The Giants lacked a second and a fifth round pick after signing Willy Adames, so they used modest savings in the early rounds to pick up another couple of over slot high school arms later in the draft to provide some upside. Rather than focusing on power like many teams, the Giants targeted contact and up the middle defense with their early picks, headlined by two of the best contact hitters in the entire draft with their first two picks. They also continued a theme of raiding the Northeast, and after a third rounder out of Rutgers they picked up not one, not two, but three of their eighteen draft picks from Northeastern University.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-13: SS Gavin Kilen, Tennessee
Slot value: $5.52 million. Signing bonus: $5.25 million ($276,800 below slot value).
My rank: #13. MLB Pipeline: #21. Baseball America: #20.
While he may not be the toolsiest player in the first round, Gavin Kilen gives the Giants a legitimate big league bat with a high likelihood of holding down a regular spot in their lineup for years to come. A highly regarded prep prospect in Wisconsin, he could have gone in the top couple of rounds but instead made it to campus at Louisville, where by the time he was a sophomore he had established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the ACC, batting .330 and striking out just 9.4% of the time. He transferred to Tennessee for his junior season and took two separate, big steps forward with the bat to establish himself in the top half of the first round. Kilen is still a pure hitter first and foremost. He has excellent feel for the barrel that enables him to drop his hands to the ball and thwack it around the park, wasting very little movement in his simple, repeatable left handed swing. At Louisville, he was an aggressive hitter that knew he could make contact with most anything thrown his way, so he took advantage and rarely found himself going more than a few pitches into any count. That also meant that he walked just seven times in 54 games as a sophomore. Kilen rectified that in 2025, skyrocketing his walk rate from 3.0% all the way to 12.2% as he slashed his chase rate almost in half. The more patient approach also enabled him to tap his power more frequently, jumping from nine to fifteen home runs in 2025, though he did play in a more hitter-friendly park. Listed under six feet tall, his power is fringy and he'll likely never reach twenty home runs in a major league season, but his increasing ability to impact the ball was a big reason the Giants took him with their first pick. Kilen is an average runner with average defensive acumen, so he'll fit better at second base despite the Giants drafting him as a shortstop. There is a lot of Daniel Murphy in this profile.
Slot value: $5.52 million. Signing bonus: $5.25 million ($276,800 below slot value).
My rank: #13. MLB Pipeline: #21. Baseball America: #20.
While he may not be the toolsiest player in the first round, Gavin Kilen gives the Giants a legitimate big league bat with a high likelihood of holding down a regular spot in their lineup for years to come. A highly regarded prep prospect in Wisconsin, he could have gone in the top couple of rounds but instead made it to campus at Louisville, where by the time he was a sophomore he had established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the ACC, batting .330 and striking out just 9.4% of the time. He transferred to Tennessee for his junior season and took two separate, big steps forward with the bat to establish himself in the top half of the first round. Kilen is still a pure hitter first and foremost. He has excellent feel for the barrel that enables him to drop his hands to the ball and thwack it around the park, wasting very little movement in his simple, repeatable left handed swing. At Louisville, he was an aggressive hitter that knew he could make contact with most anything thrown his way, so he took advantage and rarely found himself going more than a few pitches into any count. That also meant that he walked just seven times in 54 games as a sophomore. Kilen rectified that in 2025, skyrocketing his walk rate from 3.0% all the way to 12.2% as he slashed his chase rate almost in half. The more patient approach also enabled him to tap his power more frequently, jumping from nine to fifteen home runs in 2025, though he did play in a more hitter-friendly park. Listed under six feet tall, his power is fringy and he'll likely never reach twenty home runs in a major league season, but his increasing ability to impact the ball was a big reason the Giants took him with their first pick. Kilen is an average runner with average defensive acumen, so he'll fit better at second base despite the Giants drafting him as a shortstop. There is a lot of Daniel Murphy in this profile.
