SF Giants minor league notes: Bo Davidson, Walker Martin, and Liam Simon

The SF Giants lower minor league affiliates are putting together good seasons, with the San Jose Giants putting up an 18-14 record in the California League. Bo Davidson, Walker Martin, and Liam Simon are among the Giants helping the lower-level affiliates.

SF Giants minor league notes: Bo Davidson, Walker Martin, and Liam Simon

Bo Davidson's noteworthy 2025 season

Outfield prospect Bo Davidson had a breakout season with San Jose in 2024. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023, and has surpassed all expectations that come with that. The left-handed bat put up a 1.013 OPS with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 226 plate appearances in the California League last season.

It was a notable performance, but college bats tend to do well in the Low-A. Davidson has followed that up with a .343/.396/.559 line (157 wRC+) with four home runs and 17 RBI in 111 plate appearances with the Eugene Emeralds this season.

The 22-year-old outfielder generates good bat speed, but the game power does not quite match yet. He has shown improvement in terms of pulling the ball in the air, and will need to continue to do so for the raw power and game power to align. Davidson is not an aggressive hitter and covers the plate well, so he should not strike out at a high rate.

In the field, Davidson has seen the bulk of his time in center field. He is an above-average runner with a quality arm, so staying in center field might not be out of the question down the road. Davidson has quickly emerged as one of the top position player prospects in the Giants system.

Walker Martin's powerful weekend

The Giants made a sizable commitment to Walker Martin, giving him a $2,997,500 signing bonus after being a second-round pick in 2023. They knew he would be more of a project out of high school due in part to a lack of experience against advanced competition out of high school.

Martin has good raw power and a bat path that should generate plenty of extra bases. However, the hit tool is a work in progress. He had a 41 percent strikeout rate across two levels last season, including a stint with the San Jose Giants. He struggled in terms of pitch recognition, especially on offspeed pitches.

Martin returned to San Jose this season, but the strikeout rate is now down to 31.3 percent. The overall stat line does not jump off the page, with a .659 OPS in 83 plate appearances. This includes a good weekend against the Lake Elsinore Storm, where he blasted three home runs with nine RBI in 11 plate appearances on Friday and Saturday.

Liam Simon's return

The Giants selected pitcher Liam Simon out of the University of Notre Dame in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. Since then, he has added a total of 43.2 innings to his pro ledger. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and returned to the mound briefly at the end of the 2024 season.

The right-handed pitcher regained his fastball velocity this spring, sitting in the high-90's with plenty of ride and carry through the zone. He mixes in a mid-80's gyro slider that gets quality two-plane movement. He made a rehab appearance with the ACL Giants, striking out the side in his lone inning of work. Simon has since moved to Eugene and completed a scoreless inning.

The Giants have been cautious with Simon's workload. Since returning from surgery, he has thrown more than one inning just once in his 12 outings. Simon struggled with throwing strikes in college, and that will likely be what influences his future role, whether it is out of the bullpen or the rotation. He has a good fastball-slider combination to start, but his control might be what keeps him in the bullpen. The Giants would be happy to see that trait take a step forward.