2026 Willie McCovey Memorial Prospect List No. 35 Unveils Hidden Gems Set to Transform the Future of Baseball!

Spring Training is almost here—can you feel that buzz in the air? I sure can, and let me tell you, it’s got me fired up! As we inch closer to the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd, I’m also putting the finishing touches on my rundown of the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants’ pipeline. It’s been quite the journey, and the countdown continues as we prepare for the season ahead.

Up next on this exciting list is a fresh face—Cam Maldonado, making his debut at No. 34 in the Giants’ prospect rankings. This right-handed hitting and fielding outfielder was a seventh-round draft pick from Northeastern, snagging a signing bonus that matched his draft slot perfectly at $287,400. Maldonado jumped right into the fray after the draft, suiting up for 17 games with Low-A San Jose. His numbers? A modest .237/.352/.339 slash line, tallying a .691 OPS and a 92 wRC+, but it’s what’s under the hood that’s really catching my eye.

Turning 22 last November, Maldonado boasts some serious wheels—five steals without being caught in his brief stint with the Baby Giants, and a stellar 90 steals over three college seasons with just 13 times caught. But don’t be fooled into thinking he’s just a speedster; this guy swings for the fences, crushing 15 homers in 60 games in his final college campaign, boasting a hefty .631 slugging percentage and a .279 isolated power stat. Of course, there’s a catch—the strikeouts. Maldonado whiffed on 18.8% of his swings last year, which, while better than his previous 25.9%, is still on the high side for college ball, especially outside power conferences.

Then there’s the defensive side. While his speed is undeniable, questions linger around his suitability for center field. These aren’t glaring red flags, more like the kind of puzzles that come with any young outfielder gearing up for their first full pro season. I’ve got a hunch we’ll get some solid answers on that front this year. Expect Maldonado to kick off the year back in San Jose, hopefully absorbing plenty of innings, especially patrolling center field, as he turns his offensive potential into tangible production.

That’s the scoop on Maldonado. And hey, the list is growing—with some fresh prospects entering the picture for us to debate and decide upon. Ready to dive in?

LEARN MORE

We’re so close to Spring Training! So close! And we’re surprisingly close to finishing our ranking of the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization, too. The list marches on, as we gear up for real baseball once more.

The next name on the list is a newcomer: it’s outfielder Cam Maldonado, who makes his CPL debut as the No. 34 prospect in the system. Maldonado, who hits and fields right-handed, was the team’s seventh-round pick in July’s draft out of Northeastern, and received a signing bonus ($287,400) right in line with his draft position.

He got into 17 games after being drafted, all with Low-A San Jose, where he hit .237/.352/.339 for a .691 OPS and a 92 wRC+.

Maldonado, who turned 22 in November, has some big time tools, notably his speed. He stole five bases in his short stint with the Baby Giants (without getting caught), and in his three years of college ball he swiped 90 bags, while being caught just 13 times. But he’s no tweener: he also has some exciting power, and bopped 15 home runs in just 60 games in his final season with Northeastern, while sporting a .631 slugging percentage and a .279 isolated slugging.

The downsides are ones that are shared by a few of his prospects in this area of the list. The biggest hole in Maldonado’s game is that there’s a large amount of swing and miss. He K’d in 18.8% of his at-bats last year with Northeastern which, on the one hand, represented huge improvement over his 25.9% rate the year prior but, on the other hand, is still a way-too-high number for college, especially outside of a power conference.

Maldonado also has, despite his speed, some question marks surrounding his center field defense, though those question marks are more of the “unknown” variety than the “red flag” variety, which is the case with most outfielders getting ready for their first full season of affiliated ball. Needless to say, we’ll likely get some clarity on his defensive abilities in the upcoming year, and if he can play decently in center, that will make his offensive profile a lot greener. I’d expect him to return to San Jose to start the year, where he should play every day in the outfield, and hopefully see a lot of time in the center of the grass.

Now let’s add to the list, and we’ve got some new names to vote on today.

The list so far

Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.

No. 35 prospect nominees

Rayner Arias — 19.9-year old OF — .173 OPS/-42 wRC+ in Low-A (30 PA); .699 OPS/87 wRC+ in ACL (178 PA)

Victor Bericoto — 24.1-year old OF/1B — .478 OPS/16 wRC+ in AAA (46 PA); .784 OPS/130 wRC+ in AA (393 PA)

Sabin Ceballos — 23.5-year old 3B — .670 OPS/102 wRC+ in AA (420 PA)

Jack Choate — 24.9-year old LHP — 3.51 ERA/4.17 FIP in AA (102.2 IP)

Jakob Christian — 23.4-year old OF/1B — .950 OPS/155 wRC+ in High-A (92 PA); .815 OPS/119 wRC+ in Low-A (318 PA)

Reggie Crawford — 25.1-year old LHP — did not pitch in 2025; 1.04 ERA/4.07 FIP in AAA in 2024 (8.2 IP); 4.66 ERA/4.93 FIP in AA in 2024 (9.2 IP)

Reid Worley — 19.6-year old RHP — yet to debut

Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page. All stats are from the 2025 season.