The Giants feel like they are stuck somewhere between contending a rebuild. The team has made splashy free-agent signings but has failed to live up to the expectations set. Much of that has to do with the lack of impact young talent that has come through their system. They have had prospects rank toward the top of many lists, Marco Luciano and Kyle Harrison to name a couple, but neither has lived up to the lofty expectations yet. Yet again, they have another popular prospect in the dynasty community knocking on the door of the major leagues. Bryce Eldridge leads the list of Giants’ prospects that dynasty managers need to know about.
This article is part of a series focusing on each MLB team’s top 20 prospects for fantasy baseball heading into the 2025 season. Stay tuned for prospect breakdowns for all 30 teams throughout January here at Pitcher List, and head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the rest of the farm system rankings!
Top Giants Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Bryce Eldridge – 1B, 20 YO
2024 Stats (A+/AA/AAA): .289 AVG | .372 OBP | .513 SLG | 23 HR | 6 SB | 25.4 K% | 11.4 BB%
After selecting Bryce Eldridge 16th overall in the 2023 draft, the initial belief was that the Giants were going to let him develop as a two-way player. Eldridge had shown potential in high school on both the mound and at the plate. However, the Giants quickly scrapped that plan and moved Eldridge to first base full-time. Standing at 6’7″, Eldridge’s size gives him obvious projectability. He has excellent pop with a sweet left-handed swing. He crushed 23 home runs in just his first full professional season. Eldridge has effortless power with 40-home-run potential.
The Giants have pushed Eldridge aggressively through their system. He made it to Triple-A at just 19 years old despite obvious flaws in his game. Eldridge’s approach at the plate is excellent. He understands the strike zone well and is extremely patient. The issue is he can be overly patient at times, and his contact skills are suspect at best. Strikeout and swinging strike rates paint a very big red flag across Eldridge’s profile. Then, there are also his struggles against left-handed pitching. He slashed .319/.406/.584 against righties compared to .211/.272/.316 against lefties last season. The good news is that Eldridge will be just 20 years old for the entirety of the 2025 season, with plenty of time to develop. Hopefully, the Giants’ aggressive push does not negatively impact his development curve.
2) Carson Whisenhunt – SP, 24 YO
2024 Stats (A/AAA): 109.2 IP | 5.17 ERA | 28.4 K% | 11.3 BB%
Carson Whisenhunt was on his way to becoming a first-round pick back in 2022 before being suspended for using PEDs. Even after missing his final collegiate season, the Giants still had seen enough to take him with their second-round pick. Whiesnhunt looks like a pitcher on the mound. With long hair coming out of the back of his hat, a smooth delivery, and a big leg kick, he is exactly what you think of when imagining a left-handed pitcher. After flying through the lower levels of the minor leagues, Whisenhunt ran into a bit of a speed bump this past season in Triple-A. His ERA ballooned and he struggled with consistency. The bright side? Whisenhunt was pitching in the PCL where most pitchers tend to struggle.
Despite Whisenhunt’s underwhelming statline, there is a lot to like in his profile. For starters, Whisenhunt has one of the best changeups in all of baseball. Not minor league baseball, baseball. The pitch grades out as a 5.28 on the PLV scale and generated a whiff rate of 46.8% last season. Although his slider and cutter do not grade out quite as well on PLV, both pitches have excellent whiff rates. Both the change and slider had whiff rates over 40% and his cutter had a whiff rate of over 35%. The biggest issue is Whisenhunt’s underwhelming fastball. The pitch is more of a sinker than a four-seam and does not have great velocity. Despite below-average metrics, Whisenhunt threw the pitch over 50% of the time last season. If San Francisco can get him to move away from his sinker more, he could become a very good fantasy asset.
