SAN FRANCISCO -- Every year, the Giants bring a select group of prospects to Oracle Park for their fall camp.
The purpose of the program is to give young players a better understanding of what it takes to be a big leaguer. Participants spend a week training at Oracle Park, where they play catch, take batting practice, hit the weight room and soak up advice from guest speakers, including president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
But the development opportunities aren’t limited to the field. The fall camp is also meant to be an introduction to the city of San Francisco and the responsibility that comes with being part of the community. To drive that point home, the Giants recently started incorporating volunteer work into their annual programming.
Last year, Giants prospects visited the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, where they spent time packaging groceries for families in need.
The spirit of giving continued earlier this month, when a group of approximately 20 Minor Leaguers -- including such top prospects as shortstops Josuar Gonzalez (the Giants’ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline) and Jhonny Level (No. 4), and outfielders Bo Davidson (No. 5) and Dakota Jordan (No. 6) -- made a trip to Family House, a nonprofit organization that provides free, temporary housing to families of kids who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
“If you want to know what it’s about to be a big league player, you need to be able to see this, feel this and give back, because it’s part of it,” said James Clifford, the Giants’ director of strength and conditioning. “The most successful players I’ve been around, this is part of their world. This is part of what they do. I wanted to add this to our camp to just give them that opportunity.
“Some of these guys will be up here, and it spurs them on to make a difference. Not just at the field, but away from the field in the community and in the world. To be a good human. I wanted them to feel that.”
At Family House -- which is located mere blocks from Oracle Park in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood -- prospects were invited to tour the 80-room facility and learn more about the organization’s mission. Afterward, players spent an hour playing Wiffle ball with residents in the courtyard and providing signed Giants gear to young children and their families.
“It’s kind of fun, because growing up, playing around the house and playing Wiffle ball was, like, the best thing to do,” Davidson said. “Giving back and sharing that experience and joy with them is pretty fun.”
“I love how when we do this camp, we do activities like this,” said left-hander Jacob Bresnahan, San Francisco’s No. 11 prospect. “Last year we went to the food bank and got to pack a bunch of orders. And here we get to make these kids’ day. Knowing that one small bit of effort that we might think is not that big of a deal is such a big deal for these families -- it’s always nice to make someone’s day like that. I enjoy it a lot.”
Several of the Giants’ Major League players, including 2025 Roberto Clemente Award nominee Ryan Walker, make regular visits to Family House during the season, so the hope is this initial volunteer opportunity will help inspire the organization’s up-and-coming prospects to stay engaged with the community once they arrive in San Francisco for good.
“I think it’s totally awesome that the Giants sent these players here today, these emergent leaders in the community,” Family House CEO Katherine Thompson said. “I think it tells them who the Giants really are. We in the community who have been here longer than these players know that the Giants show up everywhere in the community to say that sports are for everyone, that that sense of community is for everyone. That’s definitely what happens at Family House. I feel super passionate about it. I love it when the Giants are here. I’m so grateful for the relationship between Family House and the Giants.”