with just 11 walks in 25 relief appearances with Florida State last spring.
