SF Giants top pick earns Northwest Player of the Week honors for a second time

Top SF Giants pick Gavin Kilen has strung together a quality season in his first full year of pro ball. That trend continued last week, as he was recognized as the Northwest Player of the Week for the second time in 2026.

The Eugene Emeralds have thrived this year. That roster features many of the organization's recent top picks, including Kilen, Trevor Cohen, and Dakota Jordan. Of course, Jhonny Level recently reached High-A as well and continues to perform like one of the top prospects in baseball.

The offense ranks near the tops in the league in several meaningful categories. They are second in the Northwest League with a .771 team OPS, and third with 5.29 runs per game. The Emeralds also have a .263 batting average, which leads the league by a comfortable margin.

On the pitching side, Eugene continues to excel. They lead the league with a 4.38 ERA. The Hillsboro Hops are second in that category, with a 4.69 ERA. Niko Mazza, Jacob Bresnahan, and Luis De La Torre have helped anchor the rotation.

Last week, the Emeralds faced off against the Everett AquaSox in a six-game series. They dropped the first three games, but won the final three games to split the series. They currently have a 46-29 overall record.

SF Giants top pick Gavin Kilen extended his league lead in RBI with another solid week

Gavin Kilen led the charge on offense. He put up a 1.529 OPS with two home runs and seven RBI in 21 plate appearances against Everett. This includes a two-homer effort in a 9-8 win over the AquaSox.

Overall, the left-handed bat is slashing .288/.361/.471 (122 wRC+) with eight home runs, 60 RBI, and 46 runs in 310 plate appearances. This includes a 10.3 percent walk rate, 13.9 percent strikeout rate, and .182 ISO. Kilen's 60 RBI leads the Northwest League.

The Giants selected the 22-year-old infielder with the hopes of keeping him at shortstop. There is a belief that he will eventually move to second base, but that is a conversation for a different day. Kilen has looked like a quality defender with passable range and arm strength at shortstop. That position is also flush with options in the organization. Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernández, and Jhonny Level are all athletic enough to stick at the position as well.

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SF Giants top pick Gavin Kilen extended his league lead in RBI with another solid week

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