SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In the past two years, the Giants' farm system has produced three starting position players in All-Star Heliot Ramos, Gold Glover Patrick Bailey and Tyler Fitzgerald, the most productive hitter on the big league club in 2024. It also graduated former Top 100 prospects Marco Luciano, Luis Matos and Casey Schmitt to the Majors, though that trio still is looking to claim regular roles there.
Despite all of the position talent matriculating to Oracle Park since 2023, the strength of the system remains its hitters. Seven of the first nine prospects on MLB Pipeline's new Giants Top 30 Prospects list play the field, and they all come with impressive offensive upside.
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"I'm not sure we've had as many hitters at the lower levels like we do now since I've been here," said farm director Kyle Haines, who began working for the Giants a decade ago. "Down at Complex levels and [Single-]A, that's where most of our higher ceilings are at."
Slugging first baseman Bryce Eldridge, San Francisco's lone Top 100 prospect, reached Triple-A at age 19 last season. Outfielder James Tibbs III, the 13th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, hit his way to High-A in his pro debut.
But the rest of the Giants' most promising hitting prospects -- shortstops Josuar Gonzalez and Jhonny Level, outfielders Dakota Jordan, Rayner Arias and Bo Davidson -- haven't played above Single-A. Recent international signees Gonzalez, Level and Arias have yet to reach the full-season level, while Jordan has just seven at-bats there.
The highest-ranked position prospect in the 2025 international class, Gonzalez signed out of the Dominican Republic in January for $2,997,500, the second-highest international bonus in franchise history. He's a switch-hitter with twitchy athleticism and the possibility for at least solid tools across the board.
"Josuar is a true potential five-tool shortstop," Haines said. "He has a similar style of play to Jos¨¦ Reyes in that he can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his defense and he can beat you with a home run. He doesn't rely on just one thing. He's still raw but he has a lot of tools."
Level wasn't as highly regarded as Gonzalez when he turned pro for $997,500 out of Venezuela in 2024. But he's another quick-twitch, switch-hitting shortstop and he has boosted his stock after slashing .275/.393/.517 and ranking fourth in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League with 10 homers in 48 games.
"Jhonny is very talented and skilled," Haines said. "He has good bat-to-ball skills and hits line drives and home runs. He feels like a stronger version of Rafael Furcal without quite as much speed. He doesn't stand tall, but he has big tools."
A fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State last July, Jordan also has big tools, with arguably the best bat speed in the 2024 Draft, as well as double-plus raw power and at least plus speed. One of the most physical players in the 2023 international crop, Arias has flashed the ability to hit for average and power despite getting sidelined by wrist injuries in each of his first two pro seasons.
While Jordan ($1,997,500) and Arias ($2,697,500) were big-money signings, Davidson garnered just a $50,000 bonus as a nondrafted free agent out of Caldwell (N.C.) CC in 2023. Yet Davidson possesses plus raw power and speed, along with solid arm strength and a chance to play center field in the long term. After a hamstring injury sidelined him for the first half of last season, he recovered to post the best batting line in the Single-A California League (.328/.438/.608, 173 wRC+) before holding his own in the Arizona Fall League.
"Bo is such a physical athlete -- the first time I saw him play after he signed, I thought he had second-round tools," Haines said. "He hits the ball hard and has an impressive power/speed combination. There's still more upside there because he hasn't faced much pro pitching yet."
Other young outfielders to watch in the system include Lisbel Diaz, Oliver Tejada and Jose Ortiz. Diaz is the best all-around player in that group, while Tejada is the best power hitter and Ortiz offers the best speed and defense.
Camp standout: Liam Simon
Simon's fastball touched 101 mph at Notre Dame but he worked just 62 1/3 innings in three seasons because of control issues. Drafted in the fifth round in 2022, the right-hander blew out his elbow the following May, had Tommy John surgery and didn't fully regain his stuff when he returned last summer. But he has now.
"Liam has been an eye-opener," Haines said. "Every intrasquad game, he has been 98-100 mph and spinning a plus breaking ball. His fastball shape is better, and now he's ripping 20 inches of ride. He never pitched much at Notre Dame because he didn't throw strikes, but he has this spring. This is bold, but he kind of reminds me of Daniel Bard."
Bounceback candidate: Gerelmi Maldonado
Signed for $145,600 out of Venezuela in 2021, Maldonado excited the Giants by reaching 99 mph with late hop on his heater and overmatching Single-A hitters with his low-80s slider during his full-season debut in '23. Then his elbow gave out that July, leading to Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of last season. The right-hander is completely healthy now and picking up where he left off two years ago.
"Gerelmi is back and he hit 101 mph in our Spring Breakout game," Haines said. "He held his velocity as a starter before he got hurt and he could be a starter who works in the upper 90s with a mid-80s slider. We still feel like he's not a clear-cut reliever, but if he winds up in the bullpen, he can pitch late in games."
Deep sleeper: Argenis Cayama
Part of the same 2024 international class that included Level and Tejada, Cayama signed for $147,500 out of Venezuela. A former outfielder who moved to the mound less than two years before he turned pro, he posted a 2.59 ERA with 29 strikeouts in the DSL last summer.
"Argenis is physical and athletic," Haines said. "He sits at 94 mph with his sinker as a starting pitcher and he's up to 96. He has a good slider, good delivery and throws strikes. He has a changeup too but he didn't use it in the DSL."