San Francisco Giants Top 20 Prospects
1. Gary Brown, OF, B/B+
Speed is Brown’s game and he certainly has a lot of it. He has leadoff hitter potential and will play a good centerfield. He won’t hit for much in the way of power, but he could collect some doubles and triples along with tons of steals.
2. Kyle Crick, RHP, B
Crick gives up too many walks at this stage, which prevents a higher ranking, but he does have number 2 starter upside if he refines secondary pitches and command. He does not have the kind of pure stuff of an ace, but he has the potential to be a solid contributor to a rotation at the next level.
3. Clayton Blackburn, RHP, B
Blackburn is an Oklahoma prep arm who may have been overlooked due to the likes of Archie Bradley, Dylan Bundy, and Michael Fulmer. Blackburn looks to be solid mid rotation type with good stuff and command, but still does not have the kind of ceiling as the other 3 mentioned.
4. Chris Stratton, RHP, B-
Stratton is a solid mid rotation type, who performed very well in college for Mississippi State. He has a four pitch mix at this stage with three of them having average or better potential and solid command. He was a good value at #20 in the 2012 draft.
5. Martin Agosta, RHP, C+
Agosta is an intriguing arm who could go many ways in pro ball. He has the stuff to remain a starter and be a mid rotation kind of guy, but he may be more valuable out of the pen where his fastball could play up, with the out pitch a back end reliever needs in his slider.
6. Joe Panik, SS, C+
Panik has a very good approach to playing the game and is more of a scrapper than anything else. He doesn’t have much power or speed, but he makes consistent contact and has some gap power. He isn’t spectacular at short, but is serviceable there.
7. Andrew Susac, C, C+
Susac does not have the kind of power that Joseph has, but he is a solid hitter with a better approach and good defense behind the plate.
8. Heath Hembree, RHP, C+
Hembree has stuff, and could be a back end reliever at the big league level with his big time fastball. He still needs some refinement, but has been better than his stats suggest this year.
9. Angel Villalona, 1B, C+
After getting out of jail and not playing professional baseball for 3 years, Villalona is raking in the DSL. He is way behind in the development process at this point, but if he can make it he has enormous potential, even as a first baseman.
10. Francisco Peguero, OF, C+ (Tools)
11. Joan Gregorio, RHP, C+ (large man, good stuff, projection, will take time)
12. Josh Osich, LHP, C+ (good stuff)
13. Mike Kickham, LHP, C+ (walks)
14. Ricky Oropesa, 1B, C+ (power!)
15. Bryce Bandilla, LHP, C+
16. Chris Heston, RHP, C+
17. Nick Noonan, SS, C+ (good hitter, average otherwise, solid defensively at short, could be a very good utility player)
18. Roger Kieschnick, OF, C+ (Nieuwenhuis type guy)
19. Derek Law, RHP, C+
20. Ehire Adrianza, SS, C/C+
21. Shawn Payne, OF, C/C+ (speed and walks, old)
Speed is Brown’s game and he certainly has a lot of it. He has leadoff hitter potential and will play a good centerfield. He won’t hit for much in the way of power, but he could collect some doubles and triples along with tons of steals.
2. Kyle Crick, RHP, B
Crick gives up too many walks at this stage, which prevents a higher ranking, but he does have number 2 starter upside if he refines secondary pitches and command. He does not have the kind of pure stuff of an ace, but he has the potential to be a solid contributor to a rotation at the next level.
3. Clayton Blackburn, RHP, B
Blackburn is an Oklahoma prep arm who may have been overlooked due to the likes of Archie Bradley, Dylan Bundy, and Michael Fulmer. Blackburn looks to be solid mid rotation type with good stuff and command, but still does not have the kind of ceiling as the other 3 mentioned.
4. Chris Stratton, RHP, B-
Stratton is a solid mid rotation type, who performed very well in college for Mississippi State. He has a four pitch mix at this stage with three of them having average or better potential and solid command. He was a good value at #20 in the 2012 draft.
5. Martin Agosta, RHP, C+
Agosta is an intriguing arm who could go many ways in pro ball. He has the stuff to remain a starter and be a mid rotation kind of guy, but he may be more valuable out of the pen where his fastball could play up, with the out pitch a back end reliever needs in his slider.