3) Diego Velasquez – SS/2B, 21 YO
2024 Stats (A+/AA): .288 AVG | .368 OBP | .384 SLG | 4 HR | 21 SB | 17.0 K% | 9.8 BB%
The Giants made signing Diego Velasquez a priority back during the 2021 signing period. They landed the switch-hitting middle infielder for just under $1 million. Since joining the Giants organization, Velasquez has shown off a consistently strong hit tool. His contact rates are above average from both sides of the plate leading to low strikeout rates and high batting averages. He sprays the ball to all fields with plenty of line drives which should result in high BABIPs moving forward. His hit tool combined with his glove should continue to push Velasquez through the minor leagues and help him turn into a solid major league player.
For fantasy managers, Velasquez currently profiles to carry value through his batting average and stolen base totals. Velasquez gets on base at a high clip and has stolen 20+ bases in each of his two full professional seasons. His speed is not game-changing, but projecting 12-17 stolen bases is a safe long-term projection. The development of Velasquez’s power is something that has been underwhelming so far. Despite being listed at 6’1″, Velasquez has failed to put on enough muscle to really impact the ball and lacks much physical projection. He drives the ball better from the left side but even that is still underwhelming. Velasquez projects for 7-10 home runs at the major league level. He is a safe prospect but one lacking much ceiling for fantasy managers.
4) James Tibbs III – OF, 22 YO
2024 Stats (A/A+): .241 AVG | .293 OBP | .343 SLG | 2 HR | 0 SB | 31.0 K% | 6.9 BB%
Three successful seasons at Florida State resulted in James Tibbs being selected 13th overall in last year’s draft. Tibbs was one of the best college hitters available in last year’s draft and the Giants were thrilled to get him. Swinging from the left side, Tibbs’ stance and swing is simple. Tibbs alternates between a toe tap and a small leg kick depending on the count to help generate power and keep his timing in check. He gets good bat speed although his swing can get a bit long at times. Tibbs did not struggle with strikeouts during his final season at Florida State but there could be some hiccups along his development path with the Giants. The sample size was small, but Tibbs struggled to make consistent contact in transitioning to professional baseball. There is more hit tool risk than his college stats signify.
Tibbs’ fantasy value is going to be reliant on his hit tool. With not much speed, Tibbs generates most of his value from his power. Tibbs is a good low-ball hitter. He generates good pop to his pull side and has 25-home-run potential. With stolen bases not profiling as a large part of his game, adding a stable batting average floor to his power will be key to his dynasty value. There is also a risk he could move to first base full time which would add more pressure on his bat to play up. Tibbs has strong college numbers and the draft pedigree to be an intriguing dynasty asset, but there are likely more attractive first-round options out there for FYPDs.
5) Sabin Ceballos – 3B, 22 YO
2024 Stats (A+): .269 AVG | .356 OBP | .407 SLG | 10 HR | 9 SB | 20.1 K% | 10.2 BB%
The 6’3″ third baseman was originally a third-round selection by the Braves in the 2023 draft. Sabin Ceballos started at a JuCo before playing his final collegiate season at Oregon, where he crushed 18 home runs with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. This helped inflate his draft stock and ultimately made him a Giants’ target during this last season. During his draft season, Ceballos’ approach at the plate along with his contact skills was what really stuck out. He struck out less than 15% of the time at Oregon and has continued this success at the professional level. Ceballos has a patient approach with great hands. His line drive rates have consistently been through the roof and he should hit for strong batting averages at the major league level.
For dynasty managers, his size and power projection should garner more attention. Ceballos’ approach is predicated on patience and driving balls into the gaps. With Atlanta, he was never able to hit for much power despite his big and physical frame. This changed with a shift to San Francisco. The Giants worked with Ceballos to increase his pull rate and saw his power take off. Ceballos hit seven home runs in just 32 games with the Giants which is more than he had hit in his entire professional career. His 600 PA home run pace post-trade was 30 home runs. Ceballos’ hit tool should continue carrying him through the minor leagues but there is significant power upside here that dynasty managers should be aware of.
