The SF Giants’ big league roster has been patched together by injuries and the trade deadline exodus, but the most electric baseball in the organization might be happening a few hours down the road in San Jose.
That’s where Josuar Gonzalez and Luis Hernandez, the Giants’ top two prospects, have been turning heads and giving fans a glimpse of what’s coming next. One recent sequence said plenty: Gonzalez scored all the way from first base on a single by Hernandez.
Gonzalez, the organization’s No. 1 prospect, was already moving on the pitch, and Hernandez did his part by sending the ball the other way, right into the space the second baseman vacated while covering second. That opened the door for Gonzalez’s speed to take over, and plays like that are a big reason the San Jose Giants suddenly feel like must-see baseball.
Both players are still teenagers, though, and that matters. Gonzalez is 18 years old.
Hernandez is 17. There’s no straight line from there to the majors, and the Giants have already seen enough from promising young international signings like Marco Luciano and Luis Matos to know that hype doesn’t always turn into a big-league payoff.
Still, Gonzalez has looked especially advanced for his age. He’s hitting .321/.443/.571 with two home runs and 14 runs batted in. He’s struck out 14 times and walked 12 times, which is a strong sign for a hitter this young.
Hernandez’s line is more modest, which fits with the fact that he’s even younger and already in Single-A. He’s hitting .250/.301/.355 with two homers and nine runs batted in. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but they’re respectable for a player this age and this level.
For now, the appeal is simple: these two are giving the Giants something real to dream on. If the big league season gets delayed because of the lockout, that only raises the spotlight on what Gonzalez and Hernandez do next. Minor league clubs should still be on the field, and that makes their development one of the most interesting things in the organization to track.
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Gilbert responded with a loud night in a 7-1 win over the Rockies, giving San Francisco a different kind of spark while the club continues sorting through its options. The Giants are now considering a platoon approach at the top, with Gilbert potentially handling right-handed pitchers while other possibilities, including Jonah Cox against lefties, remain in the mix. [Read more 🡒]