6. Joe Panik, SS, C+
Panik has a very good approach to playing the game and is more of a scrapper than anything else. He doesn’t have much power or speed, but he makes consistent contact and has some gap power. He isn’t spectacular at short, but is serviceable there.
7. Andrew Susac, C, C+
Susac does not have the kind of power that Joseph has, but he is a solid hitter with a better approach and good defense behind the plate.
8. Heath Hembree, RHP, C+
Hembree has stuff, and could be a back end reliever at the big league level with his big time fastball. He still needs some refinement, but has been better than his stats suggest this year.
9. Angel Villalona, 1B, C+
After getting out of jail and not playing professional baseball for 3 years, Villalona is raking in the DSL. He is way behind in the development process at this point, but if he can make it he has enormous potential, even as a first baseman.
10. Francisco Peguero, OF, C+ (Tools)
11. Joan Gregorio, RHP, C+ (large man, good stuff, projection, will take time)
12. Josh Osich, LHP, C+ (good stuff)
13. Mike Kickham, LHP, C+ (walks)
14. Ricky Oropesa, 1B, C+ (power!)
15. Bryce Bandilla, LHP, C+
16. Chris Heston, RHP, C+
17. Nick Noonan, SS, C+ (good hitter, average otherwise, solid defensively at short, could be a very good utility player)
18. Roger Kieschnick, OF, C+ (Nieuwenhuis type guy)
19. Derek Law, RHP, C+
20. Ehire Adrianza, SS, C/C+
21. Shawn Payne, OF, C/C+ (speed and walks, old)
2012 Draft Review: San Francisco Giants
Overall Draft Grade: C
There's a lot of college pitching here. Stratton is good value at 20, but after that, there's a bit of overkill in the college arm department. There's no hitting talent to speak of here and Williamson wasn't too highly regarded before the draft despite an interesting potential power/speed combination. None of the college arms have huge upside, and while SF certainly restocked their farm system with plenty of pitchers, none of them besides Stratton profile as anything more than Major League average.
1st Round (20): Chris Stratton, Mississippi State University, 6'3", 190
Stratton is very good value here and has the potential to be a good contributor to a rotation at the next level. He started the year as a reliever for the Bulldogs, but immediately solidified himself as a consistent, dominant starter after he was moved there early in the year. He throws four pitches, three of which have the potential to be average of better at the Major League level. His fastball sits in the low-90s and is complemented by a slider that will be an out pitch and a deceptive change-up. His workhorse build and strong present stuff give Stratton a good chance of finding a place near the front of a rotation.
There's a lot of college pitching here. Stratton is good value at 20, but after that, there's a bit of overkill in the college arm department. There's no hitting talent to speak of here and Williamson wasn't too highly regarded before the draft despite an interesting potential power/speed combination. None of the college arms have huge upside, and while SF certainly restocked their farm system with plenty of pitchers, none of them besides Stratton profile as anything more than Major League average.
1st Round (20): Chris Stratton, Mississippi State University, 6'3", 190
Stratton is very good value here and has the potential to be a good contributor to a rotation at the next level. He started the year as a reliever for the Bulldogs, but immediately solidified himself as a consistent, dominant starter after he was moved there early in the year. He throws four pitches, three of which have the potential to be average of better at the Major League level. His fastball sits in the low-90s and is complemented by a slider that will be an out pitch and a deceptive change-up. His workhorse build and strong present stuff give Stratton a good chance of finding a place near the front of a rotation.
2nd Round (84): Martin Agosta, RHP, St. Mary's (CA), 6'1", 180
Agosta has some durability concerns due to his relatively small stature, but he definitely has the stuff of a potential starter at the next level. His fastball sits in the low-90s with good movement and deception and he has a good feel both a hard curve and a cutter in the mid-80s. The cutter is a solid pitch that, with some improvement of his command, could be a weapon at the next level.
Agosta has some durability concerns due to his relatively small stature, but he definitely has the stuff of a potential starter at the next level. His fastball sits in the low-90s with good movement and deception and he has a good feel both a hard curve and a cutter in the mid-80s. The cutter is a solid pitch that, with some improvement of his command, could be a weapon at the next level.
3rd Round (115): Jonathan Williamson, OF, Wake Forest (SR), 6'4", 240, R/R
Williamson has shown a little bit of everything at Wake Forest and has shown flashes of every tool. He hit for power and stole some bases at Wake Forest and has a strong arm that profiles in right field at the next level. He didn't hit for a great average, and it looks like strikeouts will always be a part of his game, but Williamson is interesting here.