6) Rayner Arias – OF, 18 YO
2024 Stats (CPX): .250 AVG | .371 OBP | .364 SLG | 0 HR | 3 SB | 25.7 K% | 11.4 BB%
Rayner Arias signed the second-largest deal ever handed out by the Giants to an amateur international free agent. The big 6’2″ outfielder has all of the tools dynasty managers look for. He has impressive raw power, good speed, is a good defender, and has the athletic ability to turn into one of baseball’s top prospects. Arias played great in the DSL back in 2023 putting his name on radars of dynasty managers everywhere. His offensive production at the Complex League took a hit and Arias slid down to sixth in this list of Giants’ top prospects.
As mentioned, Arias has obvious power potential. His size gives him great projectability and he consistently impacts the baseball with hard contact. Arias was dealing with a wrist injury this past season which is the most likely explanation for his lack of home runs. Dynasty managers should expect these to return in 2025. Arias has good speed but it has already started slowing down as he continues to mature. His hit tool is the biggest concern in his profile. Arias has a big swing with plenty of holes in it. His strikeout rate could be a concern as he advances to face more advanced competition. Arias has the tools to become an impact prospect for real life and dynasty but there remain a lot of unknowns in his profile.
7) Aeverson Arteaga – SS, 21 YO
2024 Stats: .209 AVG | .308 OBP | .319 SLG | 1 HR | 3 SB | 29.8 K% | 12.5 BB%
Sometimes in fantasy, there are players you cannot quit. Jo Adell ring a bell? Dynasty is no different, just with prospects a lot of times. Aeverson Arteaga fits that bill for me. Arteaga signed with the Giants out of Venezuela back in 2019 and got plenty of hype for his raw athletic ability. His right-handed swing packs plenty of power. He has shown a consistent ability to get to his pull side and ropes plenty of line drives. Arteaga has a pretty swing but has failed to get everything to click. His hit tool is suspect at best and high strikeout rates have plagued him throughout his professional career.
Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Arteaga underwent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery which significantly delayed the start to his season. He wound up appearing in just 24 games and never seemed to get his timing down at the plate. Athletically talented but inconsistent is the perfect way to describe Arteaga. He has shown flashes of significant upside for dynasty managers but his full-season slash lines always feel underwhelming. Fully healthy heading into 2025, this is a make-or-break season for Arteaga’s future value.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Jhonny Level – SS, 17 YO
2024 Stats (DSL): .275 AVG | .393 SLG | .517 OBP | 10 HR | 18 SB | 16.7 K% | 14.0 BB%
Jhonny Level made his professional debut in the DSL this past season putting up strong numbers at just 17 years old. Level signed for less than $1 million out of Venezuela and is known to be a plus defender at shortstop. Level does not have a lot of physical projection but gets to his power well from his left side thanks to good pull-side awareness. He features two completely different swings depending on the count sometimes going into protect-mode with a shuffle and slap-hitter mentality. Other times, a big leg kick lets him step into power which is certainly better from the left side. Level is still relatively unknown but is a unique profile to watch entering 2025.
9) Jack Choate – SP, 23 YO
2024 Stats (A+/AA): 111.2 IP | 3.79 ERA | 26.5 K% | 7.7 BB%
Jack Choate is the perfect definition of a crafty-lefty. His arsenal features an underwhelming fastball sitting in the low 90s, but Choate still generates strikeouts at an impressive clip. Choate relies heavily on his changeup which profiles as a plus offering. The pitch gets good run and dive on it making it a strong pitch to both righties and lefties. His slider is an average offering, which he also commands well. Choate generates deception from his unique arm slot and delivery helping his stuff to play up. Choate’s strikeout rate will likely continue to decline as he progresses through the minor leagues but he profiles as a back-end starter for the Giants.
10) Joe Whitman – SP, 23 YO
2024 Stats (A/A+): 103 IP | 4.63 ERA | 24.6 K% | 8.4 BB%
The Giants selected Joe Whitman in the second round of the 2023 draft out of Kent State. Throwing 96 from the left side, Whitman has plenty of potential to turn into an impactful starting pitching prospect. Whitman consistently works deep into games and has shown impressive control of his stuff. His slider is his best offering and is a pitch Whitman is comfortable throwing against both righties and lefties. Righties performed much better against lefties than righties likely due to a lack of a true third pitch. With the upside comes plenty of relief risk in his profile.
