All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Thursday, so let’s jump straight into all of it!

Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)

All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.

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News

The only news is that the Giants optioned RHP Carson Seymour to AAA Sacramento, while calling up RHP Ryan Walker.

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AAA Sacramento (39-25)

Sacramento River Cats lost to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) 2-0
Box score

You don’t see many games in the Pacific Coast League with just 2 combined runs! Pitching ruled the day in this one, and for LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL), that meant getting saddled with a loss despite pitching really well.

Whitman has unequivocally been one of the top stories on the farm this year, as the 2023 comp-round selection put a middling 2025 behind him in emphatic fashion. The 24-year old’s year-over-year improvement in AA was stunning, and he left Richmond as arguably the top pitcher in the Eastern League … among the 61 EL pitchers with at least 30 innings thrown this year, Whitman was 11th in ERA (3.22), 1st in FIP (2.39), 6th in strikeouts per 9 innings (11.6), and 8th in walks per 9 (2.3).

So far those improvements are carrying over to AAA. In his debut with the River Cats last week, the Kent State product pitched 6 shutout innings with just 3 baserunners allowed. He was a little less sharp in this game, but still very impressive, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs, and striking out 7 batters.

Whitman certainly hasn’t jumped the line over LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) or RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), but if he keeps looking this good, a debut this season feels inevitable. Barring a collapse or an injury, he’ll need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so there’s no harm in rostering him this season. And assuming the Giants don’t storm back into the playoff race, they’ll probably trade 1 or 2 players from the Robbie Ray/Tyler Mahle/Adrian Houser bucket, which would open up some spots in the rotation.

The bullpen was swell, with RHP Braxton Roxby needing just 18 pitches to take down 1.2 shutout innings, with 1 hot and 2 strikeouts. LHP Nick Zwack was even better, throwing a perfect frame with 2 Ks. Both pitchers are really starting to find their rhythm after slow starts to the year: the 27-year old Roxby gave up 11 earned runs in 9 innings over his 1st 9 games of the year, but since then has allowed just 1 earned run in 15 innings over 8 outings. As for the 27-year old Zwack, he ceded 16 earned runs in just 11.1 innings over his 1st 11 games, but since then has had 5 straight scoreless appearances spanning 4.2 innings.

The offense did nothing, with just 2 singles and 3 walks on the day. The lone player to reach base multiple times was catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL), who went 0-2 with a strikeout, but drew a pair of walks. Cavanaugh continues to look absolutely excellent at AAA, and continues to close the gap between he and Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL), who had another rough day, hitting 0-4 while playing left field.

AA Richmond (39-20)

Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals) 11-10
Box score

The Squirrels almost pulled a reverse homage to the Giants … a day after San Francisco overcame a 9-1 8th-inning deficit, Richmond nearly squandered an 11-2 8th-inning lead. But they didn’t!

While Richmond had a lot of players who shined in the batter’s box, it was really a story of 2 hitters: first baseman Charlie Szykowny and right fielder Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). That pair powered the offense with fantastic days.

Szykowny was the cleanup hitter and my goodness is that what he hit like: he went 2-5 with a strikeout, and bashed a pair of 3-run home runs. What a day!

SZYKOWNY TO THE CONCOURSE 🤯

Charlie Muscle strikes again! pic.twitter.com/ujq2zxX70n

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 11, 2026

The 2023 9th-round pick has taken incredibly well to AA, where he has an .835 OPS and a 119 wRC+. He’s doing it in every way, too, with a high average (.280), a lot of power (.213 ISO), and limited strikeouts (17.0%). His performance is very similar (and in most areas a little better) to what it was last year in High-A, and anytime you can hold performance while moving up a level, you’re doing something right.

No, this is not déjà vu.

Chuck is so Naszyty. pic.twitter.com/T2CGxuUWTM

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 12, 2026

As always, the questions for Szykowny lie in how much more performance there is to extract (he’s about to turn 26), and if he can hit well enough to make up for the fact that he’s probably a 1B/DH going forward (though he still plays some third). But there’s always a place in the pros for guys who can hit, and Szykowny sure can hit!

Sio continues to find his groove at his new level, as he hit 2-5 with a home run, a triple, 3 runs batted in, and a strikeout.

Back-to-back days with a homer for Jean Carlos Sio 🔥 pic.twitter.com/w2DrIcSJw3

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 12, 2026

The recently-turned 22-year old got promoted at the start of the month and is starting to turn things on, as this was his 2nd home run in as many days. He’s done nothing to slow down following his strong 2025, and it’s certainly looking like he could end up playing the utility role that the Giants have long been looking for … the Cuban has played both middle infield and both corner outfield spots already this year, and looks pretty comfortable everywhere.

Jean Carlos Sio is finding his groove 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pnv18QNxW9

— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 12, 2026

Left fielder Dayson Croes hit 3-5 with 2 strikeouts (while playing just his 2nd career game in the outfield), and center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) continued his absurd month, going 1-2 with 3 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout. After having just a .664 OPS in May, Davidson has hit safely in all 9 June games, going 14-34 with 6 home runs, 1 double, 4 walks, and just 6 strikeouts. He’s up to an .847 OPS and a 119 wRC+, and his strikeout rate is lower than it was last year at both High-A and AA.

