First 5 rounds: Joey Bart (1-2), Sean Hjelle (2-45), Jake Wong (3-80), Blake Rivera (4-106), Keaton Winn (5-136)
Also notable: Patrick Hilson (6-166), David Villar (11-316), Matt Frisbee (15-436)
Although Pablo Sandoval hit the most unfortunate walk-off home run in Giants history to knock them out of getting the first overall pick, the Giants still got away with a fantastic selection in Joey Bart second overall. However, I think the rest of the draft is just decent, and while Bart is great, the farm system won't get as much of a jolt as perhaps it could have. This was a pitching-heavy draft that saw them take arms with four straight picks after the Bart selection, and many of the pitchers are more about upside than floor. Interesting side note: the Giants didn't draft a single left handed hitter or thrower until Bryce Tucker in the 14th round, then went until the Jacob Lopez in the 26th round before they drafted another (not counting switch hitting, right handed throwing 20th rounder Jett Manning).
1-2: C Joey Bart (my rank: 4)
I had Brady Singer and Matthew Liberatore ranked ahead of Bart, but not by much, and I absolutely won't fault the Giants for taking a guy with both an exceptional bat and high defensive value. The last time the Giants took a performing college catcher with a high pick, Florida State's Buster Posey turned out alright and caught for three World Series championships. Joey Bart, who like Posey grew up in Georgia, had a huge junior season at Georgia Tech, slashing .359/.471/.632 with 16 home runs and a 56/41 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games. He showed huge raw power with some long, long home runs, and he also cut his strikeout rate from 24% as a sophomore to 20.6% as a junior while bumping up his walk rate from 7.7% to 15.1%. The power is great, but when he coupled it with that improved plate discipline that had been a major sticking point for him, it shot him up draft boards. The strikeout rate is still high and is probably his biggest weakness, and it could be drawn from the fact that he is fairly slow in getting his hands going. Once they're going though, it's a clean swing with plenty of loft and power. On defense, he has evolved from a fringy receiver to one who could not only stick behind the plate but excel there, showing a great arm, good receiving and blocking skills, and all of the leadership qualities and intangibles that come with being a catcher. If he can cut his strikeout rates further, he could be the next Buster Posey. He signed for just over $7 million, coming in at $469,600 below slot. He began his pro career in the rookie level Arizona League, where he slashed .261/.320/.391 with a 7/1 strikeout to walk ratio over six games, but he really took off upon a promotion to the short season Northwest League, slashing .310/.356/.857 with seven home runs and a 10/1 strikeout to walk ratio over 10 games.
2-45: RHP Sean Hjelle (my rank: 46)
Hjelle (pronounced "jelly") was considered a fringe-first round pick at the outset of the season, and while he didn't take any steps backward, he fell back a few spots in the draft because he didn't really take a step forward either. The Kentucky ace, finished his junior year 7-4 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, striking out 91 and walking 22 in 99 innings for the Wildcats. The first thing you notice about Hjelle is his size; at 6'11", he'll tie Jon Rauch for the tallest player in major league history if he gets that far, and at just 225 pounds, he's a string bean. Despite his size, he's very athletic and coordinated, and he commands his pitches well too. The stuff is nothing really special on its own, as his fastball sits in the low 90's, the curveball shows good break and sharpness, and the changeup is just good, but it all plays up because it seems like he's letting go of the ball right in front of you with those long arms. His height also creates good downhill plane, and because he can command it all, he gets his share of swings and misses. He projects as a #4 starter, and while there is always the durability risk for skyscrapers like Hjelle, he has been durable so far and is more like Chris Young than Randy Johnson in that he gets by on pitchability rather than stuff. He signed for $1.5 million, which is $87,600 below slot, and he has allowed one run on four hits and no walks through four innings in the Northwest League, striking out two.
3-80: RHP Jake Wong (my rank: 101)
Wong is a right handed pitcher out of Grand Canyon University who had a breakout year this year, going 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and an 88/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 89.2 innings. That came on the heels of a very strong Cape Cod League performance, albeit as a reliever, where he posted a 2.66 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and a 22/3 strikeout to walk ratio over 20 innings last summer. The 6'2" hurler sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, though the rest of his game needs work. His slider is good when it's on but it can also flatten out at times, and his changeup is also good-not-great. While a lot of guys can make an arsenal like that play up with other factors, Wong lacks deception and has average command, leading me to think he'd be better off in the bullpen where his fastball could sit in the mid 90's and his slider could sharpen. If developed right, though, he does have mid-rotation upside. He signed for $850,000, which is $111,300 above slot, and he has allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts through 5.1 innings in the Northwest League.
4-106: RHP Blake Rivera (unranked)
Rivera was the last one out of my rankings, coming in at #111 before I cut the list off at 110. I couldn't find any video on him either before or after the draft, but he's a 6'4" right handed pitcher out of Wallace State Community College in Alabama, the same school that produced Craig Kimbrel. Rivera has high upside, as he throws his fastball in the low 90's while also showing a very good curveball. His changeup is a bit behind, as is his control, but he does have a smooth delivery and scouts think they can improve that control. There is plenty of arm strength here and if he can get more consistent, he does have a chance to start. He signed for $800,000, which is $271,800 over slot, and he has allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and three walks over 3.1 innings in the Northwest League, striking out three.
Others: 5th rounder Keaton Winn is another 6'4" JuCo right handed pitcher, coming from Iowa Western Community College. He doesn't throw quite as hard as Rivera, sitting closer to 90 with his running fastball, and his slider has good break down and away from righties. While his stuff isn't quite as electric as Rivera's, he does have a better chance to start with a fairly easy delivery, though he'll have to add a changeup to do so. 6th rounder Patrick Hilson is an outfielder from high school out in Jonesboro, Arkansas, showing some athleticism and power despite being just 5'10". He's understandably raw, coming from a less traditional baseball area in the Mississippi Delta, but he has some upside. 11th rounder David Villar got better and better with each of his three seasons at the University of South Florida, finishing it off this year by slashing .374/.463/.648 with 12 home runs and a 58/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. While he features big power and plenty of loud contact from the right side of the plate, he also strikes out a fair amount (21.5% this year), and he'll have to prove he can translate his success to the pros. As of now, he's a third baseman, and he has a shot at sticking there. If he can make the necessary adjustments at the plate and acclimate his bat to pro pitching, he could be a steal in the eleventh round. 15th rounder Matt Frisbee will be great at selling jerseys if he makes it to the majors (though probably not as great as Seth Beer or Travis Swaggerty), coming from UNC-Greensboro. This year, he went 10-2 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, striking out 116 and walking just 23 in 91 innings for a surprisingly good Spartans team. The 6'5" righty throws in the low to mid 90's but can hit 97 in short spurts and still command it, though he'll need to work on his secondaries to cut it in pro ball. He's likely a reliever.
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