Spring training in 2026 is closer than ever…but getting closer. Until then, our collective rankings of the top 44 San Francisco Giants prospects aren’t complete, but we’ll be a little closer. We are almost in the top 30!
The next name on our list is a guy who burst onto the scene this year: right-hander Alberto Laroche, who made his CPL debut as the system’s 28th pick.
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Laroche, who turned 20 last month, was signed from the Dominican Republic for $42,500 in 2024. He didn’t impress in his first season, going just two times and three innings. But he had a more regular workload last season in the Dominican Summer League and the results were promising, with a 2.11 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 10 starts. While his strikeout rate wasn’t impressive (8.0 strikeouts per nine innings), his Logan Webb-esque ability to prevent free passes and drive ground balls was exciting. LaRoche allowed just six batters to reach base all year, allowing just 1.4 runs in nine innings and striking out 61.3 percent of his balls. Last year, 82 pitchers in the Giants’ system threw at least 30 innings, and LaRoche finished first in fielding percentage (by a mile) and second in ground balls.
All of which might indicate a lack of high-end equipment for a seasoned pitcher, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for LaRoche. His sinker and four-seam fastball are in the mid to early 90s, and that’s all at 19 years old…wouldn’t be surprised if he had more gas in the tank. He also has a quality slider and changeup that works.
For better or for worse, LaRoche has a bit of Tim Lincecum in him. He is not a physical pitcher, but has an impressive range that makes all of his pitches work. He will almost certainly head to the states for the 2026 season, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against more advanced hitters. LaRoche has the talent and arsenal to be in the top ten on this list in a year or two. Let’s hope that it will come to that.
Now let’s add to the list and remember that voting now takes place in the comments section using the “rec” function.
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The list so far
NOTE: Clicking on the names above will open a link to the CPL they voted for on the list.
Potential candidate number 29
Rayner Arias – 19.8 years OF – .173 OPS/-42 wRC+ Low-A (30 PA); .699 OPS/87 wRC+ (178 PA) in ACL
Carlos De La Rosa – 18.1 years. LHP: 4.73 ERA/2.30 FIP in DSL (32.1 IP)
Lizbel Diaz – 20.5 years OF – .725 OPS/96 wCR+ Low-A (561 PA)
Trent Harris – 26.11 RHP – 5.44 ERA/4.69 FIP in AAA (41.1 IP); 1.69 ERA/1.73 FIP in AA (16 IP)
Diego Velazquez – 22.3 years 2B – .677 OPS/107 wRC+ AA (566 PA)
Note: Each player’s first name links to his baseball page and last name links to his Fangraph page. All statistics are for the 2025 season.
