SF Giants Low-A affiliate takes home the California League title

The San Jose Giants were the best team in the California League during the regular season. The SF Giants' Low-A affiliate capped off an incredible season after sweeping Inland Empire in the Championship Series.

SF Giants Low-A affiliate takes home the California League title

In fact, San Jose did not lose a game during the playoffs. They faced off against the Fresno Grizzlies in the division round and won both of those games. They went up against the Inland Empire 66ers, and won both games of that series.

Inland Empire is the Los Angeles Angels' Low-A affiliate. This is not the first time this season that a Giants and Angels affiliate have faced off in the finals. In the Arizona Complex League, both clubs faced off in the finals, with the Angels securing the title.

On Tuesday, The 66ers scored the first run of the game. Then, San Jose matched them in the top of the fourth inning. The 66ers regained the lead with a run in the bottom of that inning. The Giants responded with three more runs in the sixth inning and did not look back.

Lefty pitcher Luis De La Torre started the game, completing four innings while allowing two runs on two walks and five strikeouts. Hunter Dryden tallied 4.2 scoreless frames before Cade Vernon came in to record the final out.

On offense, Diego Cartaya led the way with two hits and two RBI in four at-bats. Trevor Cohen and Jose Astudillo each had a multi-hit game as well:

Overall, San Jose led the California League with an 81-51 record. They clinched a playoff spot after having the best record in the first half of the year. San Jose remained strong in the second half, but Inland Empire was slightly better with a 39-27 record.

In the first half, the Giants had a lot of college players from the 2024 draft on the roster. This included Jakob Christian, Zander Darby, Dakota Jordan, and Robert Hipwell. Drew Cavanaugh and Carlos Gutierrez also provided a jolt to the lineup.

Christain, Darby, and Cavanaugh all earned promotions this season. Jordan and Gutierrez finished the year on the injured list. The Giants relied on reinforcements in the second half, such as Jhonny Level and Trevor Cohen.

Many of the Giants' affiliates in the lower minors had strong seasons, and narrowly missed winning the title. This was especially true for the Eugene Emeralds and Arizona Complex League Giants, both of whom made it to the finals. San Jose was able to cap off a strong regular season with a memorable playoff run.

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