Four Fresh Faces to Follow in the Giants’ Farm System

There’s no denying that the San Francisco Giants have one of the quickest rising farm systems in the league. While we definitely have to see what they become, it’s the most talent this system has had at once in quite some time.

A good chunk of these names have joined the organization within the last year. Whether they came from the international ranks as a free agent, last summer’s draft, or the trade deadline, they now add to a group looking to climb their way to the big leagues.

If some of the prospects at the lower levels develop into what we think they can be and the Giants hit with the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft, we’ll be looking at one of the best systems in baseball in a few months.

1. Luis Hernandez – SS

Luis Hernandez was the golden boy of this year’s class of international free agents. The Giants knew that and coughed up roughly $5 million to sign the 17-year-old — their second-highest international bonus ever.

Hernandez is one of the more advanced prospects we’ve seen in recent memory. In a professional league in Venezuela last summer, which included former minor leaguers, he hit .346 in 114 plate appearances.

This combined with his ability to stick at shortstop has made San Francisco extremely confident in his ability to develop at a quicker pace than most international teenagers. Most of the prospects that fall into that bucket begin their affiliated careers in the Dominican Summer League.

Hernandez, on the other hand, will skip that level completely and begin 2026 in the Arizona Complex League. It’d be no surprise to see him perform well enough to be a consensus top-100 prospect by year’s end.

2. Gavin Kilen – 2B/SS

Gavin Kilen was the Giants’ first-round pick in last year’s draft, taken with the 13th-overall selection. The 22-year-old may not have the ceiling that some of the game’s elite prospects have, but he undoubtedly has one of the higher floors.

In his professional debut, there were definitely some growing pains. In 10 games at Low-A San Jose, he hit just .205 with a wRC+ of 58. However, his junior year at the University of Tennessee suggests that won’t be a trend throughout his professional career.

In 245 plate appearances for the Volunteers, he slashed .357/.441/.671 with 46 RBIs and a strikeout rate of just 11%. The lack of strikeouts and knack for a high average made Kilen especially desirable for this Giants front office. Whatever power the organization can pull out of him will likely be seen as a plus.

On the flip side, to open his 2026 campaign, Kilen has had no issues hitting for some thump. In his first game of the season at High-A Eugene, he launched two home runs, with one being a walk-off shot. Of course it’s a small sample, but in his first three games at the level, he has six hits and an absurd 1.916 OPS.

His defensive capabilities profile him as more of a second baseman in the future, but with one of the safer bats, he should climb through the system relatively quick.

3. Carlos De La Rosa

De La Rosa was originally signed by the Yankees in January of 2025 for $400,000. However, he made his way to the Giants organization at last year’s deadline as part of the return for Camilo Doval.

For the first time in years, the Giants system is loaded with young talent on the position player side while lacking arms with significant upside. De La Rosa is part of that minority.

In his first year of pro ball, which was spent fully in the Dominican Summer League, De La Rosa showed real promise. His 4.73 ERA may not be the most encouraging, but his 14.20 strikeouts per nine to his 2.78 walks per nine are what really stole the show.

With a mid-90s fastball that holds a ton of arm side run, if he can be slightly more consistent with the off-speed offerings, he should see even more success. He has one of the funkier arm actions you’ll find, but when he’s on, it works in his favor.

4. Trevor Cohen – OF

Simply put, Cohen was one of the best pure hitters in the entire draft class from last summer. His combination of hit, run, and fielding tools make him one of the safest prospects in this system.

In his draft year at Rutgers, his .387 batting average was 22nd in the country among hitters with 250 plate appearances. With a mere four home runs in his college career, he’ll likely provide even less power than Kilen.

Cohen burst into professional baseball last year in San Jose with a very impressive 28 games. During that time, he slashed .327/.438/.402 with 15 RBIs and a 139 wRC+. As a 22-year-old who has the ability to hit for a high average, he could also be a relatively quick riser through the ranks.