Minor League roundup, April 14: Richmond’s outfield continues to shine

ALTOONA, PA - SEPTEMBER 04: Scott Bandura #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels looks on during the game between the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Thursday, September 4, 2025 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Sydney Kaschalk/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

Only three of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, as poor AAA Sacramento just can’t get in a game. The River Cats had both of their weekend games cancelled due to rain, which followed them as they traveled north from Sacramento to Tacoma, postponing their game on Tuesday. They’ll try again tonight, in what will hopefully be their first game since Friday, and the teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Thursday. Now let’s get to the action.

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

News

Help is on the way for San Francisco. Major League LHP Sam Hentges, who started his rehab assignment over the weekend with a perfect inning for Low-A San Jose, was moved up to AAA Sacramento. He’ll likely pitch a few times for the River Cats, and then be activated and added to the Major League roster.

Sacramento had to make space for Hentges on the roster, and they did so by sending RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) back to AA Richmond. That’s a bit of a bummer for Bednar, who was a non-roster invitee, and already dealt with the disappointment of beginning the year on the Development List, presumably also for roster logistics purposes. Bednar pitched well in a pair of games for the River Cats, with 4 strikeouts and just 2 baserunners in 3 scoreless innings. He’ll surely be back in Sacramento when roster space allows it.

AA Richmond (9-1)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 11-7
Box score

If the Squirrels weren’t on fire before, they certainly are now. After losing their opener, Richmond has now won 9 consecutive games, as they’re off to a truly brilliant start to the season. Then again, all of the affiliates are off to a brilliant start … if only the team in San Francisco could get the memo!

Richmond won this game on the back of hits, hits, and then some more hits, as they totaled 17 in the contest en route to their 11 runs.

It started at the top of the lineup, where a pair of hitters set the table with 3-hit days. Leading off was left fielder Scott Bandura, who had a brilliant day, hitting 3-4 with a pair of doubles, while also adding both a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. That flurry of productive contact rewarded Bandura with a whopping 5 runs batted in for the day.

BASES-CLEARING BANDZ 🙌 pic.twitter.com/07AGPdh1xm

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026

Bandura is really putting on a clinic on how to master a level the 2nd time around. The left-handed hitter, who was taken in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, was promoted to Richmond late last year, and had some struggles as he got his feet under him. Bandura posted a .626 OPS and an 88 wRC+ in 45 games with the Squirrels last year, but even those numbers look a little worse with some digging, as they were propped up by a lot of walks. The now-24-year old hit just .199, and struck out 30.6% of the time.

But the old adage of “one to measure, two to rake” doesn’t just apply to individual at-bats. Bandura appears to have applied that to his time in the Eastern League, as he’s raised his average to .333, while slashing his strikeout rate in half, all the way down to 14.9%. That, combined with his 6 extra-base hits, has given him a .913 OPS and a 140 wRC+ through 10 games this year.

We’re still a few months of good performance away from talking about Bandura in AAA, but it’s not exactly the rosiest of outfield situations in Sacramento. Hopefully Bandura keeps putting pressure on, and can earn a 2nd consecutive midseason promotion.

Hitting behind Bandura was second baseman Dayson Croes, who went 3-6 and also bopped a pair of doubles, while knocking in 3 runs. It’s been a sensational start to the year for Croes, a 26-year old who was signed out of indy ball a year ago. But that really shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the lefty was awesome in his stint with Richmond a season ago … and also awesome in his stint with Sacramento.

Dayson Croeses into second with an RBI double to pad the lead! pic.twitter.com/EGBz5ANlN0

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026

But the Giants are having Croes repeat AA, despite those strong results, primarily because fellow second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) has earned the AAA priority. Croes is taking it in stride, by taking all of his good numbers in AA last year and making them even better: his average has jumped from .307 to .349, his on-base percentage from .354 to .391, his slugging percentage from .400 to .488, and his walk rate from 6.0% to 6.5%, while his strikeouts have dropped from 18.1% to 15.2%. All of that has resulted in an .880 OPS and a 134 wRC+. Unfortunately, it does feel like Croes will be unfairly stuck in AA for a while, unless the Giants decide they want him (or Furman) to try a new position, which seems unlikely given that they both struggle to handle second as is.

Can't stop Croes 👏

8-1 Richmond! pic.twitter.com/YZMPMVKY7P

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026

If the top of the lineup was the star that drove the team to victory, the bottom of the lineup was one hell of a wingman. The trio that hit in the 7-9 slots — catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), third baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL), and right fielder Turner Hill — positively shined. Cavanaugh offered up the latest data point that his 2025 breakout season was not a fluke, as he hit 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, while also striking out and getting caught stealing.