3-85: OF Trevor Cohen, Rutgers
Slot value: $935,300. Signing bonus: $847,500 ($87,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
This was a big surprise pick to those outside the industry, as Trevor Cohen was not featured on many big public draft boards, but many smart analysts such as Joe Doyle and Brian Recca were all over him. A three year starter at Rutgers, Cohen holds a career .338 batting average and struck out just 62 times in 163 games, good for a ridiculous 8.0% strikeout rate. Those would be elite contact numbers for a player in their draft-eligible junior year, but to hold those numbers across three seasons including as a teenage freshman is absurd. In his draft eligible junior season, he hit .387/.460/.523 with a minuscule 5.5% strikeout rate, including .467/.545/.642 across thirty games in Big Ten play. Suffice to say, Cohen is an elite contact hitter. Listed at 6'1", he plays smaller than that with a crouched, compact stance leading to a compact left handed swing that ropes the ball from gap to gap with elite consistency. He's a patient hitter but makes so much contact that he doesn't often go deep enough in counts to draw walks, though he still walked twice as often (30) as he struck out (15) in 2025. Unsurprisingly, the drawback here is power, as the Jersey Shore product hit just four home runs in 163 games in New Brunswick, topping out with a career-high two in 2025. The swing is simply not geared to get the ball up over the fence, though he does work the gaps well and finished tied for sixth in all of NCAA Division I with 24 doubles in 57 games. There is above average speed in the profile that will give him a chance to play center field in pro ball, which of course helps the bat profile much better given the lack of power. While San Francisco does not have illusions of Cohen becoming a middle of the lineup force, this hefty investment above industry expectations indicates belief that he will provide enough impact to play every day or at least serve in a fourth outfielder role, where his on-base profile could lead to a Jason Tyner-like career. His biggest proponents of course will point to the one-of-a-kind Luis Arraez as well, though Cohen is a better defender.
Slot value: $935,300. Signing bonus: $847,500 ($87,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
This was a big surprise pick to those outside the industry, as Trevor Cohen was not featured on many big public draft boards, but many smart analysts such as Joe Doyle and Brian Recca were all over him. A three year starter at Rutgers, Cohen holds a career .338 batting average and struck out just 62 times in 163 games, good for a ridiculous 8.0% strikeout rate. Those would be elite contact numbers for a player in their draft-eligible junior year, but to hold those numbers across three seasons including as a teenage freshman is absurd. In his draft eligible junior season, he hit .387/.460/.523 with a minuscule 5.5% strikeout rate, including .467/.545/.642 across thirty games in Big Ten play. Suffice to say, Cohen is an elite contact hitter. Listed at 6'1", he plays smaller than that with a crouched, compact stance leading to a compact left handed swing that ropes the ball from gap to gap with elite consistency. He's a patient hitter but makes so much contact that he doesn't often go deep enough in counts to draw walks, though he still walked twice as often (30) as he struck out (15) in 2025. Unsurprisingly, the drawback here is power, as the Jersey Shore product hit just four home runs in 163 games in New Brunswick, topping out with a career-high two in 2025. The swing is simply not geared to get the ball up over the fence, though he does work the gaps well and finished tied for sixth in all of NCAA Division I with 24 doubles in 57 games. There is above average speed in the profile that will give him a chance to play center field in pro ball, which of course helps the bat profile much better given the lack of power. While San Francisco does not have illusions of Cohen becoming a middle of the lineup force, this hefty investment above industry expectations indicates belief that he will provide enough impact to play every day or at least serve in a fourth outfielder role, where his on-base profile could lead to a Jason Tyner-like career. His biggest proponents of course will point to the one-of-a-kind Luis Arraez as well, though Cohen is a better defender.
4-116: SS Lorenzo Meola, Stetson
Slot value: $654,700. Signing bonus: $652,200 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #183. Baseball America: #130.