On the pitching front, the game was nearly lost by a pair of relievers who couldn’t get an out, as RHPs Dylan Hecht and Ryan Vanderhei combined to allow 7 hits, 2 walks, and 8 runs, while recording just 1 out. Thankfully RHP Tyler Vogel was there to save the day, as he entered the 8th inning with runners at 1st and 2nd and 1 out, and immediately got an inning-ending double play, before setting down the side in order in the 9th (kind of … the 2nd batter of the inning reached on a catcher’s interference by Ty Hanchey, who then threw him out on a steal attempt). That’s the kind of performance that coaches notice, and Vogel is down to a 1.85 ERA on the year, albeit with a 4.69 FIP.

The start went to LHP Charlie McDaniel, who had a nice bounce-back performance. The soon-to-turn 25-year old UDFA got rocked in his AA introduction last week, giving up 6 hits, 4 walks, and 6 runs in just 3 innings. But his 2nd attempt went so, so much better, as the southpaw took down 6 innings while allowing just 4 hits, 0 walk, and 2 runs, with 5 strikeouts. Improvement is the name of the game, and McDaniel showed it in a huge way on Thursday!

High-A Eugene (40-20)

Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane (Rockies) 7-6
Box score

The Giants promoted shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) to High-A pretty early in the year. No one seemed to question that decision, given the waste he laid to Cal League pitchers. But if anyone had questioned it … well, similar to Bryce Eldridge in the Majors, those questions were very quickly answered. Level has had simply no adjustment period to the Northwest League, despite, at just 19 years and 2 months old, being more than 3-and-a-half years younger than his peers.

The switch-hitter has hit safely in all 8 games since getting promoted, which includes 5 multi-hit games … which includes Thursday’s contest, in which he went 3-5 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. It was Level’s 5th consecutive game with a double, and he now has 31 extra-base hits in just 52 games between the pair of A-ball squads. Absurd!

Jhonny Level continues to excel at a higher level (no pun intended).

With three more hits today, including a double, he has now reached in all eight games so far with Eugene, with 14 hits, including five 2Bs. His .964 OPS is nearly identical to what he's posted in SJ (.968). pic.twitter.com/Nn7DVwoU4M

— Giant Prospective (@giantprospectiv) June 12, 2026

In all, Level is 14-36 with 5 doubles and just 6 strikeouts (plus 3 hit by pitches and 2 stolen bases) since getting promoted, and that sure looks like someone who is closer to belonging in AA than being back in Low-A. What a player he has blossomed into!

But the offensive star was left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who continues to put his improved power production on display. The 21-year old lefty hit 2-3 with a 2-run home run, a walk, and a strikeout, bringing his OPS up to .815, and his wRC+ to 123.

Guti 💣

Carlos Gutierrez’s 6th HR of the year triples the Ems lead#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/IbCXWQqQlu

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) June 12, 2026

Gutierrez now has 6 home runs in 48 games at the level … after entering the season with just 3 home runs in 85 games between the DSL, ACL, and Low-A. Add in the physicality that he’s displayed, and it’s clear that he spent the offseason getting stronger. He’s still seeing some losses in the contact department — year-over-year his average has dropped from .351 to .264, and his strikeout rate his risen from 13.7% to 19.2% — but that’s a fair tradeoff, and probably a necessary one.

Also a great game for center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), who hit 2-5 with 2 stolen bases and a strikeout. Cohen has put his slow start firmly behind him, and is up to an .804 OPS and a 123 wRC+, with 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts (he also has 21 doubles) in just 55 games. His contact skills have been as good as advertised, as he has a .293 average and just a 13.4% strikeout rate.

The pitching was not good, as starting LHP Tyler Switalski got rocked, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 5 earned runs in just 5.1 innings, though he also struck out 6 batters. It’s been a very odd year for Switalski, and this game was perfect evidence: he gave up 3 home runs, which is as many as he allowed all last year. Yes, after giving up just 3 home runs in 96.2 innings across Low and High-A a year ago, the soon-to-turn 23-year old has already given up 10 of them in just 54.2 innings, which is the main reason for his 4.45 ERA and 4.57 FIP. It’s really just an entirely different profile this year for the 2024 16th-rounder … not only are the home runs way up, but so, too, are the strikeouts … from 7.6 per 9 last year, to 10.7 this year. You don’t see that sort of jump very often!

Low-A San Jose (35-25)

San Jose Giants beat the Stockton Ports (A’s) 22-9
Box score

Well … that’s a lot of runs!

You want to see a wild number? The Baby Giants had 13 extra-base hits in this game. 13!!! That’s so many! And it included home runs from 3 players who had homered the night before!

The hottest of those hitters was left fielder Damian Bravo, who simply cannot be stopped. A day after bashing 2 home runs, last year’s 15th-round pick went 3-6 with a 3-run blast and a pair of doubles. After a so-so start to the year, Bravo has boosted his OPS to .883 and his wRC+ to 113, while running a very nice batting average (.289) and isolated slugging (.239). He’s playing strong defense across the outfield, and has 6 stolen bases without getting caught. He’s really coming into his own, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends the year with Eugene.

The most surprising performance belonged to right fielder Jose Astudillo, who hit 4-5 while getting hit by a pitch and finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the 2nd day in a row. Astudillo entered Wednesday’s game having hit 1-20 over his last 6 games, and having only hit 1 home run in 131 career games. And now, in the span of 2 games, he’s hit 7-10 with 2 dingers and 2 doubles. Life comes at you fast!

