Giants Have Throwback Prospect Starring in San Jose

Carlos Gutierrez is barely a San Francisco Giants Top 30 prospect, but he could be rising fast.

The left-handed hitting center fielder is the No. 29 prospect in the organization according to Baseball America. The publication highlighted him in its recent piece on 10 MLB prospects that caught their attention with their play in June.

It’s easy to see why the respected publication shined a spotlight on him.

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He’s been raking all season for Class-A San Jose, his first season with a full season affiliate. In his first 58 games he’s slashed .349/.444/.450 with an .899 OPS. He has two home runs and 26 RBI.

But his game is wrapped up in speed. He also has 10 doubles, four triples and 58 runs scored. He has a discerning eye at the plate, with 39 strikeouts against 36 walks. He also has 26 stolen bases and he’s only been caught three times.

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Gutierrez has drawn raves from player evaluators in the organization, including Giants farm director Kyle Haines, who spoke with Baseball America about the 20-year-old. He, for one, could see the 20-year-old from Mexico playing in a different era of the game.

“You could picture him playing on AstroTurf fields in the ’80s, hitting doubles and triples and stealing bases,” he said.

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Before this season, he steadily moved up the minor league ladder, beginning with a short season in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, shortly after he was signed to an international contract.

In 22 games, he slashed .359/.444/.462 with a .906 OPS. He didn’t have any home runs, but he had four doubles, two triples, drove in seven runs and stole 12 bases. He struck out just six times and walked 11 times.

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He played in only three games with the Arizona Complex League Giants last year, as he went 4-for-12 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. His MiLB.com page didn’t indicate why he missed the bulk of the season.

His profile doesn’t scream power. But he has the speed, glove and bat skills to one day patrol center field at Oracle Park. Plus, the new rules around the pitch clock and larger bases were made for a speedy player like him.

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