Minor League roundup, August 13: Thairo Estrada kicks off his rehab, Bryce Eldridge mashes (2024)

The San Francisco Giants may have lost another heartbreaker on Tuesday, but down on the farm the action was quite a bit happier! Here’s what happened for the six Minor League Baseball affiliates whose seasons are still marching on.

Link to the 2024 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the positions played in that particular game.

Notes

A little bit of surprising news to wake up to: AA Richmond RHP Ben Madison has been released. That’s pretty surprising compared to where he was last year, when I was predicting that he’d be next in the line of Randy Rodríguez/José Cruz lower-Minors fireball Rule 5 protections. Madison, a 9th-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, was one of the best strikeout pitchers in the organization — over the last 3 years, he recorded 232 strikeouts in just 154 innings. But AA had repeatedly stifled him ... he was thoroughly dominant in High-A Eugene last year, struggled a lot when he got promoted to Richmond, began this year back in Eugene where he dominated again, and then struggled again when he returned to Richmond. Best of luck to him on the next step in his baseball journey.

A pair of other relievers, AAA Sacramento RHPs Cody Stashak and Kyle Cody were also released. They make space for a pair of recent acquisitions, LHP Tyler Matzek and RHP Ryan Watson, who are headed to Sacramento.

And finally, AAA Sacramento LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 4 CPL) is beginning a rehab assignment with Low-A San Jose. That’s great news!

AAA Sacramento (61-54)

Sacramento River Cats beat the Salt Lake Bees (Angels) 11-4
Box score

There were a trio of rehab assignments going on in Sacramento from players who could all help San Francisco at some point this season. Most notable is that second baseman Thairo Estrada began his rehab assignment, and hit 1-3 with a hit by pitch, a strikeout, and an error.

I’ll be honest: there was a part of me that thought when Estrada landed on the IL shortly before the trade deadline that his time with the organization might be coming to an end. But Brett Wisely has cooled off massively, Casey Schmitt (who Wisely is platooning with) has been ice cold, and the Giants clearly don’t trust Marco Luciano to play second base (and barely trust him to hit, for that matter). I’d assume that Estrada slides back into a heavy-usage role in the next few days. But seriously, can people please stop hitting him?

Getting the start was RHP Tristan Beck, who made his 2nd rehab appearance. This one went as well as the last one, as he gave up just 4 baserunners and an unearned run in 3 innings of work, while striking out 3. Beck could really add something to the Giants down the stretch ... we know how good he can be out of the bullpen, and he could be a spot starter when Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong need a little break.

Rounding out the rehab trio was LHP Tyler Matzek, who made his organizational debut. Matzek, who came over in the Jorge Soler trade but was on the 60-Day IL, gave up 1 hit in an inning, but that hit was a home run, which tagged him for both an earned run and an unearned run. It was his 1st game since May 4.

In other pitching news, RHP Spencer Howard made his 2nd appearance since the Giants reacquired him, and RHP Tyler Myrick continued his strong run of recent play, pitching 2.1 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. It’s the 5th time in his last 7 outings that Myrick hasn’t allowed a hit.

On offense, the star was left fielder Wade Meckler (No. 11 CPL) who had one helluva game, hitting 3-6 with 2 triples and knocking in 6 of the team’s runs. It’s great to see him finally starting to find some rhythm.

Center fielder Grant McCray (No. 12 CPL) also had a very strong game, going 1-2 with 3 walks and a stolen base ... he’s up over league average now, with an .819 OPS and a 102 wRC+. Don’t count him out for a spot on the roster at some point this year!

Not a very good game for designated hitter Luis Matos as he tries to work his way back onto the roster. After a dynamic weekend, Matos hit just 0-4 with 2 strikeouts, a hit by pitch, and a stolen base on Tuesday.

AA Richmond (51-58)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 11-3
Box score

It’s a tough business. RHP Ben Madison had one of his best appearances in AA, pitching 2 shutout innings, allowing just 1 baserunner on a hit batter, and striking out 3. And then he was released after the game. Ouch.

He was sandwiched between a decent outing from LHP Nick Sinacola and a strong showing from LHP Nick Swiney. The lefty Nicks, at it again!

Sinacola got the start and allowed just 5 hits and 0 walks in 5 innings, but 2 of those hits were home runs, so he got tagged for 3 earned runs. That puts his ERA at 3.13 and his FIP at 4.09. While he only struck out 2 batters, Sinacola’s dominance at limiting walks remains ... after walking just 7 batters in 40.1 innings with High-A Eugene to start the year, the 2021 7th-round pick has issued just 11 free passes in 46 innings with the Squirrels. Among the 36 Giants prospects with at least 50 innings pitched this year, Sinacola’s 1.88 walks per 9 innings is the very best.