Contact will always be the name of the game for the 22-year old, who has struck out just 4 times in 87 plate appearances this year. But contact sure looks better when a little bit of power is attached!

Rounding out the back-to-back days was shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 22 CPL), who went 2-4 with a solo blast, a double, and 2 walks. Sure, the home run came off a second baseman, but who cares! It still takes a lot of skill to hit a baseball that far!

In yesterday’s roundup, I mentioned how Meola took some time to find a rhythm, but now has replaced that rhythm with fire. So let me just update the numbers from yesterday…

First 24 games: 18-98, 0 home runs, 6 doubles, 9 walks, 34 strikeouts
Next 29 games: 32-106, 6 home runs, 9 doubles, 17 walks, 32 strikeouts

Yep, that’s catching fire all right! Last year’s 4th-round pick out of Stetson is creeping closer and closer to putting that slow start behind him, as he has a .753 OPS and a 90 wRC+ … and with Jhonny Level now in High-A, the defensive wizard is finally getting to regularly show off his chops at the six.

Those were the back-to-back dinger hitters, but they weren’t the only big flies, as second baseman Isaiah Barkett also left the yard with a 3-run shot, as part of a day in which he hit 2-4 with a double, a walk, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and 5 runs batted in. Talk about doing a little bit of everything!!

Barkett has flown under the radar a little bit this year, but he’s been having a sublime debut season, as the 22-year old, taken in the 10th round last year (also out of Stetson), has an .884 OPS and a 124 wRC+. Contact has been the name of Barkett’s game, as he has a .335 batting average, a 7.9% strikeout rate, and a 4.4% swinging strike rate … there are 92 Cal League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, and those marks rank 4th, 1st, and 1st, respectively. Highly impressive!!

And finishing off the dinger party was first baseman Hayden Jatczak, who only hit 1-5 with 2 strikeouts, but drew a walk and smashed a 2-run blast. He continues to look too good for Cal League pitchers, which probably isn’t surprising given that he turns 25 in August. He’s up to 9 home runs on the year (the organizational leader is Bo Davidson, with 12), with a .920 OPS and a 128 wRC+.

Okay, everyone breathe out, that’s all the great offensive days to talk about! And with that out of the way, there’s not a lot to talk about on the other side of the diamond. RHP Ben Bybee, last year’s 8th-round pick, made his 2nd career start and 9th career appearance and got rocked, allowing 3 hits (including 2 home runs), 4 walks, and 6 earned runs in just 1.2 innings. It’s been a tough transition to professional baseball for the Arkansas alum.

RHP Alix Hernandez showed off his strikeout stuff with 5 Ks in 3 innings, though he allowed 4 hits (including a home run) and 2 runs. He only has a 3.77 ERA and a 5.26 FIP, but is up to 37 strikeouts in 28.2 innings, which is an accurate reflection of the excitement in his arm.

And RHP Garrett Langrell pitched very well, striking out 1 batter in 2 perfect innings. Langrell, a 25-year old who was taken in the 16th round last year, has just a 4.50 ERA and a 3.71 FIP in his debut season, but has 32 strikeouts to just 7 walks in 28 innings.

Arizona Complex League (13-15)

ACL Giants beat the ACL Cubs 5-0
Box score

This game was all about pitching, which you don’t hear much in rookie ball. The ACL Giants sent 4 pitchers to the mound, and all 4 were brilliant.

It began with RHP Marlon Franco, a 23-year old in his 2nd ACL season after 4 years in the DSL. Franco gave up just a single, a walk, and a hit batter in 3 shutout innings, while striking out 4. He’s really struggled so far this year (he has a 7.53 ERA and a 4.45 FIP), so this was a much-needed nice game after a few blowups.

Then it was RHP Chen-Hsun Lee, who struck out 5 batters in 2.2 scoreless innings, though he allowed 3 hits and a walk. A 24-year old from Taiwan, Lee has long opened eyes with his exciting array of pitches … but he hasn’t been healthy. He debuted in 2023 with just 4 games, but lost all of 2024 and 2025. Now he’s back, healthy, and showing off, with 20 strikeouts against just 6 walks in 16.2 innings. After giving up 2 hits and 2 runs with 0 strikeouts in his season debut, Lee has settled in and been dominant, allowing just 11 hits and 2 runs in 14.2 innings, with 20 strikeouts.

Next up was RHP Melvin Pineda, who allowed 2 walks in 1.1 no-hit innings, but struck out 2. Pineda struggled with Low-A San Jose this year before getting demoted, and now no one can put the ball in play against him, for better and for worse: in 12 Complex League innings, Pineda has 23 strikeouts … and 12 walks.

Rounding out the day was RHP Samir Chires, who gave up just 1 baserunner (a single) in 2 innings, while striking out 5 batters. The 22-year old is in the ACL for the 4th straight year, and so far it’s going much better, as he has a 3.00 ERA (though a 4.60 FIP), with 22 strikeouts against just 5 walks in 15 innings.

Not much on the offensive side. The best day belonged to left fielder Oliver Tejada, who hit 2-3 with a triple, though he was also caught stealing. The 19-year old was probably a little disappointed to repeat the ACL, after posting a 105 wRC+ at the level last year. So far he hasn’t matched his 2025 performance, though he remains an intriguing talent with a ton of defensive ability.

Shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) has cooled off a little following his red-hot start, but just keeps collecting extra-base hits, as he want 1-4 with a double and a strikeout. The 17-year old has 18 extra-base hits in just 27 games, with a .996 OPS and a 133 wRC+. Just an absurd talent!

