Before the Bay: Giants' No. 30 Prospect Cam Maldonado

A plus runner with a decorated college track record on the bases, Maldonado represents the kind of speed the Giants have lacked at the Major League level.

General view of a San Francisco Giants cap and glove during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants did plenty well in 2025. Rarely in concert, but bright moments flickered throughout the 81-81 campaign.

One area where the club did not shine was on the bases. The Giants finished 29th in stolen bases and graded out as an abysmal baserunning team — a familiar storyline by now.

The club ranked 29th in steals in 2024 as well, and dead last in 2023. The last time San Francisco even cracked the top half of the league in stolen bases was 2016, when they finished 14th.

If the Giants want more speed in the Majors, they’ll need to start growing it in the pipeline. And in recent drafts, they’ve begun to try.

Among the first waves of that effort is Cam Maldonado, the No. 30 prospect in the system (per MLB Pipeline) and an elite runner throughout his college career.

Prospect Background: Cam Maldonado (OF)

Age: 22 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 200 | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Born: Waterbury, CT

The Giants clearly saw plenty to like in the Northeastern baseball program this year.

After selecting Northeastern left-hander Jordan Gottesman in the sixth round, the Giants doubled down and took Maldonado a round later in the seventh - with right-hander Cooper McGrath still to follow in the 18th.

Of the three Northeastern selections, only Maldonado appears on the Giants’ Top 30 prospect list - largely because of the power-speed profile that fueled his decorated college career.

What do you get when you mix power and speed?

You get Cam Maldonado 🫡 pic.twitter.com/uLjp6hS24e

— Northeastern Baseball (@GoNUbaseball) July 14, 2025

He opened his college career by setting Northeastern’s freshman home run record with 13 in 2023, and closed it as the program’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 86.

His final season at Northeastern was his best. Maldonado slashed .351/.467/.631 with 15 home runs and 29 steals over 60 games on the way to an All-CAA First-Team selection.

The 51 strikeouts in 222 at-bats (22% K-rate) raised questions - enough to potentially drop him a round or two in the draft - but he balanced it with 41 walks.

Backed by his college track record, Maldonado was assigned directly to full-season ball and debuted with Class-A San Jose after the draft.

Maldonado's 2025 Season

Following the draft, the 22-year-old made his pro debut on August 19 and played in 17 regular season games with San Jose.

He went through some expected growing pains, hitting .194 over his first 11 games in August, but his 10 walks against 12 strikeouts showed the plate discipline carried over.

Maldonado found his stride in September, peaking at the right time for a postseason-bound San Jose club. He posted a .304/.320/.435 line over six games, but it was the run production that stood out, with his eight RBI ranking second in the California League.

San Jose capped a dominant season with a title, sweeping Inland Empire in the best-of-three championship series. Maldonado delivered in the playoffs, batting .333 (4-for-12) and driving in a run in three of the four games.

More runs! After a Walker Martin walk, Cam Maldonado lines one into right, and the Giants take a 4-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/MWiHd3QGOE

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) September 17, 2025

For a player drafted barely two months earlier, it was an encouraging sign - proof he wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment and could handle the biggest stage of his pro career so far.

Maldonado's MLB Pipeline Report

Here are the MLB Pipeline scouting grades for Maldonado:

Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

The scouting report points to swing-and-miss issues for Maldonado, especially against breaking balls in the zone, but cutting that down could unlock a much higher ceiling.

As MLB Pipeline notes, "He could be a steal if he makes consistent contact in pro ball."

His best attribute is, unsurprisingly, his speed. As MLB Pipeline puts it: “Maldonado is a plus runner with basestealing aptitude. His quickness also helps him cover ground in center field, where he’s a solid defender with an average arm.”

Though he hit for a solid average in a small sample with San Jose, Maldonado didn’t show the same pop he had in college - finishing without a home run over 21 games.

Maldonado has plus raw power according to MLB Pipeline, “but he doesn’t pull the ball in the air often enough to make the most of it.”

Development Track

MLB Pipeline currently projects Maldonado’s MLB arrival for 2028, giving him time to develop into the player the Giants believe he can become.

If some of those doubles start clearing the fence next year, Maldonado could move quicker than that. He already gets on base, and once he’s there, his best weapon comes into play - speed.

San Francisco could certainly use more of that.

Before The Bay is a series profiling the Giants’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, as they develop in the organization.