The Giants have made their draft priority plain: they want shortstop Roch Cholowsky at No. 4 in the 2026 MLB Draft, and they’ve apparently been making that message loud enough for the three teams ahead of them to hear.
That’s the Plan A. The question is whether it’s still realistic.
Cholowsky used to be viewed by many as the consensus top pick, but that picture has blurred. There’s now buzz that the Chicago White Sox could take Grady Emerson or Vahn Lackey with the No. 1 selection, and the Minnesota Twins not meeting with Cholowsky at the recent MLB Draft combine only adds to the uncertainty about whether he’d even be the pick at No. 2.
Still, the Giants seem intent on chasing the possibility. One theory is that president of baseball operations Buster Posey may be hoping for something like the draft drama he lived through as a prospect out of Florida State, when word leaked on the eve of the draft that he wouldn’t sign unless he got a record-breaking signing bonus. If a similar rumor surfaced around Cholowsky before this draft, it could push the teams above San Francisco to think twice about paying what they believe is too much for the UCLA prospect.
That would be the dream scenario for the Giants, even if it remains a long shot and would surprise most analysts.
If they somehow landed Cholowsky, the ripple effect could be huge. Add in the possibility of moving some of the club’s bigger contracts, including Willy Adames, and Cholowsky could step in as the shortstop of the future. Suddenly, the Giants would look less like an underachieving team weighed down by expensive veterans and more like a younger group with a clearer path forward.
There’s no guarantee that kind of plan works. But it’s easier to sell than watching Adames, Devers, and Matt Chapman get another year older while still carrying those same money commitments.
For a franchise that badly needs a shift in perception, betting on a Bay Area native with real upside makes a lot of sense. It might even buy this regime more time.
In Other News...
Giants Just Moved On From Buddy Kennedy And It Says Plenty
Buddy Kennedys stop with the Giants was short and fairly ordinary, which is part of why the move was easy to read. The 27-year-old veteran infielder had been used around the diamond this season, and his limited run in San Francisco never gave the club much reason to keep him in the mix after a handful of quiet games. His major league track record has been that of a depth piece more than a fixture, and the Giants have now chosen to clear the spot.
What makes the move worth noting is the contrast between his big-league struggles and the bat he showed in Sacramento, where he put together a much better stretch at Triple-A. Kennedy has bounced through several organizations since Arizona drafted him in 2017, which makes this latest change feel more like another turn in an already winding career than a surprise. Still, the timing suggests the Giants were ready to pivot, even if his next opportunity now belongs to another club. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Drew Cavanaugh Delivers A Debut Fans Will Absolutely Love
Drew Cavanaughs first day in the majors came with a little more responsibility than most rookies can expect, and the Giants handed it to him right away. Called up after Daniel Susac landed on the injured list, the 2023 17th-round pick out of Florida Southern stepped behind the plate in his MLB debut and caught Trevor McDonald, a big leap for a player who was still climbing through the system not long ago.
Cavanaugh also checked off the first-hit box in the fifth inning, giving his debut the kind of finishing touch that tends to stick with a clubhouse and a fan base. After the game, he handed the authenticated ball to his mother, a simple gesture that fit the moment and made the whole night feel a little bigger than a standard roster move. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Grind Out Another Tight Home Win To Take The Series
Robbie Ray gave the Giants exactly the kind of start they have been leaning on during this home stretch, working deep enough to keep the game in their hands and limiting Atlanta to one unearned run. San Francisco did just enough behind him, with Luis Arraez picking up a run scored and an RBI and the Giants turning two Braves errors in the sixth inning into the lead they would not give back in a 3-2 win.
The finish still had plenty of tension. Atlanta kept pushing late enough to force San Francisco to guard every pitch, but Caleb Kilian handled the ninth and closed it out as the Giants continued to stack one narrow home win after another. It was the kind of series-clinching result that can quietly matter in the bigger picture, especially for a club that keeps finding ways to win games that stay tight deep into the night. [Read more 🡒]