Unfortunately, his fellow top prospect shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. He hasn’t played since May 23.

Dominican Summer League Black (6-3)

DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Blue Jays Red 3-2 (7 innings)
Box score

A very uninteresting game, despite the win. The star was the winning pitcher, RHP Delvis Heredia, who threw 3 perfect innings, though he didn’t have any strikeouts. A 21-year old from Venezuela, Heredia is in his 3rd DSL season, and has given up just 1 hit and 1 run in 5 innings. That’s the good …. the bad is that he’s walked 5 batters and only struck out 3. That’s unfortunately been a trend, as he has more walks (31) than strikeouts (28) in his career (44.1 innings).

Left fielder Franco Willias continued his strong season, hitting 1-2 with a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, and a strikeout. The 21-year old has a 1.072 OPS and a 124 wRC+ in his 3rd DSL season.

Dominican Summer League Orange (6-2)

DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 8-5 (7 innings)
Box score

A star showing from catcher Fernando Pena, a recently-turned 19-year old playing in his 3rd season. Pena was sensational, hitting a perfect 3-3 with both a home run and a double, plus a sacrifice fly (the lone stain on his resume was getting caught stealing). That’s a whole lot of offense in a 7-inning game! The right-handed hitter from Venezuela is up to a staggering 1.434 OPS and 224 wRC+ through 8 games, as he’s trying to prove that he should be stateside following 2 solid DSL campaigns.

But the hero was shortstop Jonathan Valle, who only hit 1-4, but made his hit count with a walk-off 3-run home run. Valle, an 18-year old right-handed hitter from Cuba, is still finding his groove after being a late addition to the organization’s international signing class (he signed on May 21). But he’s holding his own, with a .300 batting average and just a 14.7% strikeout rate (though the state of the DSL is such that his .757 OPS results in just a 70 wRC+).

A pair of nice pitching performances from RHPs Josue Perez and Jesus Lopez. Perez, a 19-year old from the DR, gave up just 1 hit in 3 shutout innings, with 4 strikeouts. That was a great bounce back after his only other appearance of the year, when he gave up 3 runs while walking 4 and only striking out 1. As for Lopez, he struck out 4 batters in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 2 hits. He gave up 2 runs in each of his prior 2 appearances this year, so a good showing for the 21-year old from Venezuela.

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Home run tracker

10 — Damian Bravo — [Low-A]
9 — Hayden Jatczak — [Low-A]
8 — Charlie Szykowny x2 — [AA]
7 — Jean Carlos Sio — [2 in AA; 4 in High-A; 1 in ACL]
6 — Carlos Gutierrez — [High-A]
6 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A]
3 — Isaiah Barkett — [Low-A]
2 — Jose Astudillo — [Low-A]
2 — Fernando Pena — [DSL]
1 — Jonathan Valle — [DSL]

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Friday schedule

Sacramento: 5:05 p.m. PT at Sugar Land (SP: Carson Whisenhunt)
Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Harrisburg (SP: Trystan Vrieling)
Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Spokane (SP: Luis De La Torre)
San Jose: 7:05 p.m. PT at Stockton (SP: Braydon Risley)

Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.

After what felt like an incredibly long wait, the San Diego Padres have finally won a series this month. After being outdueled in extras the previous night, the Friars walked off the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon thanks to a home run from Fernando Tatis Jr.

The offense looked much healthier in the series against Cincinnati, especially the San Diego stars. Tatis, Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado produced better than they have while role players like Samad Taylor and Will Wagner stepped up in the last few games. It’s been a welcome sight.

With their sights now set on a struggling Baltimore Orioles club, the Friars hope to improve on their recent lousy stretch.

Taking the mound

Shane Baz (BAL) v. Griffin Canning (SD)

Baz was traded for this offseason by Baltimore as one of the many additions the club made to their organization. The pitching staff looks much more stable for years to come after he signed an extension with the O’s.

That said, he hasn’t looked that great on the mound this year. Through 13 starts, the righty owns a 4.09 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. It’s hardly the production a club wants from someone expected to be a front-line starter. He’s looked better in his last few games, giving up just four runs in his last 19 2/3 inning pitched.

Canning has certainly struggled in his tenure with San Diego. The right-hander has been saddled with a 6.34 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP through seven starts. 

Beyond that, he hasn’t worked deep into games. Canning has average 4 2/3 innings across his starts in 2026. The Padres hope that he’ll pitch as good as he did against the New York Mets last week (1 ER, 5.0 IP).

Batter up!

It’s been easy to criticize the San Diego lineup lately. They’ve certainly struggled. But their recent turnaround has been fun to watch. It’s not like the Friar Faithful should expect a total 180, but the club seems to have sparked to life.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, DH
5. Samad Taylor, LF
6. Ty France, 1B
7. Jase Bowen, RF
8. Freddy Fermin, C
9. Sung-Mun Song, SS

Fermin’s homer streak ended at three games in spite of coming close in the 10th inning of Tuesday’s game against Cincinnati. He’s been on a tear this last week and will look to continue that.

Beyond that, Machado has been much better at making contact and putting balls in play. Apart from some tough moments in Tuesday night’s contest, he went 3-for-9 with two RBI in the Friars’ last two games.