The 7 extra-base hits in 7 games is the headline-grabber for Cavanaugh, but I’d argue that the most important thing he’s shown is improved contact. He only got into 14 games for Richmond last year, but hit just .186 with a 26.8% strikeout rate and a 14.8% swinging strike rate. This year? A .435 average, a 9.1% strikeout rate, and a 7.6% swinging strike rate. Those numbers will come down (or up, as the case may be), but when you start that great, you have room to fall while staying in a strong place. The result, for now, is a blistering 1.432 OPS and a 262 wRC+. So watch out, those who fear the talking heads: the Patrick Bailey discourse has already become insufferable thanks to Daniel Susac and Jesús Rodríguez, don’t let Cavanaugh join the party!

As for the other pair, Velasquez hit 2-4 with a hit by pitch to raise his OPS to .798 and his wRC+ to 128, while Hill went 2-4 with a walk, bumping his OPS to 1.007 and his wRC+ to 164. I expect both of those players — who initially made it to Richmond in 2024 — to get their first real glimpse of AAA at some point this year (I say “real” because Hill has been an emergency fill-in for the River Cats on numerous occasions over the years). It’s certainly notable that Velasquez, who is still somehow only 22 years old, played third base in this game for the 1st time in his career. Some of that may be due to roster logistics in Richmond, but it also may be a way to prepare him for AAA since, as mentioned, Furman is blocking second base.

While it was the top and bottom of the order that carried the team, the prettiest swing of the day belonged to the heart of the order, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) left the building with a gorgeous swing of the bat in the 7th inning.

Stop us if you've heard this before:

Bo Davidson homered 💣 pic.twitter.com/pmQBydizRR

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) April 15, 2026

That salvaged an otherwise poor day for Davidson — he finished 1-5 with 3 strikeouts — but my goodness, that really might be the prettiest swing in the organization. The 23-year old is showing there’s still plenty for him to work on in AA — neither his .240 average nor his 28.6% strikeout rate are telling the organization that he’s almost ready for AAA — but he’s also emphasizing his game-changing abilities. So far he has 3 home runs in just 7 games, all while holding it down in center field. Perhaps it’s that new dad strength I’ve heard so much about!

The pitching was better than the score would suggest, as 5 of Hartford’s 7 runs came in the 9th inning, when RHP Cameron Pferrer got roughed up and couldn’t make it through the inning, forcing long reliever RHP Shane Rademacher into emergency duty to record the final out.

But the piggybacking starters pitched quite well, with RHP Logan Martin and LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL) handling the Yard Goats quite adeptly. Martin, who was making his 2nd start with the organization after coming over this winter in the Mason Black trade, had a bounce-back game after a rough AA debut. The 2023 12th-round pick, who will turn 25 later this season, gave up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 4.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts and only 1 run allowed.

The strikeouts and walks will be worth watching for Martin, as they may determine whether he’s able to continue developing as a starter or will have to move to a relief role at some point. He only had 7.7 strikeouts against 3.6 walks per 9 innings in High-A in 2025, and the Giants will need to see improvement on that front.

Speaking of fluctuating between starting and relieving, it’s still not entirely clear what role Choate has, but he played it damn well on Tuesday, giving up just 2 singles and a walk in 3.1 innings, while striking out 6 batters (he also gave up an unearned run). Choate, a soon-to-turn 25-year old whom the Giants selected in the 9th round in 2022, has been playing something of a hybrid relief/piggybacking starter role, with 7.2 innings through 3 appearances this year. So far his strikeout stuff — which has always been surprisingly high given his lack of velocity — has taken a leap forward, from 10.8 per 9 a year ago, to 15.3 this season. That’s still a very small sample size though, so we’ll see how that holds. Either way, it’s been a great start to the year for Choate, who is trying to prove he belongs in AAA as he nears the 150-inning mark in AA.

High-A Eugene (8-2)

Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 7-1
Box score

A really phenomenal pitching showing for the Emeralds, who allowed just 4 hits on the day. They did issue 6 walks, but 4 of those came from RHP Trey Dillard who, like Pferrer with Richmond, entered the game late, struggled, and had to be relieved for the final out of the game.

