In the latest stunning development amid one of the most disappointing Giants seasons in recent memory, president of baseball operations Buster Posey promoted outfield prospect Jonah Cox to the roster Sunday.

The Giants acquired Cox, 24, in a February 2024 trade that sent Ross Stripling to the A’s. After hitting .400 with Double-A Richmond this year, Cox entered Sunday’s game at Coors Field as a pinch runner and scored a run before doubling in his first at-bat.

Cox became the first Giant to skip Triple-A since Miguel Gomez nine years ago, and the 2026 club shares striking similarities with the 2017 team that lost 98 games. 

After calling up Bryce Eldridge — who had four doubles and a home run this weekend in Colorado — and Jesús Rodríguez in early May and adding Cox and Victor Bericoto to the roster in the last week, who else in the farm system could soon reach the big leagues? 

Here are five candidates, some of whom might be considered outside the box.

If the Giants wanted a pitcher to skip Triple-A, Whitman is the best bet. No player in the organization had a better May than the left-hander out of Kent State, who struck out 37 batters in 28 innings and allowed just three runs last month. 

It's also worth keeping an eye on lefty Matt Wilkinson, who was reportedly promoted to Triple-A Monday. Wilkinson arrived in the Patrick Bailey trade in May and dominated minor-league Double-A competition over nine starts across two organizations this year.