The Giants took the best pitcher available in the draft with their #4 pick. It's a smart choice. And he's a local boy: born in Walnut Creek, went to Foothill HS in Pleasanton, pitched for UC Santa Barbara. There's a lot to like here. He's a big guy (6-5, 205) in a well-established NCAA pitching program. He went 12-0 in 16 starts for the Gauchos with a ridiculous 1.06 ERA (only 55 hits in 102 IP with 133 K). He's the real deal.
There are no sure things, of course. But this is the best the Giants could have done. He's the consensus #1 amateur pitcher in the nation. No one knows how it will all play out but it is certainly exciting to get a young, live arm who is also a polished pitcher. He apparently can hit 100 mph.
In the meantime the Giants lost a stinker on Friday but pulled out a nice win today.
The Giants picked a HS southpaw from South Carolina named Carson Bolemon with the #29 pick. With the #55 pick they took another HS pitcher, Florida righty Kaden Waechter. And with the #90 pick they nabbed Rutgers OF Peyton Bonds, nephew of you-know-who. His dad is Bobby Lee Bonds, Jr. (brother of Barry), who played pro ball for eleven years but never made the majors.
I have to say I'm happy. There was a lot of talk about the Giants getting Flora because three players (UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky, Texas Christian HS SS Grady Emerson, and Georgia Tech C Vahn Lackey) were considered the best prospects overall and were expected to go right away. The Rangers took a HS lefty with the #16 pick and the Guardians took a college righty at #19. They were the only other pitchers in the top 20.
Trevor McDonald gets the final start (1:05 PT) before the Break.
Go Giants!
--M.C.
2 comments:
With pick #118 the Giants took Hofstra RHP Carlos Martinez.
They get the #150 pick tomorrow.
#150 Luke Nixon 2B, NC State
#179 Eric Nachtsheim RHP, McNeese State
#208 Beau Bryans LHP, Jacksonville State
#238 Cody Brasch RHP, Lousiana-Lafayette
#268 Mike Mancini 2B, Vanderbilt
There are 11 more picks, round 10-20, but those guys are literally "off the charts."
After taking the two HS pitchers with picks 29 and 55 they hedged their bets and loaded up on college arms.
College players are less of a risk: they typically have a higher chance of making MLB and getting playing time.
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