But the 3 pitchers who came before him pitched wonderfully. It started with LHP Charlie McDaniel, who took down 3 scoreless frames with just 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, while striking out 4. McDaniel wasn’t the most efficient — he needed 52 pitches for those 3 innings, with just 32 strikes — but 4 strikeouts and 0 extra-base hits paint the picture of someone who made hitters uncomfortable all day long. Through 2 starts, the 24-year old UDFA has yet to allow a run.

Next up was LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, who is having a much-needed awesome season. Vinicio threw 19 of 30 pitches for strikes while tossing 2 shutout innings with just 1 hit allowed, and striking out 2 batters.

It feels like Vinicio has been in the system forever, though he only just turned 23 years old. He’s still lacking physicality, though this year he no longer looks like he could blow away with a strong gust of Pacific Northwest wind. Most importantly, after a few seasons of really struggling with walks, Vinicio has shown much better command through an admittedly tiny sample size: he’s issued just 1 walk in 4.2 innings, with 6 strikeouts (he’s also only given up 1 hit, and 0 runs). Vinicio, who was signed in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, might need a strong year to stay in the organization.

And then it was RHP Ryan Slater, San Francisco’s 18th-round pick in 2024. He was utterly dynamic in 2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 5 batters. Slater had a solid debut season last year with Low-A San Jose, but so far he’s been much better in High-A … though he’s only pitched 5 innings. Still, a great start to the year for the 23-year old, who has a 1.80 ERA and a 2.89 FIP.

Despite the 7 runs, it was a fairly mild-mannered day for Eugene’s offense, as they had 7 hits, just 2 extra-base hits, and 2 walks. But they made the most of their swings, no one more so than catcher Onil Perez, who hit 1-3 with a strikeout, but bashed his 1st home run of the season.

Nothing like some runsmaxxing on Brainrot Night!

Ems lead 4-0 on a Walker Martin 2-RBI 1B and an Onil Perez 2-Run HR#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/TsLVBLxsLR

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) April 15, 2026

Perez was once one of the better catcher prospects in the system, but has fallen on some tough times as of late, which has resulted in a 4th consecutive year getting reps in the Northwest League. He did finally put up some good numbers with Eugene last year, but really struggled in AA. That, combined with the emergence of Drew Cavanaugh, pushed Perez back down a level, and now he’s 2nd on the depth chart behind Diego Cartaya.

He entered this game just 1-12 on the year, but every hit helps, and that’s doubly (or perhaps quadruply) true for big flies. The season is long, so there’s plenty of time for Perez — who is only 23 — to find his swing again.

Second baseman Zander Darby had the only multi-hit game for the Ems, as he went 2-4 with a stolen base and a strikeout. It’s been a dreamy start to the year for the 23-year old lefty, who was a 12th-round pick in 2024, as he has a 1.029 OPS and a 178 wRC+ through 8 games (ignore the 29.4% strikeout rate and 0.0% walk rate). Darby had an excellent 2 months with Low-A San Jose last year, but struggled mightily in his month to end the year with Eugene. Nice to see him adapt to the level and start to take care of it.

Quiet — but not bad — games for the team’s pair of top prospects. Center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 1-3 with a walk, while shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) went 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. Jordan, who has an .804 OPS and a 112 wRC+, has just 1 strikeout in his last 4 games, after amassing 13 Ks in his 1st 5 games of the year. Kilen, who has a 1.067 OPS and a 176 wRC+, has 7 extra-base hits in just 9 games, as July’s 1st-round pick is off to a brilliant start to his 1st full season.

Low-A San Jose (7-3)

San Jose Giants lost to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) 12-6
Box score

The San Jose Giants did something we all desperately wish the San Francisco Giants would do: they hit a lot of home runs. Unfortunately, the end result for the Baby Giants was something the Adult Giants are all too familiar with: a loss.

But it wasn’t due to the long ball, as San Jose bopped a trio of big flies.

The 1st one came on the very 1st pitch of the day, from the very best prospect on the team, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL).

First pitch of the game, 1-0 lead.

Jhonny Level stays lava hot. pic.twitter.com/ISblUYXbhq

— San Jose Giants (@SJGiants) April 14, 2026

Level returned to the lineup after missing a few games, and wasted no time making his impact with a gorgeous swing of the bat. It was his only hit of the day, as the 19-year old switch-hitter ended the game 1-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and his 1st error of the season.