Relief corps

Michael King did exactly what he needed to do on Wednesday. He kept the game close, giving up three runs while going 6 2/3 innings. It wasn’t a perfect outing by any means, but the bullpen needed it.

After Tuesday night’s 11 inning marathon, the Padres’ relievers had been heavily taxed. Only Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta were available out of the ‘pen. They were the only two the Friars would need. The duo’s only blemish came on a solo shot that Marinaccio surrendered in the eighth. 

That said, with the off day on Thursday, mostly everyone will be available. But the high-leverage options will be out in full force. Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Mason Miller and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be options for manager Craig Stammen to turn to.

So you have decided to heed the call to adventure. Good for you.

If you need to recall what the Guide is or who I am, please refer to the included links.

The House that Apathy Built

The Guide has the following to say about going to a game at Rate Field:

Did you lose a bet? Were you too cheap to go to Wrigley Field? In either case, do I have a ballpark for you! An avatar to giving less than your all, a totem to mediocrity, a marker for failure in novel ways one would expect in fiction rather than in reality. If there is a corner to be cut, Rate Field found a way. Prepare for the unreality, if you dare to tread here.

Rate Field stinks.

For the lazy or disinterested, you can stop right here. If you were somehow wondering whether Wrigley or Rate Field was the superior Chicago stadium, it’s Wrigley, which isn’t perfect by any means. Imagine your reaction if someone claimed that Angel Stadium was superior to Dodger Stadium, and the point is made.

Some stadiums in this Guide are not worth your time and money for various reasons. Some are the victims of terrible design decisions (Daikin Park, loanDepot Park). Some are victims of possessing a poor baseball culture (Angel Stadium, Truist Park, loanDepot Park). Some are venues that really should be put out to pasture (Angel Stadium, Chase Field, Tropicana Field). One is the Oakland Coliseum — it is this author’s opinion that anyone who likes a dive bar over the age of 25 needs to grow up. Rate Field does not even have “it’s just an average minor ballpark playing as a placeholder to everyone’s detriment” status working against it.

Rate Field somehow manages to combine all of the above demerits and adds a certain je n’sais quoi of soul-crushing apathy. At least it did, until one man sauntered in from Japan, someone whom I have been hyping for 18 months: Munetaka Murakami. Murakami-san has injected life—and he’s now hurt. Of course he is. Never mind; the rhetorical beating shall continue until morale improves.

The only positive of Rate Field is the home fans, those motley, brave souls who remain. I will not criticize them, because I can think of home fans that are instantly far more annoying in their home venues (Rogers Centre, Petco Park, Oracle Park, Busch Stadium 3, Angel Stadium, loanDepot Park) than fans of the White Sox.

There was always going to be one stadium that arrived too soon for the retroclassic ballpark boom started by Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and that was this ballpark. New Comiskey Park, as it was first known, was the house that cheapness and apathy built. But while missing the retroclassic boom may have capped this venue’s potential, it just means mediocrity on paper.

There was no reason that this stadium to be this bad. Rate Field has had multiple names over its 35-year history:

• “New” Comiskey Park: 1991-2002
• U.S. Cellular Field: 2003–2016
• Guaranteed Rate Field: 2016–2024
• Rate Field: 2025–Present

At the risk of bastardizing the Bard, a corpse flower by any other name would still smell just as bad in bloom.

We often learn more from failure than success, so it’s time to rip the figurative bandage off and see what went wrong. The following is all you will need to know if you made the mistake of going to Chicago for the purpose of seeing a Dodgers/White Sox game.

The Five Questions of the Guide

1. Is it worth going to?

No — unless you are trying to visit all 30 current MLB ballparks.

Establishing that Rate Field is a subpar venue is easy.

Narrowing down the why and how requires some rhetorical work. The most obvious flaw is the sheer, almost overwhelming sense of apathy that permeates the ballpark. If there was a corner to be cut to save a buck, this ballpark found a way. I visited in 2024 on a lark, which was the infamous year of failure for the organization.

This elephant in the room cannot be ignored while making or understanding this review, as the massive stench of the wafting failure was a long time coming. A fan had an infamously viral call to ESPN Chicago 1000 AM in 2023 that presaged the madness that unfolded in 2024.

Once the failure arrived, it was all-encompassing, all-consuming, a self-sustaining gravity well of terrible decisions that reinforced the failure.

But the White Sox being bad is actually good for a visiting team. Who doesn’t want to see the Dodgers win in person? When the proceedings are as drab as Rate Field, even ironic enjoyment is hard to come by because the visiting team better win. Imagine if the Harlem Globetrotters lost to the Washington Generals; that’s the level of ineptitude that was on display in 2024.

Poor performance on the field is one thing, but poor customer service in the stadium is another: disinterested, apathetic staff unable to answer basic questions. Lack of decent amenities is another, even in supposedly upscale portions of the park. The adjective “shabby” came to mind in multiple places and on multiple occasions.

Having cafeteria-level food is another. Imagine paying extra for an add-on with unlimited barbecue and drinks to hang out before the game, and then you get … cold this …

Having broken seats or other areas in need of obvious repair is another. I would call this ballpark a factory of sadness, but unfortunately, that name is already taken in Cleveland — in another sport! Rate Field is greater than the sum of its parts of collective failure in this regard.

While the White Sox are playing better in a vastly diminished American League in 2026, the memories of the poor experience from my initial review in 2024 linger. “Imagine being in a dentist’s office where a baseball game broke out or a divorced dad’s apartment, who has given up” is the primary note I left for myself. The stadium is drab, with nothing interesting to see in the distance while looking out at the field.