4th Round (148): Steven Okert, LHP, Oklahoma (JR), 6'3", 210
Okert established himself as the closer this year at Oklahoma and has done very well in that role. He's gotten some strikeouts with his power arsenal and fastball that has touched as high as 94, but walks are a concern and he doesn't appear to have the greatest command. Regardless, he's a prototypical power bullpen arm that is especially intriguing from the left side.
5th Round (178): Ty Blach, LHP, Creighton University (JR), 6'1", 210
Blach was projected to go around here and is a solid pitchability lefty with good command of his average stuff. His fastball sits in the low-90s and he complements it with a change-up and slider that he can locate.
6th Round (208): Stephen Johnson, RHP, St. Edward's University (JR), 6'4", 205
7th Round (238): Eduardo Encinosa, RHP, Miami University, 6'5", 225
8th Round (268): Joseph Kurrasch, LHP, Penn State University (JR), 6'0", 205
9th Round (298): Shilo McCall, OF, Piedra Vista HS (NM), 6'1", 210, R/R
10th Round (328): Trevor Brown, C, UCLA (JR), 6'2", 195, R/R
Williamson has shown a little bit of everything at Wake Forest and has shown flashes of every tool. He hit for power and stole some bases at Wake Forest and has a strong arm that profiles in right field at the next level. He didn't hit for a great average, and it looks like strikeouts will always be a part of his game, but Williamson is interesting here.
4th Round (148): Steven Okert, LHP, Oklahoma (JR), 6'3", 210
Okert established himself as the closer this year at Oklahoma and has done very well in that role. He's gotten some strikeouts with his power arsenal and fastball that has touched as high as 94, but walks are a concern and he doesn't appear to have the greatest command. Regardless, he's a prototypical power bullpen arm that is especially intriguing from the left side.
5th Round (178): Ty Blach, LHP, Creighton University (JR), 6'1", 210
Blach was projected to go around here and is a solid pitchability lefty with good command of his average stuff. His fastball sits in the low-90s and he complements it with a change-up and slider that he can locate.
6th Round (208): Stephen Johnson, RHP, St. Edward's University (JR), 6'4", 205
7th Round (238): Eduardo Encinosa, RHP, Miami University, 6'5", 225
8th Round (268): Joseph Kurrasch, LHP, Penn State University (JR), 6'0", 205
9th Round (298): Shilo McCall, OF, Piedra Vista HS (NM), 6'1", 210, R/R
10th Round (328): Trevor Brown, C, UCLA (JR), 6'2", 195, R/R
San Francisco Giants Draft Strategy: An Overview
College players seem to be the way the Giants go in the draft. In the previous four drafts the most high school products they have taken in the top ten rounds is four, with an average of two. With Brian Sabean still at the helm as the GM, currently the longest tenured GM in baseball, I would not expect to see any surprises out of the Giants this year, especially with their limited budget ($4.076 million to spread over 10 selections). Like we said in our mock, the Giants are still looking for their shortstop of the future and even after selecting Joe Panik last year with their first selection, he is scuffling in the hitter friendly California League, so if Marrero falls to them at 20, we do not believe they would hesitate to select him. This pick would both follow a trend and fill a need. Marrero falling is a big “if”, however, and the Giants would be lucky to take him off the board at 20.
The Giants have lots of pitching at the big league level that should hold up for a while, but after trading Zack Wheeler, their top pitching prospect, in the Carlos Beltran deal, they lost a little depth in their system. They have been quite pitching heavy in the past, taking pitchers with 14 out of their first 23 picks last year and 11 pitchers in the first 20 picks in 2010 and 2009.
Mock Draft Selection: Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State University
Coming Soon to the Giants Team Page: Top 20 Prospect List
The Giants have lots of pitching at the big league level that should hold up for a while, but after trading Zack Wheeler, their top pitching prospect, in the Carlos Beltran deal, they lost a little depth in their system. They have been quite pitching heavy in the past, taking pitchers with 14 out of their first 23 picks last year and 11 pitchers in the first 20 picks in 2010 and 2009.
Mock Draft Selection: Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State University
Coming Soon to the Giants Team Page: Top 20 Prospect List
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