SF Giants middle infield prospect viewed as one of the breakout prospects for 2026 in latest executive poll

SF Giants middle infield prospect Josuar Gonzalez opened a lot of eyes with an impressive pro debut last summer. This year, he was among the prospects to receive consideration for the breakout prospect of 2026, according to the latest MLB executive poll.

SF Giants middle infield prospect viewed as one of the breakout prospects for 2026 in latest executive poll

Gonzalez joined the Giants as an international free agent in last year’s cycle out of the Dominican Republic. He received a signing bonus of just under $3,000,000. It represented one of largest investments by the organization in this channel.

The Giants are expected to top that number this year by a comfortable margin. Despite having one of the lowest bonus pools, they have long been connected to another middle infield prospect in Luis Hernández out of Venezuela. 

By several outlets, Hernández is viewed as the top prospect in this year’s cycle. The Giants, along with the rest of baseball, should have their signing class finalized once the period opens up on January 15. 

On the other hand, Gonzalez was one of many prospects to receive consideration to be the breakout prospect for this upcoming season. He was one of seven prospects to receive multiple votes, earning 4.7 percent of the vote by MLB executives.

The top vote getter was pitching prospect Kruz Schoolcraft of the Pittsburg Pirates, receiving 14 percent of the vote. As is often the case with these polls, there is no real consensus, as it is hard to define exactly what constitutes a breakout prospect.

Gonzalez slashed .288/.404/.455 (129 wRC+) with four home runs, 24 RBI, and 52 runs in 228 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League last season. He also showed off some good baserunning skills, swiping 33 bases in 38 opportunities.

The 18-year-old infield prospect has already climbed the prospect ladder, coming in at the No. 82 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He is expected to be ranked even higher than that when the pre-season rankings are published.

Gonzalez was not the only Giants prospect to appear in this poll. Interestingly, shortstop Zane Zielinski received consideration for best defensive prospect. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 2024 draft.

The Giants farm system has not been ranked highly over the past 15 years. Not surprisingly, the farm system has sparsely fed the major league roster during that time. That narrative could be starting to shift. Gonzalez, Luis Hernández, and Bryce Eldridge are some of the top names who could help turn that tide. Plus, the Giants hold the No. 4 pick in the 2026 draft.