The San Francisco Giants made moves at the 2026 MLB trade deadline as they started to embrace the idea of a restructuring.
One of those decisions is already providing a reason for optimism.
President of baseball operations, Buster Posey, made the deal to trade former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres in return for two prospects.
One of them is starting to turn heads and make a name for himself.
Right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez has really looked good at the Arizona Fall League. He is diplaying velocity and strikeout ability that could make him a significant part of the Giants’ future.
Miguel Mendez Impresses Against Former Teammates
MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra reported about Mendez and his showing on Saturday against his former Padres teammates.
Mendez was pitching for the Scottsdale Scorpions against the Peoria Javelinas. In the outing, the 24-year-old struck out five batters across three innings. He allowed one run on a solo home run.
Along with his stat line, his velocity was impressive as well. His fastball reached 98.2 mph during the outing. Several of his hardest pitches were used against players from his former organization.
Even though his fastball was exceptional, his slider may have been even more impressive.
Mendez recorded seven swings and misses on eight swings against the pitch. For a young player trying to develop consistency, he is truly performing well.
He is ranking among league leaders through his first three Arizona Fall League starts, by recording 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
Another very valid point that shows how well Mendez is doing is the fact that he was sidelined for a significant part of the regular season due to neck and shoulder injuries.
He only threw 51 2/3 innings all year. Thus, his time at the AFL is an important part of regaining valuable time lost.
Robbie Ray Trade Could Be Paying Off
On August 3, 2026, San Francisco traded Ray to San Diego for Mendez and a 17-year-old infielder, Joniel Hernandez.
This was a significant decision by Posey as Ray was one of the most dependable starting pitchers in the organization.
At the time he held a 10-6 record with a 3.08 ERA across 22 appearances, including 21 starts.
Given that the Giants had their own issues with pitching, it was apparent the team was looking beyond the very disappointing 2026 season.
When the trade occurred, Mendez was San Diego’s fourth-ranked prospect in the system, and Hernandez ranked ninth in the Padres system.
Posey knew that the Giants were approaching the reality of possibly losing Ray to free agency and instead moved him for two talented prospects.
The move is starting to look more and more interesting with Mendez’s progress. San Francisco needed pitching depth, and if he continues on this path, it looks as though they picked up a great young pitcher in the making.
There are still questions, and there will continue to be questions, around Mendez. He has always been used as a starter, but his arsenal could make him an effective bullpen option if he struggles to find a reliable third-choice pitch.
Regardless of whether he is a starter or a bullpen piece, he has the upside to bring value to the team.
Mendez Worth Watching in 2027
While it is fun to watch the young guns developing, Mendez isn’t ready to join the MLB team just yet. He will need to accelerate his development carefully. Coming back from an injury and limited time on the mound is not the time to mash the gas and end up injured.
San Francisco is facing some uncertainty surrounding its pitching in 2027. Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald, and others are still recovering from major elbow injuries.
Watching Mendez develop and him continuing on this path is particularly important right now.
It remains far too early to determine which organization will ultimately “win” the trade, but for now, San Francisco has to be happy with the upside they acquired.
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