It’s not as if Chicago is an ugly city, far from it. If you walk around Rate Field, you can see the gorgeous Chicago skyline, which begs the question: Why is the stadium pointing away from anything interesting? PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Busch Stadium 3 in St. Louis have iconic backdrops. Imagine the view below overlooking the outfield.

Rate Field was built across the street from Comiskey Park, which was at least pointing towards something.

As will be a recurring theme in this essay, the answer was ownership’s greed and skinflintry. There was a proposal to make the successor to Comiskey Park more like Wrigley Field and to integrate it into the surrounding community. Per the website This Great Game, owner Jerry Reinsdorf essentially said to hell with that idea:

Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox would have none of Bess’ retro idealism. Armour Field was to have a gorgeous view of downtown Chicago, but with New Comiskey the Sox strangely decided to look the other way, towards the southeast—where the distant landscape was dotted with hi-rise projects. Apparently, the team was more concerned with cheap home runs and decided to orient the ballpark so that typical winds from the southwest wouldn’t push fly balls over the outfield fence and toward Sears Tower. And rather than surround the ballpark with a neighborhood, they destroyed it—getting the backing of the city to tear down nearly 100 residences in a poor, black section that sat in the way of New Comiskey. For being in the wrong place at the wrong time, evicted homeowners were each given $25,000 to set up camp elsewhere….

…Some of Old Comiskey’s architectural touches would be retained in New Comiskey. Principal among these would be the arched openings spaced around the ballpark bowl—but unlike the old ballpark, the openings were covered with highly reflective glass which, along with beige-painted precast concrete etched with mild, abstract patterns, gave the overall structure the look of a sporty office complex. Worse, the structure—lacking embellishment at the top due to budget restraints—was largely hidden behind a series of switchback pedestrian ramps that interfered with what grace it had. 

Inside, intimacy was hard to find. So were the players on the field for those sitting towards the top of the upper deck, an arduous ascent to a height so far up, you would have thought the White Sox would advertise for sherpas over ushers to assist fans to their seats. Someone did the math and discovered that the closest seat in New Comiskey’s upper deck was farther away from the field than the last row of upper deck at Old Comiskey. And it was much, much higher. The steepness of the upper deck, combined with Chicago’s famously strong winds, at times forced the White Sox to actually close portions of the level as a safety precaution. But fans did remark how cool it was to look down on a towering pop-up….

…At some point, around 2000, Reinsdorf and the White Sox finally experienced their come-to-Jesus moment and admitted that the ballpark could use some work. They hired a different architect (Dallas-based HKS, designers of the ornate Ballpark at Arlington), spent almost as much money ($118 million) as it took to build the entire venue and took seven years on a renovation that was undertaken bit by bit to keep distraction to the fans and players at a minimum. It may not have transformed the joint into Wrigley, but it was an improvement—a sorely needed one at that. 

(Emphasis added.)

But one would be remiss in omitting the potential divine providence that was not present during my initial review. The arguably most famous White Sox fan no longer resides in the Oval Office, but in the Vatican with the new Pontiff.

In 2005, then-Priest Robert Provost was literally sighted on the telecast of World Series Game 1, a sweep which was the Southsider’s last championship. The White Sox put up a mural in Section 140 after his election as pope.

While kitschy elements and touches were added around the ballpark, one would have to be blind to ignore half-measures of them. Do you like cafeteria-grade food vendors scattered throughout the ballpark with bland empty hallways between them? Rate Field has that in spades. Do you want to pay for an add-on that gets you access to what would barely pass for cafeteria food 90 minutes before a game? Rate Field has you covered.

The standout item from Rate Field was the Campfire Milkshake, a chocolate milkshake. The White Sox brought it back in 2026; they just made it bigger and doubled the price, which is laziness personified.

Unsurprisingly, the White Sox do not offer tours of Rate Field, but they do offer virtual tours of premium areas to rent. As for First Game Certificates, the following is just the embodiment of the Rate Field experience. You go to Customer Service to get one printed out on cardstock, so far, so good. You are then asked to write your name in block letters so the customer service representative can enter it and the date, and complete your certificate, which is placed inside a folder. All excellent so far.

I did not bother to check the certificate until I got back to California, because I was carrying food at the time and saw that it was the correct cardstock. After all, I wrote my information in large, friendly block letters. You can see for yourself where things went awry.

Words can barely express my horror when I finally opened the folder to frame the certificate. The incompetence just grabs your attention and refuses to let go. If the above is not emblematic of Rate Field, I don’t know what is.

2. How should I get there?

Getting to Chicago is easy, all things considered. As we covered in “The House an Earworm Built,” getting to Chicago is pretty straightforward, as most major airlines have connections to Chicago, mostly likely Chicago O’Hare International Airport. One could make a road trip of it, driving across country, or even take major Amtrak routes from the coast. I would not recommend this last option, as American rail is infinitely inferior to Japanese rail in scope, speed, and quality.

Going to baseball games should be a fun experience. When a venue makes decisions that make it harder to have fun, considering that one of the main purposes of a ballpark is to enable fun (while getting your money in trade), one cannot help but speak out. White Sox fans deserve better, both in venue and in ownership.

