SF Giants get a brief glimpse of possible future in garbage time vs. A's

Late in spring training games it’s understandable if fans tune out a bit. Usually at that point the reserves are in and they’re typically guys who do not have much of a chance at making the big league roster anytime soon. But SF Giants fans were treated to something a little different on Saturday as two of their top prospects, Josuar Gonzalez and Gavin Kilen, appeared in the game versus the A's.

It was only briefly towards the end of the game and Kilen got just one at-bat and then played in the field at second base while Gonzalez only played at shortstop, but it was a potential glimpse at what the Giants could look like up the middle in five years or so.

SF Giants get a potential glimpse of the future in game vs. A's

They had a nice double play where they turned two on a ground ball to Gonzalez, so maybe if everything goes according to plan we will be seeing some of that in San Francisco someday.

Gonzalez is considered the second-best prospect in the organization after Bryce Eldridge. The Giants signed him as an international free agent last year and he has quickly turned some heads. Many now consider the 18-year-old a potential breakout prospect. 

Last year in the Dominican Summer League he slashed .288/.404/.455 with four home runs, 24 runs batted in, and 33 stolen bases across 52 games. He’s a guy who could potentially be a five-tool player but so much is still unknown as he’s just a teenager.

The Giants watched Marco Luciano go from a teenager touted as the shortstop of the future to a guy they waived and got nothing in return for this past offseason. Prospects can flame out quick. 

Kilen may make his big league debut much sooner than Gonzalez as he is 21 and played three years of college ball. His final year in college he spent under head coach Tony Vitello at the University of Tennessee and was mighty impressive, slashing .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs and 46 runs batted in. That was good enough for the Giants to take him in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

He only spent 10 games with the San Jose Giants last year and slashed .205/.279/.282 but it was obviously a small sample size. Kilen profiles similarly to someone like Joe Panik who was drafted as a shortstop also, but Kilen seems destined to play second base as well. 

The Giants are seemingly set in the long-term with the rest of the infield, but Luis Arraez is only under contract for this season so maybe Kilen could establish himself at second in a couple of years.

There are no guarantees and it wouldn’t shock anyone if neither prospect ended up being a huge contributor at the big league level for the Giants, but if they do end up being staples up the middle then we can look back on Saturday’s game as a brief glimpse into the future.