How first draft under Zaidi, Holmes unfolded
The art of drafting high school and college players in baseball is not much different than looking at a block of marble and envisioning the artwork it can become.
Big-league evaluators who pore over videos, analytics and scouting reports are successful when they can predict which kids will convert their raw tools into consistent performance against the best in the game, or hit with more power when they grow into their bodies, or have the stuff and mechanics that will be able to fool and overpower big-league hitters.
The Giants were graded well for their first draft last week under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and amateur scouting director Michael Holmes. But grading a draft on the fly seems as silly as declaring a sculpture a masterpiece after the first 10 minutes of chiseling.
More relevant now is the makeup of a draft class, which offers insights into an organizational thought process.
The Giants selected 26 position players and 14 pitchers. Compare that to last year, John Barr’s final draft as scouting director, when they took 23 pitchers and 17 position players.
This year’s draft class includes 16 infielders who skew heavily toward shortstops, which is not unusual because they usually are the best athletes. The Giants also need to start thinking about Brandon Crawford’s successor.
The Giants selected 29 college players and 11 high schoolers, compared to 36 collegians and four high schoolers in 2018.
“I thought we actually had a nice blend of projection and some advanced guys,” Holmes said last week. “Obviously at the top, we took some college bats with some pedigree and performance who come from some major programs, so we look at those guys as able to handle the rigors of pro ball at a little more rapid pace.
“But we also got a nice blend of some projection upside young guys we’re willing to be patient with, like McCray, who have tools, ability and can impact the game on both sides of the ball but need to get some at-bats and garner reps.”
Holmes was referring to Grant McCray, a third-round pick from Lakewood Ranch High School in Florida, a center fielder the Giants selected after two hitters: Arizona State outfielder Hunter Bishop with the No. 10 overall pick and Louisville first baseman Logan Wyatt in the second round.
The skew toward bats reflected how the Giants viewed the strength of this draft class and organizational need.
After a long drought of getting top pitching prospects into the big-league rotation, the Giants have a promising pipeline, thanks to recent drafts, trades and international signings by the past administration.
Shaun Anderson has started well in the majors. Hollister native Conner Menez figures to be next. The 24-year-old lefty walked one, struck out nine and allowed two runs over five innings in his Triple-A debut Sunday.
Barr and Bobby Evans took college pitchers in the two rounds after they selected Joey Bart at No. 2 overall last year. Right-handers Sean Hjelle and Jake Wong are off to solid starts at Class A San Jose.
Holmes did not take a pitcher until the eighth round, Caleb Kilian, a right-hander from Texas Tech. Giants scouts saw him hit 96 mph in the Big 12 tournament.
“He commands three pitches for strikes, works down in the zone, has some athleticism and a lot of delivery to build on,” Holmes said. “We’re excited to see him as a starter and a guy that has a chance to advance fairly quickly.”
Now, though, the Giants understand they need bats to rise through the system, particularly those with power.
Bishop’s power surge as a junior was unmistakable. So was Armani Smith’s. The Martinez native and De La Salle-Concord alum’s slugging percentage soared from .382 as a sophomore to .631 as a junior at UC Santa Barbara.
Smith, who is expected to play outfield for the Giants, was taken in the seventh round.
“This year, he really had a jump as far as performance and he really improved his approach,” Holmes said. “His power started to play out. He’s a physical, strong kid. He profiles on the corners.
“We think he’s going to have power and there’s some that’s been untapped. I think Armani is a nice combination of present value and present ability with still some upside for a college kid, and he’s only 20 years old.”
Smith was one of several locals the Giants selected. Holmes said he likes to bring some local talent into the system.
The Giants used their 15th pick on ASU second baseman Carter Aldrete from Monterey, the nephew of former Giants utilityman Mike Aldrete; their 19th pick on pitcher Kanoa Pagan from Mission College in Santa Clara; and their 33nd on Fresno State second baseman Nolan Dempsey.
Dempsey’s grandfather, Cornelius “Con” Dempsey, was a pitcher for the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League and had a long postplaying career as a schoolteacher and coach in the city after he got his master’s in education at his alma mater, USF.