ASU OF Bishop selected 10th in MLB draft
Giants pick Sun Devil after stellar junior year
Arizona State outfielder Hunter Bishop was picked 10th by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the major league draft Monday.
Bishop, from Palo Alto, Calif., in the Bay area, is ASU’s highest draftee since Mike Leake went No. 8 overall to Cincinnati in 2009.
The 6-5 Bishop had a breakout junior season, hitting .344 with 22 home runs, 63 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He led ASU with a .757 slugging and .482 on-base percentages.
Through Sunday, when ASU’s season ended at the Baton Rouge regional, Bishop was ranked in the top 25 nationally in slugging percentage, home runs, total bases and runs.
“He deserves to be a first-rounder based on the merits of what he did this season,” ASU coach Tracy Smith said. “He does some pretty special things in the batter’s box.”
ESPN draft analyst Keith Law thinks Bishop, a left-handed hitter who played center field this season, will be a left fielder as a pro.
“I do think he’s going to hit enough and get on base enough for his power to play and be a productive, above average regular in the majors,” Law said. “But he is going to have to hit. I don’t think he’s going to provide enough value on defense or on the bases to make up for it if he doesn’t hit.
“I think he’ll put the ball in play enough and he certainly makes hard enough contact when he does so.”
ASU recent first-round draft picks
Bishop is ASU’s first first-rounder since shortstop Deven Marrero was taken 24th by Boston in 2012.
Two Pac-12 players also were selected in the top 10 of the first round – Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman went No. 1 to Baltimore and California first baseman Andrew Vaughn was taken No. 3 by the Chicago White Sox.
Arizona shortstop Cameron Cannon and third baseman Nick Quintana were taken within five picks of each other in the second round. The Red Sox selected Cannon at No. 43, while Quintana was taken by the Tigers at No. 47.
Other ASU players expected to be drafted include pitcher Alec Marsh, catcher Lyle Lin and outfielder Carter Aldrete. Other draftable Sun Devils include catcher Sam Ferri, outfielders Cole Austin and Myles Denson and pitchers Sam Romero and Chaz Montoya.
ASU had five players drafted year. last