Giants 19-year-old prospect off to scorching start
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One could argue that no one in baseball is swinging a hotter bat right now than Giants No. 4 prospect Jhonny Level.
The 19-year-old out of Venezuela belted his second home run of the season on Wednesday night -- as part of a three-hit performance that included a pair of doubles -- in Single-A San Jose's 8-2 victory over Visalia at Excite Ballpark.
Level, who joined MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list on April 3, clubbed three home runs in 31 games after joining San Jose for the final month of last season. He needed just five games this year to notch his second this year. The 5-foot-8 infielder also matched his career high in total bases with eight on Wednesday -- the second time he's hit that mark this season.
Level has racked up 22 total bases, more than any Minor Leaguer outside of Triple-A, which opened a week earlier than the other full-season levels. Among Top 100 prospects in the Minors, Level trails only Max Clark, who has played in 10 games at Triple-A and has just one more total base with 23.
Level has recorded multihit efforts in four of the five games he played this year, finishing three of those contests with at least three knocks. He's amassed six extra-base hits, nine runs scored and eight RBIs and is a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts. The switch-hitter leads all Top 100 prospects with a .522 average and 1.517 OPS.
Likely flying under the radar due to his size and other more touted prospects in San Francisco's deep system, Level signed for $997,500 out of Venezuela in 2024. In his stateside debut last year, he ranked second in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in total bases (108) and third in homers with nine. After being named the circuit's top prospect, he was promoted to San Jose and was part of the Giants' California League title run.
Level is equipped with a smooth swing and impressive bat speed that plays slightly better from the right side. He has an advanced feel for the strike zone, often working deep into counts, and his stature doesn't limit his power, as he is projected to develop into a 20-homer threat. A good athlete with a 60-grade arm and plus tools across the board, Level has the ability to stick at shortstop or the talent to play at second, third or make the move into the outfield to fill a need at the big league level.