Swiney closed the game with 2 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and 1 walk, and striking out 2. It hasn’t been the season he hoped for after making it to AAA in 2023, as Swiney has a 4.78 ERA and a 4.58 FIP this year, but things have better lately. The 2020 Compensation Round pick still struggles with a few blowup innings though, so hopefully he can start limiting those.

Plenty of exciting days on offense. Congrats to catcher Zach Morgan, who hit his 1st AA home run in his 5th game since getting promoted. The 2022 7th-round pick didn’t have great numbers in Eugene, but is off to a strong start in Richmond.

Right fielder Vaun Brown (No. 17 CPL) got his 1st start since returning to Richmond following a lengthy stint on the Development List, and a little time playing at lower levels. His talents were very much on display, as he hit 2-5 with a double and a stolen base, but the issues that led to his massive setback were on display too, as all 3 of his outs were strikeouts.

First baseman Victor Bericoto (No. 19 CPL) had a day that looked much more like his 2023 season than his 2024 one, as he went 3-5 with a double and 2 stolen bases. It certainly has’t been the season the 22-year old righty slugger was hoping for, as he has a .675 OPS, a 90 wRC+, and 8 home runs, a year after leading the organization with 27 big flies. But there’s still a chance to end the year on a high note, and in his last 7 games he’s 11-31 with 1 home run, 2 doubles, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts.

Center fielder Carter Howell continued his nice season, hitting 1-2 with 3 walks and a stolen base, while shortstop Diego Velasquez (No. 21 CPL), playing in his 17th game since getting promoted, hit 2-5 with 4 runs batted in and a stolen base.

He has a .703 OPS and a 106 wRC+ since his promotion. Not bad for a 20-year old who plays up the middle!

High-A Eugene (51-57)

Eugene Emeralds lost to the Hillsboro Hops (Diamondbacks) 7-1
Box score

Sometimes you only have 1 player who plays well, which ... hey, I guess it’s better than non players playing well.

That was emphatically the case in Eugene, where first baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 3 CPL) shined brightly .... and even brighter still when you compare him to his teammates. Just take a look:

Bryce Eldridge: 2-3, 1 home run, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
The other 8 dudes: 0-26, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts

I’d say the rest of the team should buy him dinner, but his signing bonus is considerably larger than those other 8 players’ put together, so maybe not.

Anyway, it was a truly awful game on offense, save for the top prospect on the team (and, in most people’s eyes, the organization). But it’s certainly worth marveling at what Eldridge did, and the tear that he’s on. In his last 13 games, the tall lefty slugger is 20-47 with 3 home runs, 1 triple, 4 doubles, and 15 walks. Holy smokes, Bryce!

The Giants are likely thrilled not just with the performance, but with the way that he has cut down on his strikeouts. After striking out 31 times in his first 23 games with the Emeralds, Eldridge has struck out just 5 times in the last 9 games. Absolutely love to see that improvement.

Eldridge is now tied with David Villar for the farm lead in home runs, and is up to a .961 OPS and a 169 wRC+ (hey, those numbers are mirror images!). With every passing day, it feels more likely that he ends the year in Richmond. What a season!

Not much at all on the pitching front. RHP Manuel Mercedes (No. 37 CPL) struggled in the start, but RHP Daniel Blair had a really nice game, pitching 2 shutout innings with 1 hit and 2 strikeouts. Blair started the season slowly, but has been absolutely excellent as of late, and this was his 5th consecutive scoreless outing. Look at how he’s turned his season around:

Through July 11: 57 innings, 75 hits, 17 walks, 43 earned runs, 55 strikeouts
Since July 11: 13.1 innings, 9 hits, 6 walks, 2 earned runs, 15 strikeouts

Obviously it’s a much smaller sample size, but still great to see that improvement.

Low-A San Jose (62-46)

San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 5-0
Box score

Needless to say, it was a dominant pitching performance for the Baby Giants. And it certainly helps to have a pitcher who doesn’t belong at that level if you want to be dominant. That was the case on Tuesday, as AAA Sacramento LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 3 CPL) got the start as he began his rehab assignment. Whisenhunt looked exactly as you would expect him to look against lesser opponents: he pitched 2 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts, only allowing baserunners on a walk and a hit batter. Hopefully his next start is with the River Cats.

RHP Cale Lansville was next, and he had an awesome outing, tossing 4.2 shutout frames with just 2 hits against 6 strikeouts. It was the 2nd straight great showing for Lansville, last year’s 14th-round pick, and seeing him bounce back like that is great: in his prior 2 outings, he had allowed 15 earned runs.

RHP Junior Flores worked around command issues to pitch a scoreless inning, and LHP Timmy Manning shut the door with 2 strikeouts in a perfect frame. Manning, the team’s 12th-round pick last year, is a blowup outing away from having a truly spectacular pitching line. In 16 appearances this year, he’s given up 4 earned runs once, 1 earned run twice, and 0 earned runs 13 times.

