Young SF Giants middle infield prospect faces difficult challenge in minor league game

When SF Giants middle infield prospect Jhonny Level was born, Justin Verlander was getting ready for his third major league season in what would become a Hall of Fame career. Who knew the two would face off in a minor league game nearly 18 years later?

Young SF Giants middle infield prospect faces difficult challenge in minor league game

If you are a young prospect looking to make a positive impression with the coaching staff, you typically relish at the idea of facing off against older competition. Level probably was not expecting that it would include the old active player in baseball.

Giants beat writer Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News provided the video of what became a pretty quick plate appearance:

There you have it. Level went down on three straight pitches. Verlander was throwing in minor league camp because the Giants were facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, and Bob Melvin decided it was better to limit his exposure against a team the Giants will face 13 times in 2025.

Verlander is entering his first year with the Giants. He is looking to continue his career for several more seasons as he pursues the 300-win mark. He is currently at 262 wins.

The veteran pitcher is also approaching a couple more milestones he should be able to attain in the near term. He is 74.1 innings shy of 3,500 career innings. That would put him at No. 72 in baseball history, and he could surpass a lot of pitchers quickly after that.

Verlander is also 74 strikeouts shy of 3,500 career strikeouts. He is No. 10 in that category and just ahead of Max Scherzer (3,407 strikeouts). The pitchers in front of him are among the greatest of all time, such as Gaylord Perry, Tom Seaver, and Steve Carlton.

On the other hand, Jhonny Level is beginning his second year as a pro. He was one of the top prospects signed by the Giants in the 2024 international signing period, earning a $997,500 signing bonus.

The switch-hitter is coming off a really strong year in the Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .275/.393/.517 (140 wRC+) with 10 home runs, 46 RBI, and 44 runs in 215 plate appearances. This includes a 14.0 percent walk rate, 16.7 percent strikeout rate, and .242 ISO. He has quickly emerged as one of the organization's top prospects.

Level will appear in the Arizona Rookie League this summer if all goes according to plan. At least he can say he has already faced off against a future Hall of Famer in his career.