Thursday, October 01

SAN FRANCISCO -- The post-Trade Deadline Giants are trending a lot younger, with eight rookies now getting more opportunities to prove themselves at the big league level this year.

The newbies certainly made their impact felt in a 4-1 win over the Astros on Tuesday night. 

Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt overcame early command issues and worked 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to get into the win column for the first time since July 9. Catcher Drew Cavanaugh finished 2-for-4 with a go-ahead single and his first career steal. And first baseman Bryce Eldridge went oppo to collect his 12th home run of the year.  

“We feed off of each other, and I think that’s what makes us so strong-knit as a group,” Eldridge said. “We’re all playing for each other. It’s pretty cool.”

Eldridge, 21, remains the most highly touted youngster on the Giants’ roster, but his development won’t be the only notable storyline to follow over the final six weeks of the regular season. 

Here are three other rookies who should have a chance to compete for bigger roles in 2027 and beyond:

1. Drew Cavanaugh, C

With Daniel Susac (left knee patella fracture) and Jesus Rodriguez (right elbow neuritis) on the injured list, Cavanaugh is expected to take over as the Giants’ starting catcher for the foreseeable future. It’s been quite the rise for the 24-year-old Cavanaugh, who opened the season at Double-A Richmond and wasn't even in big league camp during Spring Training.

Cavanaugh entered Wednesday batting .242 with a .609 OPS and one double over 28 games for the Giants, but he’s worked well with the pitching staff and has drawn praise for his pitch-calling.    

The Giants took a risk by trading two-time Gold Glove winner Patrick Bailey to Cleveland in May, but they believe the emergence of Cavanaugh, Susac and Rodriguez will leave them with a quality rotation of catching options heading into next season. 

“It’s the hardest position to find guys you trust,” manager Tony Vitello said. “It’s the hardest position to play, day in and day out, as we’ve seen with wear and tear. But those three guys have the makeup for that.”

2. Blade Tidwell, RHP

The Giants had some big holes to fill in their rotation after trading away veterans Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle and losing Trevor McDonald to season-ending Tommy John surgery. One of those spots ended up going to Tidwell, the Giants’ No. 13 prospect who is already making a case to stick in the starting staff in 2027.

Since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento last week, Tidwell has allowed three runs over 10 2/3 innings (2.53 ERA) in two starts for the Giants. He continued to flash intriguing stuff in his most recent outing against the Astros on Monday, topping out at 98.3 mph with his four-seam fastball while generating 12 swinging strikes with his signature sweeper.

Tidwell’s progress has been particularly satisfying for Vitello, who saw a much rawer version of the young right-hander when he coached him at the University of Tennessee. 

“Blade is so different than when he was with us,” Vitello said. “I think he’s matured a lot as a pitcher, and it's helped him become a true starter. He was outstanding for us in the bullpen [earlier in the year], but he was trying to establish himself there. Just listening to the way he talks about how he wants to use his pitches and certain things he was doing with the Sac club, it’s impressive to watch.”

3. Victor Bericoto, OF

Now that Heliot Ramos is with the Yankees, Bericoto is expected to get a chance to play every day in left field and show that he deserves to be part of the Giants’ outfield mix moving forward. 

The 24-year-old Venezuelan missed a little more than a month with a left oblique strain, but he returned from the IL on Tuesday and immediately slotted back into the No. 5 spot in the Giants’ lineup.

The right-handed-hitting Bericoto is batting .274 with an .802 OPS and four home runs over 25 games this year, so the Giants are hoping he’ll be able to pick up where he left off and continue to provide an offensive lift for the club. 

“If you look at Spring Training and you look at his sample size with us -- and you can include Sac, too -- he’s been one of the better hitters in all those groups,” Vitello said. “That won’t always equate to results or outcome. But [it’s] definitely just his presence and his approach in the box and the quality of at-bat you get. I feel like the last time up, the more he was able to just play consistently and the more at-bats he got, the better he hit.”

With their catching depth thinned by the injury to Susac, the Giants decided to bring back veteran backstop Andrew Knizner on a Major League deal on Tuesday.

It’ll mark Knizner’s second stint with the Giants, as he also appeared in 33 games for the club in 2025. More >>

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