Lorenzo Meola is another three year starter coming San Francisco's way. He locked down the shortstop position at Stetson from the get go, then improved each leg of his slash line each year from .283/.372/.422 as a freshman to .297/.393/.487 as a sophomore to .329/.406/.536 as a junior. He's a bit undersized at a listed 5'11", 170 pounds, but grades out well metrically with healthy chase rates, contact rates, and exit velocity data that point to a potential fringe-average hitter with fringe-average power. His simple right handed swing helps him stay on time and tap some modest power, though it's overall limited offensive upside. He struggled in a significant Cape Cod League sample last summer, slashing .162/.260/.279 with nearly a 30% strikeout rate, though scouts were happy with the adjustments he made in 2025. Meola stands out primarily for his glove. He moves well on the dirt, scooping up ground balls to both sides and showing great athleticism going back on flares in shallow left field. With an above average arm, he is certain to stick at shortstop in pro ball and could wind up a plus defender at the premium position. That kind of glove work takes significant pressure off the bat, to the point where he only really has to hit a little to move up the minor league rungs. The ultimate upside here is likely that of a utility infielder who can fill in at second base, shortstop, or third base with a glove that will improve the defense any day he steps out there. If he can get on base and keep finding some moderate impact, he has every day shortstop upside with the shot to reach double digit home runs and hit about .240 or .250 at peak. With his glove, that's plenty.
Slot value: $654,700. Signing bonus: $652,200 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #183. Baseball America: #130.
Lorenzo Meola is another three year starter coming San Francisco's way. He locked down the shortstop position at Stetson from the get go, then improved each leg of his slash line each year from .283/.372/.422 as a freshman to .297/.393/.487 as a sophomore to .329/.406/.536 as a junior. He's a bit undersized at a listed 5'11", 170 pounds, but grades out well metrically with healthy chase rates, contact rates, and exit velocity data that point to a potential fringe-average hitter with fringe-average power. His simple right handed swing helps him stay on time and tap some modest power, though it's overall limited offensive upside. He struggled in a significant Cape Cod League sample last summer, slashing .162/.260/.279 with nearly a 30% strikeout rate, though scouts were happy with the adjustments he made in 2025. Meola stands out primarily for his glove. He moves well on the dirt, scooping up ground balls to both sides and showing great athleticism going back on flares in shallow left field. With an above average arm, he is certain to stick at shortstop in pro ball and could wind up a plus defender at the premium position. That kind of glove work takes significant pressure off the bat, to the point where he only really has to hit a little to move up the minor league rungs. The ultimate upside here is likely that of a utility infielder who can fill in at second base, shortstop, or third base with a glove that will improve the defense any day he steps out there. If he can get on base and keep finding some moderate impact, he has every day shortstop upside with the shot to reach double digit home runs and hit about .240 or .250 at peak. With his glove, that's plenty.
7-206: RHP Cam Maldonado, Northeastern
Slot value: $289,900. Signing bonus: $287,400 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #194. Baseball America: #176.
Cam Maldonado has had an up and down college career, which at a smaller school can be tough to overcome, but the Giants believe he is just scratching the surface. He burst onto the scene as a freshman at Northeastern in 2023, when he took home Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors and was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. However, pitchers adjusted and he slumped for much of the 2024 season, but he turned it around late and continued the hot hitting with a solid run through the elite Cape Cod League (5 HR, .258/.357/.427) over the summer. That success carried over into 2025, where he looked like his hold self again matching the .351 batting average he initially posted while putting up career bests in home runs (15) and on-base percentage (.467). Maldonado has a setup at the plate that reminds me of fellow New Englander Matt Shaw, closing off his stance and channeling all of his power through his back him. That makes him a bit unique in that his best power actually comes to the opposite field rather than to the pull side, with the ability to consistently drive the ball over the right field fence even with wood. He has above average power overall and could potentially get to plus with a strong 6'3" frame and some room to get twitcher in the box. Contact has been up and down, running up to a 25.9% strikeout rate at Northeastern in 2024 and a similar K rate on the Cape, though he dropped it to 18.8% in 2025 as he got more patient at the plate. Still, the pure bat to ball is fringy and he has been particularly susceptible to quality breaking stuff. While he laid off it pretty well in 2025, he's making a jump in competition from the CAA to to pro ball and smart pitchers will continue to attack him with sliders and curveballs. Tapping into that above average power will be more of a challenge. Maldonado is also a plus runner who never stole fewer than 29 bases in a season at Northeastern, giving him a shot to play center field for the Giants. Fringy arm strength would limit him to left if he was pushed off of center, which would put pressure on the hit tool. Overall, the Connecticut native profiles as a fourth outfielder/platoon bat who could be a menace against left handed pitching while holding down center field. If he makes adjustments on offspeed stuff, the power/speed combo could make him an every day player.