Once in Chicago, unless there is a specific errand that requires a car, you can take the Chicago Transit Authority to just about anywhere. Taking the Blue Line train from O’Hare into Chicago is likely the easiest way to get into the city. For our purposes, the Red Line of Chicago’s Metro is life; it will take you just outside of Wrigley, and there is a dedicated stop for Rate Field.

A CTA Ventra 3-day pass allows unlimited use on the system after scanning your phone or card for 3 days, and is more than enough unless one is staying in Chicago for longer.

Weatherwise, it’s Chicago. It can be rainy, humid, or nice; just look at the weather report and plan accordingly. Chicago is not like San Francisco, where the temperature can vary wildly throughout the day or by neighborhood on a normal basis. Chicago can be sunny and humid, nice, rainy, or windy, or any combination thereof.

While there is parking at Rate Field, unless one is driving in from southern Illinois or Milwaukee, public transit is the best option to get to and from the ballpark, easily besting car or rideshare options. While one ultimately will walk a few hundred feet to get to the ballpark from the train station, there’s enough police presence and foot traffic for all but the most crowdphobic of fans to feel comfortable in making the transit.

3. Where should I stay?

The short answer is that any half-decent hotel near the Red Line will suit your purposes. One of the issues with Rate Field’s location is that the ballpark is near two highway interchanges, making it more car-friendly than people-friendly. As discussed above, it is not as if there is a thriving neighborhood nearby, ala Wrigleyville. Accordingly, hotel options near the Rate Field are somewhat limited.

While one might be initially tempted by these choices, note that you will be walking a considerable distance and multiple city blocks. For instance, The Polo Inn Bed and Breakfast is a mile walk from Rate Field.

One can bypass this conundrum by staying at a hotel in The Loop off the Red Line. The downside to this approach is that hotels in this part of Chicago tend to be more expensive. Also, Chicago’s Metro is not the friendliest when it comes to accessibility issues, i.e., if you have trouble with stairs, you might have issues reaching your train.

Another option to try is staying in Chinatown, which is just to the north of Rate Field. The Jaslin Hotel is a viable option because it is close to the train station without the arduous walk required by other hotels.

4. Where should I sit?

Rate Field does charge more for Dodgers games compared to standard fare, but not so much that it’s notable, or that you feel gouged. However, for field-level seats behind home plate, expect to pay north of three figures, which is bog standard for any MLB ballpark.

A seat behind home plate that would normally cost four to five digits at Dodger Stadium can be had for a few hundred dollars here. However, the positive remarks about the seating options end there.

If one attends a day game, one will be in direct sunlight unless one is either on the upper deck or sitting in the back of the sections in the stadium’s inner bowl. Outfield seating is exposed to the elements. While there are social areas in the outfield, if a traveling fan made the journey to Chicago, they can just socialize at their chosen venue or bar in downtown Chicago after the game. The White Sox do have a sports bar/restaurant adjacent to the ballpark, which is just about the only amenity outside it.

The stadium has a unique rule where if one is sitting in the upper deck (the 500s seating), they are not allowed to visit other parts of the stadium once up there. The broken seating I encountered was in this section, where not only was my assigned seat broken, but two other seats were either about to break and broke when I sat on them or already broken.

Thankfully, the upper deck was essentially empty for this game, so I eventually did find a seat comparable to the one that I paid for. Seat roulette should not be a thing and is a glaring red flag for skimping on maintenance. Yes, the seat was about $25 in 2024, but that price was dwarfed by both the almost comical lack of food options on that level and the social embarrassment of subpar seating.

While one can get closer to the visiting bullpen by sitting in the front of sections 104 and 105, it is done at the literal expense of watching the game without magnification. That said, when I visited the bullpen, they mostly spent their time underneath the awning to avoid the sun.

Seating in the 300s that allows access to the then-Huntington Stadium Club, where the original Campfire Milkshake was served. The private dining area I had access to before the game gave solid views of the Dodgers bullpen, less so of the game itself. Ultimately, during the game I sat in this section, there was a rain delay, which caused a good portion of the crowd to leave, but I switched my seat from the one above to the one at the very start of the Guide entry.

Anecdotally, while the staff at Rate Field was generally apathetic to customer questions and feedback, the one aspect in which they showed an unexpectedly high level of diligence was enforcing that people sat in their assigned seats. Granted, one would expect most ushers at most stadiums to do this act, but during inclement weather, one would expect a certain relaxation, considering that the original patrons likely left. Potential hermit crab fans would likely need to be mindful and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

5. After your trip, is it worth going back?

In the disclaimer to the Guide, I described the informal range of subjective outcomes that can occur after visiting a location. So far, I have attended three games at Rate Field in 2024, all of which the Dodgers won. After this visit, my rating of going to Rate Field is:

• Hey, that was somehow NOT fun. Why did I put myself through all of this work?

The Dodgers won three largely stress-free games (when Bobby Miller wasn’t pitching) on an outing that cost very little out-of-pocket costs in weather that was largely pleasant in a venue that was easy to get to and from. In theory, considering all the positive factors that should be in play at this ballpark, I should be raving. Yet two years later, I am still spectacularly annoyed by the experience of going to a series at Rate Field.

Going to baseball games should be a fun experience. When a venue makes decisions that make it harder to have fun, considering that one of the main purposes of a ballpark is to enable fun (while getting your money in trade), one cannot help but speak out. White Sox fans deserve better, both in venue and in ownership. It’s like watching a toxic relationship from afar; you cannot intervene (and odds are, your intervention would be unwelcome), but you know that they deserve better.

