Pair of SF Giants prospects earn end-of-year honors in Arizona Complex League

The Arizona Complex League (ACL) has been over since the end of July. On Thursday, MLB Pipeline recognized the top players from that league, with SF Giants prospects Keyner Martinez and Jhonny Level being recognized for Pitcher of the Year and top MLB prospect, respectively.

Pair of SF Giants prospects earn end-of-year honors in Arizona Complex League

The only rookie season that is still playing is the Dominican Summer League (DSL). Unfortunately, that does not include either Giants affiliate. Both the DSL Giants Orange and DSL Giants Black were some of the better teams in the league, but did not reach the finals.

On the other hand, the ACL Giants did reach the finals, but lost to the ACL Angels in a three-game series. Despite coming up short, it was a strong year for this Giants affiliate, and many of its prospects.

This includes Keyner Martinez and Jhonny Level. Martinez, along with Argenis Cayama and Dario Reynoso, was selected to the All-Star team. Interestingly, the Giants' ACL manager, Jacob Heyward, was also recognized for the All-Star team. For what it is worth, I do not think they actually play an All-Star game. This is more to recognize the prospects for their performances.

Heyward is the younger brother of longtime major league outfielder Jason Heyward. The younger Heyward was an 18th-round pick by the Giants in the 2016 draft out of the University of Miami. When his playing career ended after the 2022 season, he immediately turned to coaching. Heyward also might have a minor footnote in baseball history as he is likely the first player in pro baseball to be ejected for arguing a strike call with the automated strike zone. That was in the Arizona Fall League in 2019.

Martinez and Cayama were two of the best pitchers in the ACL. Martinez pitched to a 1.90 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 10 walks in 47.1 innings. The right-handed pitcher features a mid-90's fastball with a low-80's gyro slider and a harder changeup.

On the other hand, Jhonny Level was one of the best hitters in the league. He put up an .869 OPS with nine home runs and 38 RBI in 261 plate appearances. This includes 17 stolen bases in 22 opportunities. The switch-hitter showed a bit more power than expected this year.

Level, Martinez, and Cayama were rewarded with a strong season in the ACL by earning a promotion to the San Jose Giants. Similar to the ACL Giants, San Jose has been the best team in the California League.

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