SF Giants: A full rundown of the Sacramento River Cats roster

Get to know the former big leaguers and SF Giants prospects on the organization's Triple-A roster with the Sacramento River Cats.

The SF Giants season is underway after falling to the Yankees on Opening Day. However, their minor league affiliates still have to get their seasons underway. The Sacramento River Cats, the Giants Triple-A affiliate was slated to begin their season in Salt Lake on Friday afternoon, but the game was postponed due to inclement weather. Nevertheless, the Giants released the full roster, giving fans a chance to get to know the players they can see with their Triple-A affiliate.

Double-A roster breakdown
High-A roster breakdown
Single-A roster breakdown

SF Giants catcher Austin Wynns hits an RBI single to right field. (2022) / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Sacramento River Cats catchers: Ricardo Genovés, Austin Wynns

It sounds like minor-league free-agent signing Gary Sánchez will be joining this group soon, but for now, Wynns will be splitting reps with Ricardo Genovés. Wynns is an experienced veteran, having appeared in four of the past five MLB seasons. The 32-year-old has a .231/.275/.337 career MLB triple-slash in 508 plate appearances. With that said, he has crushed Triple-A pitching over the past two seasons.

Genovés has been a peripheral prospect in the Giants farm system for some time since receiving a $550,000 signing bonus as an international free agent in the Giants 2015 IFA class. Still only 23, Genovés has also seen his assignments impacted by his proximity to another catching prospect, 2020 Giants first-round pick Patrick Bailey. Bailey is only 15 days younger than Genovés and has received a higher priority in minor-league assignments.

In 2021, Genovés started at Single-A San Jose, while Bailey began his full-season career at High-A. However, by the end of the season, they had swapped places. Both backstops struggled at High-A but had posted impressive numbers at Single-A.

However, Genovés was pushed to the upper minors the following season to clear a spot at High-A for Bailey. As expected, Genovés' offensive numbers suffered. Between Double and Triple-A, he hit .215/.300/.363 with 10 home runs in 91 games last season. Nevertheless, with Bailey set to start the season at Double-A, Genovés is once again forced into a difficult assignment. Genovés has long looked like a future big-league backup.

SF Giants DH Casey Schmitt at bat during a spring training game. (2023) / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

River Cats infielders: Armando Alvarez, Will Wilson, Ford Proctor, Casey Schmitt, Shane Matheny

The best position-player prospect on the roster, Schmitt (Giants #3 prospect) will obviously be the first player most fans check in Sacramento's box score. Schmitt will likely see some playing time at shortstop, but despite his standout spring training, the biggest questions surrounding him are still at the plate. Schmitt still only has 143 plate appearances above High-A in his career and will need to show improved ability to recognize breaking balls, particularly against right-handed pitchers. If he does that, he'll be in San Francisco soon.

Wilson (just missed the list) looked like he was living up to his first-round pick pedigree early last season before an injury that seemed to sap his athleticism even after he returned to the field. He still was one of the Giants most consistent hitters at Double-A, but he looked overmatched in his first taste of Triple-A. He'll look to make the final adjustments to get him to the majors.

Matheny and Proctor are a pair of "jack of all trades, master of none" prospects with plenty of versatility. Matheny is a better athlete than Proctor, capable of playing all over the infield and outfield, but Proctor has been more consistent in the minors and is capable of catching.

Alvarez signed a minor-league contract with the Giants this offseason. Primarily a third baseman, Alvarez hit .278/.319/.525 with 20 doubles and 18 home runs in 91 games at Triple-A last year.The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in the Yankees organization.

SF Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos jogs towards the dugout between innings. (2022) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

River Cats outfielders: Bryce Johnson, Heliot Ramos, Michael Gigliotti, Clint Coulter

Johnson and Gigliotti are two speedsters who are excellent defensive outfielders. Johnson, of course, has already proven he can hit at Triple-A, making his big-league debut last season. Johnson is clearly the first outfielder up if the Giants need to add some depth from the minors. Gigliotti only hit .215/.366/.343 at Double-A last season but stole 24 bases (30 attempts) and has an excellent approach at the plate (16.0% walk-rate).

Ramos (Giants #17 prospect), the organization's 2017 first-round pick, easily has the most upside in the group. While Ramos has plateaued since he reached the upper minors, he remains the youngest position player on this roster. Everyone knows that Ramos needs to elevate the ball more frequently to tap into his power, but if he can, he did cut his strikeout rate last season and take some notable strides defensively.

Coulter is the lone offseason acquisition in the group. Coulter was a Brewers first-round pick back in the 2012 MLB Draft but has bounced between two organizations and an Independent League. A career .271/.345/.493 hitter at Triple-A, the 29-year-old will hope to mash his was to a MLB debut.

SF Giants prospect Kyle Harrison talks to other players before the 2022 Futures Game / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

River Cats pitchers: Kyle Harrison*, Tristan Beck*, Keaton Winn*, Sean Hjelle*, Sam Long*, R.J. Dabovich, Mauricio Llovera, Melvin Adon, Clayton Andrews, Jorge Guzman, Nick Duron, Trevor Hildenberger, Joey Marciano, Kade McClure, Ryan Walker, Cole Waites, Aaron Fletcher

* projected starter

Harrison (Giants #1 prospect) is the obvious star of this team. Only 21, Harrison is easily the youngest player on the roster and will be one of the youngest players in the Pacific Coast League. The 2020 third-round pick has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the minors since he turned pro but will now face his toughest challenge yet.

Winn (Giants #18 prospect), Beck (Giants #19 prospect), Hjelle (Giants #28 prospect), and Long will likely join Harrison in the rotation. All four arms are already on the 40-man roster and in position to receive a call-up. On paper, the Giants may have the best rotation in the Pacific Coast League.

The bullpen is full of plenty of impressive arms as well. Dabovich (Giants #16 prospect) and Waites (Giants #26 prospect) are the lone ranked prospects in the group, but Adon and Guzman both have impressive prospect pedigrees and high-octane arms with intriguing upside. Fletcher, Hildenberger, McClure, Walker, Marciano, and Duron are all solid arms with the tools to be contributors in a big-league bullpen as well. Then, there's Llovera, who was promising with the Giants last season before he suffered a major elbow injury.

SF Giants infielder Isan Díaz throws a ball across the infield while he was with the Marlins. (2021) / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

River Cats injured list: Sam Delaplane, Sean Newcomb, Ljay Newsome, Logan Shore, Miguel Yajure, Isan Díaz, Donovan Walton, Ronald Guzmán*, Brett Cumberland*, Joe Ross*, Darien Núñez*

* 60-day injured list

Díaz's place on the injured list explains why the Giants optioned him so early in spring training. It seemed like the former Marlins prospect was in a heated competition with Brett Wisely (Giants #22 prospect), and was hitting .333/.391/.714. He should find his way to San Francisco at some point this season.

Walton may have been part of the worst trade of 2022, but the left-handed hitter has been a productive hitter at Triple-A when healthy. Delaplane, Newcomb, Newsome, Shore, and Yajure are all slated to join the pitching staff when healthy. Newsome is the only player in the group with recent starting experience.

Guzmán was one of the most exciting players to watch this spring before he suffered a pronator sprain. Plenty of fans are hoping the two-way player finds his way to the big leagues this season.

Ross is a big-league veteran who is still looking to rekindle his early-career form with the Nationals while Núñez was once of the best pitchers in Cuba before coming stateside and signing with the Dodgers in 2018.

Cumberland, a former second-round pick Turlock, California native, is a career minor-league catcher who will likely serve as system depth when he returns to the field.