2010 Draft Review: San Francisco Giants
By The Baseball Beginnings Guy
September 11, 2010
The Giants like tools and college arms that are close to the big leagues. They did a nice job of balancing their two favorite things in this draft, and in the process, they’re looking for safe bets who might not become huge stars, but really good starters and complementary players. The Giants have Buster Posey, the face of the franchise, and they didn’t mess up that pick. He’s 23, so the time is now to build around him.
DRAFT STRATEGY: Speed, defense and pitching. Center fielders Gary Brown, Jarrett Parker and shortstop Carter Jurica all show speed, defense and a touch of pop. I’m willing to bet that the Giants think Parker or Brown have more power upside than I do, and if so, OK. I think Brown is a Gold Glove defender waiting to happen, a guy who can steal 30 bases. I wasn’t as sold offensively on Parker as I was on Brown, though I can see him as a big leaguer. Jurica I have not seen but the Giants think he has more pop than he gets credit for. Seth Rosin, anyone who reads this site knows I loved. The Giants see upside in right-hander Heath Hembree and left-hander Mike Kickham.
RISK/REWARD: Very little risk when you go so college heavy. The Giants have done well here, which means that they’re looking for college players that they think still have projection left. So they are gamblers – they just don’t want you to think they are. And McCovey Chronicle Readers – do us a solid and click around. We’re cool. Trust me. Thanks for stopping by, as always.
THE GUYS WHO GOT AWAY: I can’t find a guy that got away from them that really makes me want to kick myself.
GUYS WHO MIGHT SURPRISE: Outfielder Chuck Jones is a guy who has a chance to be a beast. He has the money tools of speed and power put around a young and strong athletic body. He was a high school guy who wasn’t huge on the radar, kind of a hit or miss contact guy at the 2009 Area Codes, but he had raw power if you were watching. And I know the Giants. I know they were.
IF I HAD MY PICK: Brown, though I like Jones and Rosin.
SUMMARY: Balance between position players with tools and pitching that needs polish but can help. You have to like the draft for what it is – kind of a hunt for complementary regular big leaguers. I would think that if the Giants think one player is going to pop into a cornerstone type, it would be the high school outfielder, Jones.
OLD SCHOOL SCOUTING GRADE: B
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