Slot value: $289,900. Signing bonus: $287,400 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #194. Baseball America: #176.
Cam Maldonado has had an up and down college career, which at a smaller school can be tough to overcome, but the Giants believe he is just scratching the surface. He burst onto the scene as a freshman at Northeastern in 2023, when he took home Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors and was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. However, pitchers adjusted and he slumped for much of the 2024 season, but he turned it around late and continued the hot hitting with a solid run through the elite Cape Cod League (5 HR, .258/.357/.427) over the summer. That success carried over into 2025, where he looked like his hold self again matching the .351 batting average he initially posted while putting up career bests in home runs (15) and on-base percentage (.467). Maldonado has a setup at the plate that reminds me of fellow New Englander Matt Shaw, closing off his stance and channeling all of his power through his back him. That makes him a bit unique in that his best power actually comes to the opposite field rather than to the pull side, with the ability to consistently drive the ball over the right field fence even with wood. He has above average power overall and could potentially get to plus with a strong 6'3" frame and some room to get twitcher in the box. Contact has been up and down, running up to a 25.9% strikeout rate at Northeastern in 2024 and a similar K rate on the Cape, though he dropped it to 18.8% in 2025 as he got more patient at the plate. Still, the pure bat to ball is fringy and he has been particularly susceptible to quality breaking stuff. While he laid off it pretty well in 2025, he's making a jump in competition from the CAA to to pro ball and smart pitchers will continue to attack him with sliders and curveballs. Tapping into that above average power will be more of a challenge. Maldonado is also a plus runner who never stole fewer than 29 bases in a season at Northeastern, giving him a shot to play center field for the Giants. Fringy arm strength would limit him to left if he was pushed off of center, which would put pressure on the hit tool. Overall, the Connecticut native profiles as a fourth outfielder/platoon bat who could be a menace against left handed pitching while holding down center field. If he makes adjustments on offspeed stuff, the power/speed combo could make him an every day player.
9-266: RHP Reid Worley, Cherokee HS [GA]
Slot value: $204,400. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($543,100 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #142.
After going below slot value for their first six picks, the Giants cashed in a big chunk of those savings on ninth rounder Reid Worley, who signed for late third round money rather than stay local and attend Kennesaw State. While he has a ways to go to become a big league pitcher, Worley brings the "outlier" traits that teams look for in the draft these days. His fastball sits around 90, living more in the low 90's on his best days and touching 94 at peak, but it's a fringe-average pitch at this point. The real draw is a plus slider with massive spin rates and sharp, deep bend to dive under bats. The spin and movement metrics are hard to find and hard to teach, so San Francisco is jumping on the slider here and hoping the rest will come naturally. There's a changeup, but it's not used often. The North Georgia native uses a low three quarters slot that puts running action on his fastball and creates some flatter plane, though it can cause the slider to pop up out of his hand at times. He attacks the zone well for a high school arm, though his control is ahead of his command and he doesn't hit spots with precision yet. The 6'2" righty has some projection with a taller frame, but he's pretty skinny and needs to tack on significant strength if he wants to throw 150+ innings a year in the majors. Beyond the breaking ball, the Giants believe in Worley's athleticism and the deception created by his lower arm slot to build up the fastball and changeup and become a big league starting pitcher. You can teach the things he needs to work on and you can't teach the thing he does well. Worley is old for a high school draftee, having turned 19 before the draft.