11) Mason Black – SP, 25 YO
2024 MiLB Stats (AAA): 84.1 IP | 4.59 ERA | 23.7 K% | 10.6 BB%
2024 MLB Stats: 36.1 IP | 6.44 ERA | 18.3 K% | 8.9 BB%
After selecting Mason Black in the third round of the 2021 draft, the Giants watched Black put up promising numbers in each of his first two professional seasons. His numbers have slowed down significantly since advancing to face more advanced competition and Black struggled in his major league debut last season. The fastball is underwhelming sitting in the low 90s with his best offering being a sweeper that gets big movement. He profiles as a back-end starter with limited upside.
12) Bo Davidson – OF, 22 YO
2024 Stats (CPX/A): .327 AVG | .437 OBP | .605 SLG | 11 HR | 7 SB | 24.7 K% | 14.4 BB%
As an undrafted free agent signing, Bo Davidson has not generated much attention in the dynasty community. However, he has the power and speed combination to turn into a significant dynasty asset. Davidson put up big numbers in his first professional season. His raw power plays to all fields and Davidson smashes a ton of line drives into the gaps. He has a patient approach at the plate helping him get more pitches to do damage on. His swing gets a bit long at times signaling Davidson could struggle as he moves on to face more advanced pitching. For now, he is a player to keep on your watch list as we approach 2025.
13) Dakota Jordan – OF, 21 YO
2024 Stats: .000 AVG | .000 OBP | .000 SLG | 0 HR | 0 SB | 28.6 K% | 0.0 BB%
A two-sport star in high school, Dakota Jordan attended Mississippi State for two seasons before the Giants snagged him in the fourth round of last year’s draft. Jordan’s calling card is power. Jordan crushed 20 home runs in 63 games in his final collegiate season. He has great bat speed and a natural feel for pulling the ball. The issue is Jordan’s hit tool. He struggled to limit strikeouts in college and will need to make some adjustments if he wants to hit enough to make it to the major leagues.
14) Maui Ahuna– SS, 22 YO
2024 Stats (CPX/A): .268 AVG | .369 OBP | .394 SLG | 4 HR | 8 SB | 28.2 K% | 12.1 BB%
Maui Ahuna dominated Big 12 pitching for two seasons at Kansas before transferring to Tennessee for his final collegiate season. His strong success in the SEC helped convince the Giants to take him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Ahuna currently profiles as a future utility infielder. He has good plate discipline and solid speed but lacks a swing designed to consistently impact the baseball. He swings down on the ball and can struggle with velocity at the top of the zone. Good bat speed gives him a bit more ceiling than some other prospects but after injuries limited Ahuna to just 34 games last year, we have yet to see a large sample of production against professional pitching.
15) Reggie Crawford – RP, 24 YO
2024 Stats (A+/AA): 18.1 IP | 2.95 ERA | 38.5 K% | 15.4 BB%
When the Giants took Reggie Crawford 30th overall, the expectation was that they would let him try and develop as a two-way player. Standing at 6’4″, Crawford has massive power from the left side but the team moved him to the mound full-time following the 2023 season. Crawford features a nasty combination of a sinker sitting 98 on the gun with a slider that gets significant dive. The team has already pushed Crawford to the bullpen due to control issues, but he has the stuff to turn into a high-leverage option. Crawford could miss the majority of the 2025 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Walker Martin – 20 YO – Athletic shortstop filled with potential who has failed to hit since being drafted in the second round.
Trevor McDonald – 23 YO – Sinker baller who has seen his strikeout numbers dip in the upper levels of professional baseball and might be best suited for a relief role.
Jakob Christian – 22 YO – 2024 fifth-round pick with big power thanks to his 6’5″ frame but a suspect hit tool.
Wade Meckler – 24 YO – Outfielder with elite contact skills but very little power and not a ton of stolen base upside
Jose Ortiz – 19 YO – A smaller outfielder with good speed but limited upside elsewhere
Photo by Wikimedia Commons | Adapted by Carlos Leano