Therefore, based on the above information, I can not recommend attending a Dodgers game at Rate Field. If the above 3,450 words are not enough to sway all but the most hearty Dodger chasers from going to this ballpark, then please enjoy and be well. While new ownership is eventually coming to the Southside, the cavalry has ties to private equity, which is problematic in a familiar way.

While friendship is the gravity that might cause me to return, and while I remain hopeful for the future, my mind keeps returning to the song lyrics “Meet the new Boss / same as the old Boss … ”

Columbus Clippers 6, Indianapolis Indians 11

Clippers fall to 36-29

Some old friends had some big days for the Clippers as a rehabbing Gabriel Arias went 2-for-3 with his third home run already. He has a ridiculous 1.377 OPS in his rehab assignment thus far.

Bo Naylor also blasted off for a home run, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk while Kahlil Watson went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and also stole a base.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb got torched for six runs (three earned) on three hits with six walks and five strikeouts in 3.0 innings.

Pedro Avila attempted to be an innings eater, but he also wore it for five runs (three earned) in 4.0 innings.

Akron RubberDucks 7, Erie SeaWolves 8

RubberDucks fall to 31-29

Alex Mooney had an incredible game, going 4-for-4 with a home run and a double with two stolen bases (including home), but it wasn’t enough as Akron’s pitching had a rough day.

Jaison Chourio also continued his strong performance at Double-A, going 2-for-5 with a triple and a home run while Luke Hill also homered, his first since being promoted.

Dylan DeLucia got absolutely blistered for seven runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 2.2 innings pitched.

Matt Jachec, Alaska Abney and Adam Tulloch were excellent out of the bullpen, combining for 5.1 shutout innings with seven strikeouts. Carter Rusted then gave up a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth after Akron had tied it 7-7 in the top of the ninth.

Lake County Captains 6, West Michigan Whitecaps 5

Captains improve to 34-25

Lake County got some strong performances from its college bats as Dean Curley had a huge game, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a walk.

Nolan Schubart also homered, going 1-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs and Jace LaViolette went 2-for-4.

Starting pitcher Melkis Hernandez was extremely hittable on the day, giving up five runs on 11 hits with one strikeout and one walk in 3.1 innings.

The bullpen dominated the rest of the way, however, as Logan McGuire, Luis Flores and Connor Zsak combined for 5.2 innings of scoreless relief with seven strikeouts.

Hill City Howlers 3, Wilson Warbirds 7

Howlers fall to 28-32

No one had a multi-hit game or an extra-base hit for Hill City on Thursday, although the team drew several walks.

Dauri Fernandez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base while Yerlin Luis and Yaikel Mijares both went 1-for-2 with two walks, with Mijares also stealing a base.

Luis De La Cruz and Jhorvic Abreus also both walked twice.

Starting pitcher Joey Oakie had a rough day, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4.0 innings.

Chase Mobley was given a chance to piggyback with Oakie and he allowed two runs on two hits with two walks in just 1.0 inning of work.

Javi Torres and Eudry Alcantara were superb, both tossing 2.0 scoreless frames, but the damage had been done.

ACL Guardians 17, ACL Reds 6

Guardians improve to 19-12

The ACL Guardians are officially the most patient team I’ve ever seen. They scored 17 runs on just eight hits Thursday, largely in part to drawing a ridiculous 15 walks and getting hit by a pitch.

Alejandro Blasco continued his insanely scorching start to the season, going 2-for-3 with his third home run and a walk. He has a .600 batting average and a 2.194 OPS already through seven games.

Catching prospect Reiner Herrera also homered and walked twice while Pedro Dalmagro homered and walked.

Rodny Rosario went 1-for-2 with three whiles while Estivel Morillo went 1-for-3 with two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. Steven Cruz went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base and Angel Abreu walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Starting pitcher Edelvis Perez was tagged for six runs (five earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4.0 innings. A rehabbing Zach Jacobs tossed a scoreless inning and Alejandro Rivera finished off the game with 4.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn the win.

The Nationals’ West Coast trip was a successful one, taking 2 out of 3 in both series and bringing themselves back over .500, but the way the final game of the trip ended, it felt like a disaster. After entering the bottom of the 8th inning leading 9-1, the Nats surrendered 10 runs in the final 2 innings, capped off by a walkoff grand slam from DMV native Bryce Eldridge to give the Giants the 11-10 win. For the Giants, it was a much needed momentum swing, after being on the brink of another sweep in a lost season. For the Nats, it took the vibes around the organization from the highest they’ve been in years to a confusing middle ground.

The team the Nationals will look to get the good vibes back on track against is the Seattle Mariners, who come into this series with a record just above .500 at 36-34, but still good enough for first place in the AL West. Like most of the rest of the American League, the Mariners have stumbled somewhat out of the gate, but they still possess one of the strongest rosters in baseball, even with 2025 MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh on the Injured List.

Game One – Friday 6:45 PM EST

SEA: Bryce Miller (2-0, 1.33 ERA)

WSH: RHP Zach Littell (6-4, 4.76 ERA)

Game Two – Saturday 4:05 PM EST

SEA: RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.16 ERA)

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (304, 3.88 ERA)

Game Three – Sunday 1:35 PM EST

SEA: RHP Emerson Hancock (5-2, 2.74 ERA)

WSH: Miles Mikolas (1-5, 5.90 ERA)