SF Giants minor league notes: Joe Whitman's incredible stretch, Drew Cavanaugh's scorching start

The SF Giants made a surprise move by calling up Jonah Cox to the major league roster. There are a couple more players pushing for a promotion to the next level, including Joe Whitman and Drew Cavanaugh.

SF Giants minor league notes: Joe Whitman's incredible stretch, Drew Cavanaugh's scorching start

1. Joe Whitman's incredible month of May

Whitman is having a successful second turn through the Eastern League. Last season, he posted a 5.29 ERA in 26 starts for the Richmond Flying Squirrels. There were times when he looked quite good, but he was unable to find consistency on the mound. It was a mixed bag.

The left-handed pitcher has been much more consistent this season, especially in May. In five May starts, he recorded a 0.96 ERA with 37 strikeouts and five walks in 28 frames. Whitman went four straight outings without allowing an earned run. This includes a stretch from earlier in the month where he was recognized as the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. He should be able to add Pitcher of the Month to his résumé as well.

Whitman allowed an earned run in his final start of the month. This came against the Akron RubberDucks, where he allowed three earned runs across six frames with nine strikeouts and zero walks.

The lefty pitcher was a second-round pick out of Kent State University in 2023. That was a compensatory pick the Giants received when Carlos Rodón signed with the New York Yankees.

2. Drew Cavanaugh's scorching start in Triple-A

Drew Cavanaugh has been one of the Giants' best hitters in the minors since the start of the 2025 season. He continued that theme into the upper minors this year.

The left-handed bat went on a tear with Richmond earlier this year, posting a .970 OPS with three home runs and 12 RBI in 90 plate appearances. He earned a promotion to the Sacramento River Cats, and has been even better.

Cavanaugh has a 1.240 OPS with four home runs and 16 RBI in 61 plate appearances at Triple-A. This includes a multi-homer effort against the Reno Aces last week. He has quality all-around tools on offense, including a good understanding of the strike zone that should lead to healthy walk rates. Plus, he is a left-handed-hitting catcher in an organization whose catchers primarily hit from the right side. That alone would add more balance to the organizational depth at that position.

The 24-year-old backstop is solid in all facets of catching, and there is a good case to be made that he is one of the best catchers in the organization at the moment. This includes players currently on the 40-man roster. If he continues to perform at this rate, he could position himself for another promotion before the end of the year.

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