Series Preview: Giants Host Grizzlies

HOMESTAND CONTINUES WITH VISIT FROM GRIZZLIES: The defending California League champion San Jose Giants continue their homestand with a six-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies affiliate) this week at Excite Ballpark. The Giants enter the week with a 6-6 record against Fresno this season. This series marks the first meeting between the Giants and Grizzlies since late in the first half when San Jose won four of six games in Fresno from May 26-31. The Grizzlies won four of six contests in their previous visit to the South Bay from May 5-10. Beginning on Tuesday, 12 of the Giants’ final 24 games of the regular season will come against Fresno.

SERIES SPLIT: The Giants opened this season-high 12-game, 13-day homestand by splitting six contests with the Stockton Ports last week. In an offensive-filled week, the Giants scored 24 runs in their three victories while the Ports erupted for 44 runs in their three wins. The split snapped a streak of three straight series losses for San Jose (1-2 at Stockton, 1-5 vs. Ontario, 2-4 at Rancho Cucamonga). The Giants are still only 7-14 (.333) since the All-Star break. Despite their recent struggles, San Jose enters this week with the best overall record in the California League at 60-48 – just ahead of Fresno (59-49), Lake Elsinore (58-50) and Ontario (58-50).

RECORD-SETTING OFFENSIVE PACE: It’s been an outstanding season at the plate thus far for San Jose as the Giants are currently on a record-setting pace for runs scored and home runs. The Giants’ current average of 6.6 runs per game would establish a new single-season team record currently held by last year’s championship club (6.1 runs/game). Additionally, San Jose enters the week with 131 home runs this season putting them on a pace (160 HR) to shatter the club record of 150 homers set by the 2021 championship team. Four current Giants players have achieved double-digit home run totals this season – Jeremiah Jenkins (15 HR), Dario Reynoso (12), Rod Barajas Jr. (12) and Lorenzo Meola (12). Jenkins has hit 11 of his 15 homers in the second half while Barajas Jr’s recent power surge has seen him hit six home runs in his last nine games played.

PROSPECTING: The San Jose Giants welcomed the top two prospects in the San Francisco organization – infielders Josuar Gonzalez (#1) and Luis Hernandez (#2) – to the club on July 24 from the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. Gonzalez, 18, is off to an outstanding start for the Giants as he enters the week with a .357 AVG over 42 at-bats. Gonzalez has connected for a pair of home runs and boasts a .462 on-base percentage. He went 9-for-22 (.409 AVG) with two doubles, one triple and one home run in last week’s series against Stockton. The 17-year old Hernandez is off a slower start in the California League with a .193 AVG in 57 at-bats, but has also hit two home runs and was 7-for-25 (.280 AVG) at the plate last week versus the Ports. Both Gonzalez (#15) and Hernandez (#31) rank among the top overall prospects in baseball according to MLB.com.

FIRST HALF CHAMPS: The Giants clinched the first half North Division title in June and secured a berth in the California League playoffs. San Jose finished the first half with a 37-29 record – one game ahead of the Fresno Grizzlies for the top spot in the North Division. It’s the seventh consecutive season (2019, 2021-26) that the Giants have reached the playoffs and the third time in the last four years (2023, 2025-26) winning the first half. San Jose was 25-22 and two games behind Fresno in the standings on May 27 before winning 11 of their next 14 to clinch the division crown. The Giants open the postseason on Tuesday, September 8 with Game 1 of the best-of-three North Division Series. The Giants will attempt to become the first Cal League team to repeat as champions since San Jose’s back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

SEEING DOUBLE: Lorenzo Meola has been a doubles-machine of late for the Giants. Since the start of the second half, Meola has hit a whopping 19 doubles over 39 games played. His 35 doubles for the season are currently leading the California League. Only four players in the 38-year history of the San Jose Giants have hit 40 doubles in a season with Devin Harris in 2013 the last to accomplish the feat (40 2B). After batting .233 with a .714 OPS in the first half (58 games), Meola has hit .301 in the second half to go with a .923 OPS. He has 34 RBI’s in his 39 second half games.

WELCOME TO SAN JOSE: The Giants welcomed their first player from the 2026 San Francisco Giants draft class last weekend when outfielder Tanner Mally joined the team. Mally was San Francisco’s 17th round pick last month after a standout career at Western Michigan University. Mally was the 2026 national batting champion at WMU after hitting .446 in his 50 games played. He finished his three-year career at Western Michigan with an overall AVG of .400. Mally replaced OF Cam Maldonado on the active roster. Maldonado (.263 AVG, 14 HR, 53 RBI in 70 games) was promoted to High-A Eugene last Friday.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Giants are attempting to lead the California League in team ERA for a sixth consecutive season (2021-25), but at 5.11 are currently behind Inland Empire (4.91) and Lake Elsinore (4.94) … San Jose pitchers struggled in last week’s series against Stockton posting a 7.53 ERA (46 ER/55 IP) … Rod Barajas Jr. has collected 19 RBI’s over his last 10 games (.400 AVG, 16-for-40) … The Giants enter the week with identical 30-24 records at home and on the road … San Jose (23-19) is tied with Fresno and Stockton for the lead in the second half North Division race … The Giants last won both halves in a season in 2009 … Andy Polanco brings an eight-game hitting streak into this week’s series (.455 AVG, 15-for-33).

ON DECK: Following the current series against Fresno, the Giants travel to Southern California for a six-game set versus the
Lake Elsinore Storm from August 18-23. San Jose returns to Excite Ballpark on Tuesday, August 25 to begin their final
homestand of the regular season with the Visalia Rawhide in town for a six-game series.