The next wave of Giants pitching prospects is cresting in Minors

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants have an up-and-coming farm system teeming with talent.

They boast the top power prospect in baseball in first baseman Bryce Eldridge. They're loaded with potential All-Star shortstops in Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernández, Jhonny Level and Gavin Kilen. Their collection of outfielders is nearly as strong, led by Dakota Jordan, Bo Davidson, Trevor Cohen and Carlos Gutierrez.

All that position-player talent overshadows what senior director of player development Kyle Haines says is San Francisco's best group of young pitchers since the late Dick Tidrow spearheaded the drafting and development of arms such as Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner, key figures in World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

"Some people think Jacob Bresnahan is our best pitching prospect," Haines said. "Some think it's Keyner Martinez. Some think it's Argenis Cayama. We have a lot of guys who weren't big names before the Draft or before they signed internationally, who weren't big-money guys."

A 20-year-old left-hander who was the second prospect piece in the Alex Cobb trade with the Guardians in July 2024, Bresnahan won Rookie-level Arizona Complex League pitcher of the year accolades that season and the same honors in the Single-A California League last year. He allowed just 11 earned runs in his final 13 starts of 2025, with his 91-96 mph fastball playing better than its velocity because of quality induced vertical break and the extension in his delivery. He added a mid-80s kick changeup last year that works against both lefties and righties.

"Jacob's fastball quality took a massive jump," Haines said. "His velocity is good and the pitch characteristics of his fastball are great, with the carry and spin effect. His kick change has such low spin, it acts like a splitter and it's so devastating. The next big step is improving his slider."

Signed for just $10,000 out of Venezuela in July 2023, Martinez succeeded Bresnahan as ACL pitcher of the year last summer, leading the circuit with 67 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings before teaming with him to win a California League championship at Single-A San Jose. The 21-year-old right-hander's stuff made a jump last season, with both his mid-90s fastball and sweeping low-80s slider grading as plus pitches.

"Keyner averaged 95-96 mph with his fastball last year and hit 99," Haines said. "It's more of a sink/groundball fastball. His slider is a legitimate wipeout pitch. He really didn't develop a changeup until May last year and it came on."

Originally trained as an outfielder in Venezuela before moving to the mound, Cayama signed for $147,500 in 2024, then had to overcome a bout with pneumonia before making his pro debut that summer. Fully healthy and stronger in 2025, the righty topped the ACL in opponents' batting average (.191), WHIP (1.06) and strikeout rate (28 percent) before making a cameo in Single-A at age 18. He's more advanced than most teenagers, showing the ability to work up and down in the strike zone with his two- and four-seam fastballs and to opposite sides of the plate with his slider and changeup.

"Argenis is the most projectable of these three guys," Haines said. "He's younger and has a pretty delivery. You can dream that he might sit in the upper 90s one day. His slider is good and his changeup is coming along."

A $10,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, left-hander Luis De La Torre starred in the ACL and Cal League last year at age 21. He has a mid-90s fastball that explodes on hitters because the extension and low release height in his delivery create plenty of carry. His sweeping mid-80s slider can be a plus offering at its best.

The Giants also have another wave of talented young arms set to make their U.S. debuts in 2026. Righty Alberto Laroche and lefties Carlos De La Rosa and Leandro Rodriguez all starred in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League last year. Laroche ($42,500 in 2024) and Rodriguez ($10,000 in 2025) signed for modest bonuses, while De La Rosa was part of the Camilo Doval trade with the Yankees last July.

Camp standout: Luis Hernández

The top prospect in the 2026 international class, shortstop Luis Hernández landed a $4,997,500 bonus in January, not just for his potential for four plus tools but also because of his advanced skills, high baseball IQ and quality makeup. At age 15 in 2024, he hit .346 in 104 at-bats in the Venezuelan Major League, including going 16-for-49 (.327) vs. pitchers who had reached the Majors or Triple-A.

Hernández is so precocious that he'll bypass the DSL and come straight to the United States for his pro debut at age 17. The Giants also will showcase him in their Spring Breakout game against the Reds on Thursday, two weeks after he arrived for Minor League Spring Training.

"You talk to Luis about hitting, and you see how really advanced he is in how he thinks," Haines said. "He's talented enough to do this. There will be a lot of pressure on him to live up to the hype, but with his maturity on the field, it was an easier decision. He's fundamentally sound and has a mature approach. He makes baseball look easy."

Spring Breakout sleeper: Carlos Gutierrez

For a guy who has batted .352 with a 12 percent strikeout rate in his first three pro seasons, outfielder Carlos Gutierrez doesn't generate a lot of hype. Signed for $32,500 out of Mexico in 2023, he was leading the Single-A California League in hitting (.351), on-base percentage (.445), runs (60) and hits (87) when his 2025 season ended after just 60 contests. The only question about his offensive game is if he'll provide more than 12-15 homers per year because he's not very physical and doesn’t pull or lift many pitches.

"Every team asks for Carlos in trades," Haines said. "He hits everywhere he goes. He can play center field and there's more power that he can get to. He's not slappy. He hits it hard."

Breakout potential: Trevor Cohen

One of college baseball's best contact hitters last spring, Trevor Cohen broke a Big Ten Conference record with 56 hits in league play (30 games) while batting .387 with a 5 percent strikeout rate. A third-round pick out of Rutgers, he hit .327 in 28 regular-season games and .438 in the playoffs to help San Jose win the California League title. The Giants hope to unlock more value by helping him add power and deploying him in center field.

"Trevor is incredibly impressive," Haines said. "There's no swing and miss, a lot of line drives, a great approach. He never has hit a lot of home runs, but he has good exit velocities and finds a lot of barrels. He has a nice frame to work with and can add some muscle."

Draft sleeper: Cody Delvecchio

Right-hander Cody Delvecchio opened last spring as UCLA's No. 1 starter, but his stock took a hit when he was declared academically ineligible for half the season and posted a 6.81 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 37 innings. San Francisco drafted him in the 12th round because it liked the carry on his 92-95 mph fastball. He also has an interesting upper-80s cutter and a promising mid-80s changeup with fade.

"He's very interesting for a 12th-rounder," Haines said. "He's a short right-hander, but he hit 97 in a big league [Spring Training] game. He has average offspeed, kind of a hybrid breaking ball that he needs to tighten and a changeup that's serviceable."