The San Jose Giants are still alive, and Andy Polanco had a lot to do with that. While Eugene’s run ended with a sweep at the hands of the Vancouver Canadians in the Northwest League Championship Series, San Jose kept moving and punched its ticket to the finals behind Polanco’s big night in the playoffs.
That kind of moment would have sounded far-fetched a week ago. Polanco came into that game with just two home runs in 556 career plate appearances as a pro, including only one in nearly 400 plate appearances this season - and that one was an inside-the-park homer.
Against the Stockton Ports, though, he didn’t need any of that chaos. He hit two balls over the fence in the first game of the series, powering a 10-5 San Jose win.
It was the sort of burst that fit the rest of his season in a strange way. Polanco’s calling card was speed, not power.
During the regular season, he hit .288/.332/.396 with an 83 wRC+, along with one home run, 40 RBI and 62 runs in 393 plate appearances. He also piled up nine triples, near the top of the league, and stole 38 bases in 52 chances.
Elsewhere in the system, Lorenzo Meola quietly put together a standout year of his own, and the numbers were loud enough to back it up. Meola led all minor leaguers with 40 doubles, a total that put him ahead of Jhonny Level, who was tied for second with 39. Scott Bandura and Gavin Kilen were right there too, with 37 apiece.
For Meola, the production came in his first full season after the Giants took him in the fourth round of the 2025 draft out of Stetson University. A few rounds later, his college teammate Isaiah Barkett went to San Francisco in the 10th round. Barkett got a midseason promotion, and Meola made a strong case for one as well.
His overall line told the story of a bat that kept getting better as the year went on: .269/.353/.468 with a 103 wRC+, 15 home runs, 78 RBI and 93 runs in 547 plate appearances. He added 40 doubles, five triples and 17 steals in 22 tries.
Meola spent time all over the infield for San Jose. He was drafted as a shortstop and has the range, athleticism and arm strength to stay there, but the Giants’ shortstop depth could eventually nudge him into more of a super-utility role. After an uneven start, he settled in, and since July 1 he posted a .976 OPS in 263 plate appearances.
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Giants Have Another Roster Squeeze With A Feel-Good Story Brewing
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The Giants have already tied a franchise record for players used in a season and are expected to push past it, with Morgan among the names likely to surface before long. For a team that has spent so much of the year juggling depth and opportunity, his return would add another layer to a roster race that has become part necessity and part feel-good subplot, even if the exact moment of his next call remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]