Tanner Thach, the Giants Rnd 18 pick, has a famous relative. His great uncle is Hall of Fame pitcher “Catfish” Hunter. Thach was a long-time top high school prospect in North Carolina. Set to start his college career at UNC-Wilmington in several weeks. No chance he'll sign.
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Very, very unlikely the Giants have a shot at signing any of their last 3 picks (the 2 high schoolers & the age-eligible true sophomore from ASU). Seems likely 1 or 2 other guys from today (R11-R20) won't sign. Everybody from Day 1 & 2 will sign, meaning a 15- or 16-person class.
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Now almost certain that the Giants will take mostly older college players (with a focus on pitchers) today, during the final 10 rounds of the Draft. Any high schooler, or hi-upside younger college guy, they take will be "courtesy" picks that they know are unsignable.
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Giants R12 pick, Tyler Vogel, is a skinny & a bit undersized (6', 175) RHP who had a very successful season as Jacksonville's closer in 2022. He's a Covid Soph, so could be an iffy signing. Stop me if you've heard this b4, but he's got abv avg velo, but well below avg control.
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Giants R11 pick, RHP Sam Bower from St. Mary's College, isn't going to cost them > $125K to sign. Likely means the Giants don't have much, or any, $$$ left in bonus pool to pay an over slot bonus (> $125K) today.
Minutes away from the start of Day 3 of the 2022 Draft. We should find out early today whether the Giants were able to save enough of their bonus pool on under-slot signings to splurge on 1 or 2 hi-upside prospects today.
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Giants last 20 picks in rounds 1 - 10 (from the 2021 & '22 Drafts):
College pitchers = 16;
High school pitchers = 1;
College catcher = 1;
College OFers = 2.
That's 80% college pitchers. Definitely found a comfort level. Onus on the org's pitching development gurus/coaches.
Zach Morgan, the Fresno State catcher that the Giants took in Rnd 7, is the type of prospect that I was thinking of when I tweeted this morning that the best value on Day 2 for the Giants should be college position players. Really good value so late in the Draft. Scout report:
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I wonder if the Giants have a bowl in their Draft Room with pieces of paper that contain the names of all the college pitchers they like. Then, when it's their turn to draft, they close their eyes & pick a piece of paper out of the bowl.
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Except for the big over-slot pick of Eric Silva in Rnd 4, the Giants Day 2 here in 2022 looks like a spooky repeat of their 2021 Day 2. All but their R10 pick (a money-saving college senior OFer) were college pitchers with big arms/velo, but questions about control/durability.
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Damn! I was really hoping the Giants could nab Jalen Battles today. Went to TB just 2 picks b4 the Giants. Battles is a gifted defender at SS (true acrobat) with well abv avg power, but questionable hit tool. I see him as a close analog to Brandon Crawford when the Giants got him
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Will Kempner, the San Jose native & Gonzaga RHP, was on my wish list for the Giants today. Thought he'd be available in R4 or R5. Folks are saying he's a reliever from Day 1 as a pro, but I don't see Giants drafting him this hi if they don't plan to try him 1st as a SP. Unless...
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Available guys that top my Giants wish list here in Round 3:
Malcolm Moore:1B/C/DH - high school;
Gavin Kilen: SS/2B - HS;
Dom Keegan: 1B/C;
Riley Kelly: RHP - HS;
Kamren James: SS/3B;
Jalen Battles: SS;
Andrew Pintar: 2B/SS.
Giants likely need to pay between 0% & 5% above slot to sign both of their Day 1 picks (which they knew b4 they picked them). So, very unlikely we'll see them take a big over-slot high school stud in R3 or R4 (see: Kyle Harrison & Eric Silva).
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FanGraphs had the highest ranking on Carson Whisenhunt that I saw pre-Draft. They ranked him as the 18th best prospect. See the attached pic for their thumbnail scouting report on him. Don't be surprised if he has a better career than Crawford when it's all over.
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The Zaidi Giants have really gone nuts on pitching since the beginning of the 2021 Draft - especially college pitching. Sixteen of their last 22 picks are pitchers - including 13 college pitchers. 11 of last 12 picks in R1 thru R10 are pitchers - including 10 college pitchers.
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My best available for Giants at #66:
Brandon Sproat RHP;
Carson Whisenhunt LHP;
Judd Fabian (CF).
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Boom! There it is. Whisenhunt to the Giants at #66. Great value. Another injured arm, like Crawford, so the Giants continue the value play in 2022 Draft. Whisenhunt could have been a top 15 pick this yr if he'd had a clean & injury-free 2022 season.
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