Giants shortstop prospect aims to make up lost ground in Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – For 13 seasons, Giants fans saw Brandon Crawford trot out to shortstop and knew they were in good hands defensively. Golden ones, even, as evidenced by the four Gold Gloves on his mantle.

Any time you bring up Crawford’s name when talking about a Giants shortstop, you know that the defensive bonafides are legit. And that’s certainly the case for San Francisco’s No. 12 prospect, Maui Ahuna, who like Crawford, was a fourth-round selection of the club, 15 years apart.

“When I go to the field, the most exciting part of the day is fielding balls,” Ahuna said. “That's my craft. I've worked on that craft my whole life, so being able to go out there and do it is special.”

There are unquestioned parallels between the two: Advanced collegiate shortstops seen as premium defenders who can impact the game on the basepaths. But even their early-career injury trajectory has been similar.

Crawford dealt with a broken hand (2010, 84 games) and broken finger (2011) during his days as a prospect, delaying his arrival in the Bay Area. Ahuna has been similarly hampered – his 2025 campaign didn’t start until May as he made his way back from Tommy John surgery before a bone bruise in his right hip ended his regular season on Aug. 1.

When on the field, Ahuna has shown flashes of excellence. He played 63 games across three levels with 30 of his 63 hits going for extra bases en route to a 124 wRC+ and .823 OPS. But he’ll be entering his age-24 campaign in 2026 having played just 97 pro contests, only 11 of which have come at High-A, where he earned a bump this July.

So how to make up for those lost reps? That’s where the Arizona Fall League comes in. Crawford suited up for the Scottsdale Scorpions in both 2009 and ‘11, with Ahuna now following in his footsteps. (Giants prospects have a definite home-field advantage during the premier prospect showcase by virtue of being able to train and recover at the friendly confines of the club’s complex near Old Town Scottsdale.)

The duo have crossed paths before as one baseball journey was nearing its conclusion and the other just beginning its start. Crawford was able to impart advice to Ahuna about working through early career struggles and how once the injuries are in the rearview mirror, it’s time to show what you can do on the diamond.

“I definitely look up to him as a role model,” Ahuna said of Crawford. “I’ll see if I can take [after] his footsteps and just play good baseball.”

Other Giants hitters in the Fall League:

Walker Martin, 3B/SS (No. 27): A multisport standout in the Colorado high school ranks, Martin spent the entirety of his first full pro season with Single-A San Jose. After striking out 41 percent of the time during his pro debut in 2024, that number took a nosedive this past year, yet remained a lofty 28.4 percent. There were some excellent peaks (seven homers, 25 RBIs in June) and some rocky valleys (.188 average in August) but he finished fifth in the California League with 70 RBIs and his wOBA (.360) rivaled that of top prospect Bryce Eldridge (.364), who mashed across the upper Minors before earning a late-season bump to The Show.

Parks Harber, 3B/1B: Acquired as part of the Camilo Doval deal at the Trade Deadline with the Yankees, Harber was quite simply one of the Minors’ best performing hitters in 2025 when healthy. Injuries limited him to just 343 plate appearances across two levels (and two organizations), but his 173 wRC+ ranked second to only Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle (MLB’s No. 2 prospect). In 25 games for High-A Eugene, Harber notched 10 multihit outings, drove in 24 runs with 13 extra-base hits and posted a 1.097 OPS.

Giants pitchers in the Fall League:

Ricardo Estrada, LHP: After 4 1/2 seasons spent in the Dominican Summer League, Estrada got a bump to San Jose in late June. He worked in a multi-inning role and posted a 2.63 ERA across 14 appearances, including three saves. His 81.7 percent left-on-base rate ranked third among all Single-A California League hurlers to work at least 35 innings this year.

Spencer Miles, RHP: The first pitch that Miles throws during the Fall League will mark his official in-game debut in 2025. Sidelined while recovering from Tommy John surgery since June 2024, injuries have limited the 25-year-old to just 7 1/3 innings over the past three years combined. Before being shut down, the club’s 2022 fourth-rounder operated with a power sinker that could touch the upper 90s on occasion and got him a good chunk of groundouts, while also featuring a pair of breaking balls and a changeup.

Ryan Murphy, RHP: Murphy was once one of the fastest-rising pitching prospects in the Giants’ system, having ranked third in the Minors in strikeouts (164) in 2021 en route to organization All-Star honors. But injuries have since slowed that progress, limiting him to just 19 1/3 innings this season across two levels. He works with a four-pitch mix – fastball, curveball, slider and changeup – although there isn’t one true explosive offering. The AFL will be a way for him to build up innings heading into ‘26, while he’ll also be Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason.

Juan Sanchez, LHP: On the recovery trail from Tommy John surgery since June 2024, Sanchez is one of the league’s more intriguing pitchers due to his prior proximity to The Show before getting injured. The 24-year-old climbed each step of the Giants’ Minor League ladder, culminating in 41 appearances for Triple-A Sacramento with a 4.07 ERA across parts of two seasons. He previously worked with a 92-94 mph four-seamer and sinker, 82-86 mph changeup and low-80s slider from his 5-foot-9 frame.

Jose T. Perez, RHP: Keeping with the trend of injured hurlers on the mend, Perez worked just 27 innings this season across three leagues (DSL, ACL and Single-A). That marked his first Minor League action after missing three entire seasons from 2022-24. The velocity has returned in spades for the 22-year-old, who was up around 96 mph during a pair of appearances for San Jose in September.