San Francisco Giants Have Farm System Considered Lower Tier

The San Francisco Giants received low ranks in Bleacher Report's new farm ranking.

Jul 26, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants 2023 first-round pick Bryce Eldridge before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Oracle Park. Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants, outside of 2021, have been in a constant state of rebuilding and retooling.

A lot of that has come from big league contracts or smaller minor league deals for players like Mike Yastrzemski and LaMonte Wade Jr.

Until recently, the team hasn't drafted particularly well, and it has resulted in a weaker farm system. That shows in their ranking of 21 among minor league systems by Bleacher Report.

They ranked the Top 10 players in each system and attached tiers to every player. "Tier 1" meant that player is a Top 100 prospect, and the Giants had just two in Marco Luciano and Bryce Eldridge.

Luciano has long been San Francisco's top prospect and has spent time at the big league level over the past two seasons posting a .772 OPS in his 24 games.

He was given a chance to win the starting shortstop job for this season, but ultimately lost and was sent to the minors. In his Major League stint, he hit well, but struggled mightily on defense and was demoted after being on the IL.

The Giants have an interesting situation with him going forward, but he is just 22 years old and has a lot of potential with his bat.

Eldridge, San Francisco's 2023 first round pick, is their other top tier prospect.

Drafted as a two-way player, the 19-year-old moved to being a position player full time in pro ball and has made it to High-A in his second season.

In 47 games, he has posted a .824 OPS and hit 10 home runs in the middle of the San Jose lineup. Due to his size, standing at 6-foot-7, there is a bit of swing and miss to his game, but there is already a lot of power with the potential for more as he moves up the ladder.

Although he is far away from making his Major League debut, the tall lefty is far and away the team's second-most exciting bat in the minors.

The rest of Bleacher Report's list, full of Tier 2 or 3 players, is loaded with pitchers.

Carson Whisenhunt, a lefty, is the top arm in the system. With a mid-90s fastball and plus-plus changeup, he has made his way to Triple-A where he continues to strikeout batters at a 12 per nine rate. The big league team has a loaded staff, but has dealt with a lot of injuries. It's likely he could make his debut at some point this season.

As for the other arms, guys like Hayden Birdsong, Mason Black and Joe Whitman may not have the upside that Whisenhunt does, but all have good stuff and have been impressive at every level. Reggie Crawford, a former first round pick, may have the most electric stuff of all of them, but could end up as a reliever.

One player to keep a close eye on is outfielder Rayner Arias.

At just 18 years old, he already has a more advanced approach at the plate than most players his age. He also sports above average power and speed. He's played just two Rookie Ball games in 2024, but the tools make him intriguing.

The Giants have a lot to do when it comes to their farm system.

Outside of Luciano, Eldridge and possibly Whisenhunt, the top of their list consists of players who would mostly be supplemental big leaguers, not stars.