Jonah Cox

Cox is up to 13 steals this year, which leads the Giants even though he’s played in just 53 games. He continues to lead off against lefties, as he did Wednesday against Matthew Liberatore. Due to the team’s injuries, he has hit in the top four spots of the order in every game dating back to September 5, mixing in starts at center field and second base. He’s making his case to be on the club’s Opening Day roster in 2027 and is a possible final-week streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper formats.

Cox has taken advantage of his opportunity with the rebuilding Giants, hitting .313 (15-for-48) with three homers and five steals in 18 games since returning from the minors on August 14. The unheralded 25-year-old rookie offers an interesting power and speed blend for fantasy purposes and should be rostered in deeper formats, especially since he appears poised to continue batting near the top of San Francisco’s lineup for the final three-plus weeks of the season.

Since Cox stole 58 bases in the minors last year and had 34 steals in 55 minor league games this year, you may think of him as just a speed threat, but he also has a 13 percent barrel rate and 43.6 percent hard-hit rate with the Giants this season. Since being recalled again on August 14th, Cox is hitting .302/.362/.581 in 16 games with three home runs, eight runs scored, seven RBI, and four steals. He has played his way out of a short-side platoon role at the moment and could be worth a look in deeper formats.

Cox homered in his 10th big-league game back in June, but that was off Carson Kelly in 16-3 game against the Cubs. This one came off Jake Bennett in the second. Cox, who could be looking at more playing time if Victor Bericoto goes on the IL, is batting .255/.255/.489 through 50 plate appearances. He’s struck out 26 times, but he has a .526 BABIP, which seems totally sustainable.

Cox hit .269/.269/.500 in 29 plate appearances with the Giants earlier this year and was raking to the tune of a .468/.519/.660 line in Sacramento after being sent down earlier this month. Presumably he’ll get more of a look in the bigs this time. The 25-year-old stole 21 bases in 55 minor-league games this year and could help out fantasy managers in that category.

Even though the Giants have been shedding position players, the team decided there was no room for Cox on the roster following his four-week absence due to a strained oblique. He was 7-for-26 with a homer and four steals before landing on the injured list.

Cox was having a really solid season in Triple-A and had hit .269/.269/.500 with one home run and four sterals in 29 plate appearances for the Giants this season. There’s no word yet on the severity of the oblique strain, but it should keep him out a month or more.

It’s not often that you see players make the jump right from Double-A to the big leagues, but Cox was lighting the world on fire there — slashing .400/.453/.644 with six homers, 35 RBI and 27 stolen bases — so they’ll see if any of that can carry over and help out a struggling Giants’ offense. If he somehow finds himself in an everyday role, his speed makes him an intriguing deep league addition from a fantasy perspective.