There have been a lot of star performers in the Minors for the Giants this year, but I’d argue no one has had a better year than Level, who is building on last year’s breakout campaign by hitting 15-31 through 7 games, with 3 home runs, 5 doubles, 4 walks, just 7 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, all while playing solid defense at shortstop. Level has started to pop up at the very end of some top 100 lists and, if he keeps performing even remotely like this, I think he’ll likely be residing in the top 50 in every midseason prospect list. Really couldn’t ask for a better beginning to the year for someone who, it’s worth repeating, is more than 2 years younger than the average player in the Cal League.

If Level is the MVP of the farm system at this point, then catcher Junior Barajas is first or second-team All-Farm. Last year’s 11th-round pick continues to rake in his debut season, as he hit 1-4 with a home run and a walk.

Rod Barajas Jr. gets in on the action today with his third home run of the year. He is now tied with Jhonny Level (and a couple more prospects) atop the Cal League long ball standings. pic.twitter.com/jwIJBP3CTF

— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) April 14, 2026

The 21-year old lefty isn’t playing every day due to his position, but he’s making the most of his playing time, going 10-31 with 3 homers, 4 doubles, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts, for a 1.124 OPS and a 166 wRC+. Like Level, Barajas is doing that with solid defense at a premier position, as he’s wasted no time looking like the Giants latest late-round steal. We need more than 7 games before we can give him that crown, but still … the Giants have to be thrilled with what they’re seeing.

And rounding out the home run party was designated hitter Broedy Poppell, who hit 1-3 with a walk and his 1st career home run. That’s always worth celebrating!

Like Barajas, Poppell was a late pick by the Giants last year, as he went in the 13th round for a meager $50K signing bonus. The switch-hitter, who turns 24 soon, has been awesome in his debut season, hitting 6-20 with 5 walks against just 4 strikeouts. Normally an outfielder, Poppell is a little bit more a control the zone guy than a home run hitter, despite what he did Tuesday. That was his 1st extra-base hit, but he has more walks than strikeouts, which was also the case in his 2 seasons as a starter at Florida A&M.

Also a nice day for second baseman Dario Reynoso, who hit 2-4 with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. The right-handed hitter, who just turned 21, has had something of a mixed bag of a season. Last year he dominated the Complex League (.999 OPS, 158 wRC+), but was awful in his short stint with San Jose (.472 OPS, 45 wRC+). Things are much rosier in his 2nd pass through the level, as he has a .785 OPS and a 125 wRC+. But the issue with his 2025 was that he struck out a lot … even while decimating ACL pitchers, Reynoso had a red flag strikeout rate at 31.7%, which rose to 38.6% in San Jose. It’s still a troubling number this year, at 31.3%. And finally, there’s the power issue: Reynoso sported a .258 ISO in the ACL last year, thanks to 10 home runs and 27 total extra-base hits in just 53 games. He has just 1 extra-base hit this season, and through 22 total games in Low-A only has 4 … all of which have been doubles.

I’m stalling on the hitters because the pitchers weren’t good and I don’t want to talk about them. RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) got the start, and it was a great game until it wasn’t.

Martinez was on absolute cruise control for a while, as he was perfect through the 1st 3 innings. But he ran into so much trouble in the 4th inning that he didn’t make it out of the frame, as he gave up 2 hits (both singles), 2 walks, and a hit batter, while only recording 2 outs. That, combined with RHP Mauricio Estrella allowing 2 of the inherited runners to score, tattooed 4 earned runs on Martinez’s ledger in just 3.2 innings, despite looking great for most of the game, and recording 5 strikeouts.

The 21-year old Martinez has yet to replicate last year’s breakout campaign, as he has a 9.45 ERA and a 6.57 FIP through 2 starts. But that’s a tiny sample size, and he has 9 strikeouts in 6.2 innings. There can be no denying that he has some of the best stuff in the system, he just needs to harness it.

RHP Melvin Pineda also showed off the strikeout stuff despite some struggles. The 2021 international signee from Venezuela, who turns 22 next month, gave up a hit, a walk, a hit batter, and a run in just 1.2 innings, but struck out 4 batters. He has 10 strikeouts through 5.2 innings this year.

Home run tracker

3 — Bo Davidson — [AA]
3 — Jhonny Level — [Low-A]
3 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A]
1 — Onil Perez — [High-A]
1 — Broedy Poppell — [Low-A]

Wednesday schedule

Sacramento: 6:05 p.m. PT at Tacoma (SP: Carson Whisenhunt)
Richmond: 4:10 p.m. PT at Hartford (SP: Greg Farone)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Everett (SP: Tyler Switalski)
San Jose: 6:30 p.m. PT at Rancho Cucamonga (SP: Cody Delvecchio)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.