SF Giants top 2026 international signing sneaks into MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospect list

When MLB Pipeline published its top-100 prospect list in January, the SF Giants only had two prospects make the cut. That was Bryce Eldridge at No. 25 and Josuar Gonzalez at No. 44 They now have a third prospect with Luis Hernández coming in at No. 99.

SF Giants top 2026 international signing sneaks into MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospect list

There were a couple of prospect graduations. This included Nolan McLean of the New York Mets and Dylan Beaves of the Baltimore Orioles. These moves created a couple of vacancies on the top-100 list, opening up a spot for Hernández to take over.

The Giants signed the middle infield prospect out of Venezuela during the 2026 international signing period. He was viewed as the top prospect in this year's cycle and earned a signing bonus of about $5 million. That represented one of the Giants' largest investments through this channel.

Their initial bonus pool was $5.4 million, so the Hernández signing accounted for a large portion of that allocation. Since then, the Giants have made a couple of trades to add more international slot money and make additional signings.

Hernández is recognized for his above-average tools across the board. There is a good chance that he rises quickly through the rankings with a strong rookie year in pro ball. The Giants are having the 17-year-old infielder skip the Dominican Summer League, which is a rare occurrence for players at that age.

They also left the door slightly ajar for Hernández to begin this season with the San Jose Giants. That would have been an extremely aggressive move for a front office that was conservative with prospect placements and promotions last year.

In the end, the Giants will have Hernández begin the season in the Arizona Complex League (ACL). He will share the field with Josuar Gonzalez, which might be a problem given that both prospects are viewed primarily as shortstops. That said, the ACL season is a relatively short one, so there is not much lost development time if one happens to see more time at second base instead.

The Giants' farm system leans more on the younger side, meaning more projection and often a longer development path. They hope to have many more prospects make these lists in the next year or so.