First 5 rounds: Heliot Ramos (1-19), Jacob Gonzalez (2-58), Seth Corry (3-96), Garrett Cave (4-126), Jason Bahr (5-156)
Also notable: Bryce Johnson (6-186), John Gavin (8-246), Rob Calabrese (10-306), Doug Still (11-336), Orlando Garcia (15-456)
In my opinion, the Giants came away with a pretty unexciting draft haul. There is some upside here, but early in the draft, there were better options available when they made their selections. Ultimately, the Ramos selection will make or break this draft, because if he pans out, it will be a lot easier to swallow what I see as reaches with Gonzalez and Corry. Interestingly, though their first three picks were high schoolers, the Giants took 30 consecutive college or junior college players in rounds four through 33.
1-19: OF Heliot Ramos (my rank: 37)
Ramos was difficult to evaluate due to the lack of recent public video, but he is one of the biggest wild cards in this draft when it comes to his on-field projection. Not turning 18 until September, he is one of the youngest players in the class, and he had some of the most helium in the class as well. He showcases the loud tools scouts love, including easy plus speed and power, and he has the ceiling of a Carlos Beltran or Alfonso Soriano dual-threat player. As one would expect from a 17 year old Puerto Rican, he is also extremely raw, and his approach at the plate needs significant refinement before he is ready to face higher level competition. He has a simple, quick swing, so his refinement going forward is going to be much more about adjusting to higher levels than it will be about mechanics. Ramos signed for just over $3.1 million, at slot for the 19th pick.
2-58: 1B/3B Jacob Gonzalez (my rank: 146)
The son of former World Series hero Luis Gonzalez, Jacob is a power high school bat from Arizona. Gonzalez could easily hit 30 home runs in the majors, but he'll have to significantly improve his contact, which is below average at this point. His swing mechanics can be inconsistent and swing and miss has been an issue even at the high school level, and as a likely first baseman or left fielder, the pressure will be on his bat. He's also somewhat old for his class, having turned 19 in June. Gonzalez signed for $950,000, which is $171,300 below slot.
3-96: LHP Seth Corry (my rank: 123)
A third straight high schooler and in my opinion, at least a second straight reach, Corry struggles with command but can sit in the low 90's with a straight fastball and a good curveball. While the fastball/curveball package is a good one despite the lack of life on his fastball, the fact that Corry can't command the fastball and the fact that he has trouble repeating his delivery lead some evaluators to think he's best off in the bullpen, where he can run his fastball into the mid 90's and won't have to worry about a changeup. He's a 6'2" lefty, which is a plus, but he's a risky pick. Corry signed for $1 million, which is $441,500 above slot.
4-126: RHP Garrett Cave (my rank: 99)
Coming from DII Tampa, Cave is an interesting arm to say the least. In relief, he can run his fastball into the upper 90's with a power slider, though the fastball, like Corry's, is straight and he can't command it. He has a chance to be a fast mover and reach the majors as a bullpen arm quickly as long as he can throw the ball somewhere near the strike zone, but the Giants could choose to make him a starter and pray they can fix his command. He has done a good job of maintaining mid 90's velocity even as a starter. Cave signed for $417,200, at slot for the 126th pick.
5-156: RHP Jason Bahr (unranked)
Who doesn't like a fun success story? Bahr didn't get to pitch in 2014, made just one appearance in 2015, and was cut from the University of Central Florida baseball team for the 2016 season. Pitching well over the summer, new head coach Greg Lovelady picked him back up and stuck him on the UCF pitching staff for the 2017 season, and Bahr shined. Over 24 games (five starts), the 6'5" righty went 0-2 with a 2.97 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 60.2 innings. He sits 93-94 in relief and commands it well enough, though his secondaries will need significant work if he wants to reach the majors. Bahr signed for $250,000, which is $60,800 below slot.
Others: 6th rounder Bryce Johnson was a three year starter at Sam Houston State, where he made a name for himself with his advanced approach at the plate, plus speed, and plus defense in center field. He has almost no power, but he was a consistent performer all three years in Huntsville, slashing .338/.418/.409 with three home runs and 69 stolen bases in 184 games. He had his best year as a junior this year, slashing .350/.453/.433 with 33 stolen bases, and he profiles best as a fourth outfielder going forward but with a chance to be Denard Span or Ben Revere. 8th rounder John Gavin was a three year performer at Cal State Fullerton, finishing a successful career 21-8 with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 53 games (48 starts). The 6'6" lefty sits around 90 with his fastball and has below average secondaries, leaving him very little margin for error, but he commands everything well and is extremely durable, giving him a chance to be a back-end starter. 10th rounder Rob Calabrese was the star of the University of Illinois-Chicago's offense this year, slashing .353/.425/.583 with eight home runs in 56 games, striking out in just 10.7% of his at bats. As a catcher, the pressure will be more on his glove than his bat, and he could hit his way into a back-up catcher's role. 11th rounder Doug Still burst onto the scene at Missouri State as a transfer from Jefferson College, going 8-3 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in his first season in Division I baseball, striking out 89 and walking 27 in 103 innings. Missouri State has produced a lot of great pitching in the past, including Ross Detwiler, Brad Ziegler, Shaun Marcum, and Jon Harris, and Still could work his way up as a durable lefty. 15th rounder Orlando Garcia improved every year at Texas Tech, finishing with a solid junior year in which he slashed .305/.386/.550 with 13 home runs in 59 games, and he's a great defender who can stick at shortstop in pro ball. Plate discipline is one thing holding him back, as he struck out in 24.5% of his plate appearances and walked in just 10.3%. He could be a utility man down the line.
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