A pair of offensive days that stood incredibly tall: left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 42 CPL) hit 3-4 with a home run, while center fielder Bo Davidson hit 1-3 with a home run and a walk.

Diaz is starting to find his rhythm in San Jose: over the last 6 games, the righty is 9-27 with 4 extra-base hits and just 2 strikeouts. He’s still sitting at just a .651 OPS and a 70 wRC+, but it’s worth remembering that he’s a defensively-talented player who turned 19 less than a month ago, and who had just 44 combined games in the DSL and ACL before receiving an aggressive assignment in A-Ball. He’s a player whose good games (like this one!) should excite you, but his bad ones shouldn’t concern you.

As for Davidson, well ... the dude just keeps on hitting. Since returning from a rehab stint in the ACL (where he dominated, it’s worth noting), the 22-year old lefty, who went undrafted a year ago, has hit a preposterous 28-62 with 5 home runs, 1 triple, 8 doubles, 18 walks, and just 13 strikeouts. My goodness!

Right fielder James Tibbs III played in his 5th professional game since being a 1st-round pick last month and hit 2-4. He’s 7-22 to start his career, which is super exciting, though a double is his lone extra-base hit in that time, and he has 8 strikeouts to 0 walks. But a very successful debut, I’d say!

DSL Black (37-12)

DSL Giants Black beat DSL Arizona Red 8-5
Box score

Can the Giants just go ahead and bring shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 38 CPL, 17 years, 2024 international signing) over to the states now and throw him in A-Ball? Please?

I’m joking of course — we’ll have to wait until next year to see Level in America — but with every passing day he seems more like he’s already outgrown the DSL. He only hit 1-4 in this game, but his hit cleared the fence and he drew a walk (admittedly with a strikeout and a caught stealing). It bumped his OPS to .908 and his wRC+ to 141, numbers that receive quite a contextual boost when you remember that he’s a shortstop, a switch-hitter, has just a 16.3% strikeout rate, and won’t turn 18 until a few days after the 2025 MLB season begins. And he’s already 5th in the DSL in home runs, while getting strong reports back on his defense. Safe to say he’s going to be a massive riser in next year’s CPL.

The other great offensive day belonged to second baseman Anthony Marquez (17 years, 2024 international signing), who also hit 1-4 with a home run and a walk. It was the 1st career home run for Marquez, who has a .768 OPS and a 120 wRC+ and, like Level, a tidy strikeout rate (just 16.7%). A quietly strong debut season.

Designated hitter Jesus Alexander (18 years, 2023 international signing) reached base 3 times, going 2-4 with a walk. Alexander was recently moved from the Giants Orange to the Giants Black team to help thet with their stretch and playoff run, which shows that the Giants view him highly ... no surprise given his 1.027 OPS and 169 wRC+ ... numbers that rank 8th and 9th, respectively, out of 464 DSL prospects with at least 100 plate appearances.

LHP Ricardo Estrada (22 years, 2021 international signing) dominated in the start, tossing 5 shutout inning with 3 hits, 0 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Estrada is old and experienced for the level (this is his 4th pass through the DSL), but he’s certainly dominating, with a 1.28 ERA and a 2.75 FIP. In his last 6 games, the southpaw has tossed 21 innings and allowed just 8 hits, 5 walks, and 1 run, with 21 strikeouts. Those are nearly Blake Snell numbers!

DSL Orange (26-26)

DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Tigers 1, 1-0 (7 innings)
Box score

This one was all about the pitching, with the Giants Orange team turning to just 2 arms for the 7-inning shutout: RHPs Frainer Mejias (18 years, 2023 international signing) and Jose Rojas (20 years, 2021 international signing). Mejias gave up 3 hits in his 3 scoreless innings while striking out 5, bringing his ERA to 2.86 and his FIP to 2.92; Rojas gave up just 1 hit in 4 shoutout innings, with 4 strikeouts, dropping his ERA to 2.94 and his FIP to 3.96.

In his last 9 starts, Rojas has pitched 18 innings and allowed just 9 hits, 4 walks, and 1 run, albeit with just 8 strikeouts. He’s ending the season on a high note, but it is his 4th year in the DSL.

On offense, the only notable day belonged to third baseman Albert Jimenez (17 years, 2024 international signing), who hit 1-2 with a double and a walk. It’s been a decent debut season for him, as the righty has a .745 OPS and a 104 wRC+.

Home run tracker

AA Zach Morgan (4 total, 1 in AA)
High-A Bryce Eldridge (14 total, 4 in High-A)
Low-A Bo Davidson (9 total, 7 in Low-A)
Low-A Lisbel Diaz (8 total, 4 in Low-A)
DSL Jhonny Level (9)
DSL Anthony Marquez (1)