SF Giants minor league notes: A surprise return, Trevor Cohen hitting his stride at the plate

The SF Giants minor league affiliates continue to rack up the first-half titles, but there was another nugget of good news. Former top pick Reggie Crawford made his return to the field on Friday night.

SF Giants minor league notes: A surprise return, Trevor Cohen hitting his stride at the plate

1. A surprise return

In 2024, it looked like Crawford would eventually make his major league debut for the Giants before the end of that season. However, he landed on the injured list in the middle of that season and had not returned since then. Crawford underwent shoulder surgery in September of 2024.

The left-handed pitcher had been throwing bullpens toward the end of last season, but suffered a setback and needed another shoulder procedure. The Giants are holding out hope that he can return to the mound later this summer, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

For now, Crawford will return to hitting in the Arizona Complex League. He was drafted as a two-way player, and pursued that approach during the 2023 season. This included a stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he only focused on hitting. In his return to the field, the left-handed bat blasted a solo home run in a 7-2 victory.

The 25-year-old pitcher was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Connecticut. He had been recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time of the draft and missed his final college season.

2. Trevor Cohen hitting his stride at the plate

Trevor Cohen got off to a sluggish start in the Northwest League through the first month of the season, but he has been on a tear lately. Since May 1, he is hitting .344/.404/.497 (144 wRC+) with three home runs, 18 RBI, and 31 runs in 171 plate appearances. This includes recording nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (17).

The Giants targeted contact skills in last year's draft, and Cohen was a prime example of that. He was a third-round pick out of Rutgers University. Gavin Kilen (first round) and Isaiah Barkett (10th round) are other examples of high-contact hitters selected by the Giants.

Cohen does not offer much in terms of power upside, but the Giants are hopeful that he can generate more extra bases as he matures. He is a fast runner, and this translates to being an good baserunner and quality defender. He has 22 steals in 26 chances.

The 22-year-old hitter grinds out at-bats. Oftentimes, high-contact hitters post low strikeout rates because they are aggressive hitters. That is not the case for Cohen. He has a good understanding of the strike zone and will make pitchers work by not expanding the zone. Cohen has a 12.5 percent walk rate this season.

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