Pair of SF Giants top picks earn Player of the Week honors, May 4 - 10

It was a promising week for a pair of top SF Giants picks. Gavin Kilen and Joe Whitman earned Player of the Week honors for the Northwest League and Eastern League, respectively, for May 4 - 10.

Pair of SF Giants top picks earn Player of the Week honors, May 4 - 10

Folks, I would encourage you to check out the Giants minor league clubs. Not only is minor league baseball a fun experience, but all of the affiliates are off to strong starts. 

Last week, the recent drafts paid off in a nice way. Kilen got off to a memorable start to the season with the Eugene Emeralds. In the first game of the year, he launched his first career long ball as a pro. The middle infield prospect was the Giants’ top pick in the 2025 draft.

Kilen did not wait long to tally his second one. In that same game, his second home run walked it off in an 8 - 6 win over the Hillsboro Hops. 

Last week, the Emeralds faced off against the Vancouver Canadians in a six-game series. They clinched another series victory, winning four of those games. 

Overall, Kilen notched 10 hits, including two home runs, with nine RBI in 18 at-bats. He went on a tear in the latter half of the week, recording eight hits in 11 at-bats. Kilen has an .876 OPS with four home runs and 33 RBI in 137 plate appearances. 

On the other hand, Joe Whitman is off to an encouraging start in his second turn through the Eastern League. He was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Kent State University.

Whitman has a 4.05 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks in 33.1 frames this year for the Richmond Flying Squirrels. This includes collecting 11 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and three walks against the Akron RubberDucks last week. 

Richmond won five of six games against Akron during the series. They also had a quirky roster move, with Matt Wilkinson switching dugouts following the Patrick Bailey trade.

Richmond is off to a blistering start in 2026. They comfortably lead the Eastern League, with a 25 - 7 record.

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