3 biggest SF Giants surprises from MLB Pipeline's top-30 prospect list

MLB Pipeline published their top-30 prospect lists and farm system rankings last week. Bryce Eldridge, Carson Whisenhunt, and Josuar Gonzalez led the way for the SF Giants, but there were also a few surprises.

3 biggest SF Giants surprises from MLB Pipeline's top-30 prospect list

There are always going to be surprises and differences of opinion with these lists. This is part of what makes this discourse so interesting. The people who put these together spend a lot of time watching film, analyzing stats, and talking with scouts.

MLB Pipeline does a good job tracking this along with Fangraphs, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus.

There were a few takeaways from the Giants' list. The most notable is that rebuilding the farm system will arguably be Buster Posey's biggest challenge as the head of the front office. He has tabbed Randy Winn as the vice president of player development, so the former outfielder will play a big role with this.

Another takeaway was how young the Giants' pipeline is becoming. Three of the Giants' top five prospects are 20 years old or younger, including Eldridge, Gonzalez, and Jhonny Level.

1. Diego Velasquez at No. 15

Middle infield prospect Diego Velasquez is coming off of a very strong year. He posted a .746 OPS with three home runs and 26 RBI in 318 plate appearances with the Eugene Emeralds before receiving a promotion to Double-A.

Velasquez hit surprisingly well for a prospect in the upper minors in his age-20 season. The switch-hitter slashed .313/.389/.374 (125 wRC+) with one home run, 20 RBI, and 14 runs in 170 plate appearances for the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Eastern League is a tough environment for hitters due to the advanced pitching, large ballpark dimensions, and wet climate. Velasquez exceeded expectations given those conditions.

If the 21-year-old infielder hit with more power, he would be much higher on the list. He sprays line drives all over the field but has below-average raw power. While Velasquez continues to see time at shortstop, he is better suited for second base. With all that being said, there is a good case to make to move him up a couple of spots on the Giants' list based on his pure hitting ability.

2. Jhonny Level at No. 5

Jhonny Level came in at No. 5 after his first full season as a pro. The young Giants infield prospect received a signing bonus just under $1 million in 2024. While Level was not considered one of the top prospects in that year's international free agency cycle, the signing bonus he received was one of the Giants' largest expenditures in that market in 2024.

The 17-year-old prospect registered a .275/.393/.517 line (140 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 46 RBI, and 44 runs in the Dominican Summer League last season. Video footage of that league is limited, but that type of production caught the attention of a lot of scouts. Plus, Level has a fan in the Giants front office in general manager Zack Minasian.

3. Bo Davidson at No. 9 and Trent Harris at No. 11

Both Bo Davidson and Trent Harris joined the Giants organization as undrafted free agents in 2023. They quickly proved that to be an oversight. Davidson played primarily with the San Jose Giants in 2024, recording a .327/.437/.605 line (171 wRC+) with 11 home runs, 48 RBI, and 46 runs in 263 plate appearances.

Perhaps, a late-season injury prevented him from getting promoted to High-A. The Giants did reward him with a trip to the Arizona Fall League. The left-handed bat has a lot of tools, including power, speed, and a strong arm. The Giants likely want him to lift and pull a little more frequently to tap more into his power, as he tends to use all fields evenly.

On the other hand, Harris was arguably the Giants' best pitching prospect last season. He registered a 1.81 ERA with 105 strikeouts against 25 walks in 79.2 frames split across three levels. Harris finished the season in Double-A.

On the mound, the righty pitcher flashes a mid-90's four-seam fastball that he has a good feel for and generates some swinging strikes up in the zone. He mixes in two distinct breaking pitches. This includes a big, 12-to-6 curveball that overpowered younger hitters and a tigher slider that gets quality, two-plane movement. He has the type of pitch mix to start, but the Giants have not stretched him out to that role yet.

I suppose the surprise is how quickly both rose up the Giants' rankings. This is due to their excellent performance and tools, but within one year, they went from undrafted players to showing off that they have major league tools.