Slot value: $204,400. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($543,100 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #142.
After going below slot value for their first six picks, the Giants cashed in a big chunk of those savings on ninth rounder Reid Worley, who signed for late third round money rather than stay local and attend Kennesaw State. While he has a ways to go to become a big league pitcher, Worley brings the "outlier" traits that teams look for in the draft these days. His fastball sits around 90, living more in the low 90's on his best days and touching 94 at peak, but it's a fringe-average pitch at this point. The real draw is a plus slider with massive spin rates and sharp, deep bend to dive under bats. The spin and movement metrics are hard to find and hard to teach, so San Francisco is jumping on the slider here and hoping the rest will come naturally. There's a changeup, but it's not used often. The North Georgia native uses a low three quarters slot that puts running action on his fastball and creates some flatter plane, though it can cause the slider to pop up out of his hand at times. He attacks the zone well for a high school arm, though his control is ahead of his command and he doesn't hit spots with precision yet. The 6'2" righty has some projection with a taller frame, but he's pretty skinny and needs to tack on significant strength if he wants to throw 150+ innings a year in the majors. Beyond the breaking ball, the Giants believe in Worley's athleticism and the deception created by his lower arm slot to build up the fastball and changeup and become a big league starting pitcher. You can teach the things he needs to work on and you can't teach the thing he does well. Worley is old for a high school draftee, having turned 19 before the draft.
17-506: RHP Luke Mensik, Lincoln-Way Central HS [IL]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $482,500 ($332,500 against slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
With the rest of their unused bonus pool money, the Giants handed seventeenth rounder Luke Mensik a fifth round bonus to head west rather than honor a Xavier commitment. Mensik doesn't have the loudest stuff or the most exciting profile, but it's a very balanced package at an extremely young age. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds, he looks plenty physical right now with more room to tack on good weight. He uses a simple, repeatable delivery to pound the strike zone with above average command for a high school arm, which combined with his build helps him pitch deep into games and hold his stuff. The fastball sits in the low 90's, topping out at 93, but he should unlock another tick or two as he matures. There is very good feel to spin a solid curveball and slider with two distinct looks, which he effectively works in and out to hitters. There is a changeup, too, giving him a full four pitch mix to only add to the starter projections. Mensik is extremely young for the class, having been 17 on draft day whereas fellow over slot high school arm Reid Worley had been 19 despite being part of the same graduating class. You'd be hard pressed to find another 17 year old (now 18) with that kind of polish and balance in his profile and get him for under half a million, so the Giants are banking on modest gains in his stuff helping him reach his ceiling as a back-end starter.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $482,500 ($332,500 against slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
With the rest of their unused bonus pool money, the Giants handed seventeenth rounder Luke Mensik a fifth round bonus to head west rather than honor a Xavier commitment. Mensik doesn't have the loudest stuff or the most exciting profile, but it's a very balanced package at an extremely young age. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds, he looks plenty physical right now with more room to tack on good weight. He uses a simple, repeatable delivery to pound the strike zone with above average command for a high school arm, which combined with his build helps him pitch deep into games and hold his stuff. The fastball sits in the low 90's, topping out at 93, but he should unlock another tick or two as he matures. There is very good feel to spin a solid curveball and slider with two distinct looks, which he effectively works in and out to hitters. There is a changeup, too, giving him a full four pitch mix to only add to the starter projections. Mensik is extremely young for the class, having been 17 on draft day whereas fellow over slot high school arm Reid Worley had been 19 despite being part of the same graduating class. You'd be hard pressed to find another 17 year old (now 18) with that kind of polish and balance in his profile and get him for under half a million, so the Giants are banking on modest gains in his stuff helping him reach his ceiling as a back-end starter.
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