2018 Amateur Draft

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Winn, Keaton Iowa Western CC (IA) RHP R/R
we drafted him last year

Like Rivera, Winn is a JUCO J2. The Giants drafted him as a J1 last year, meaning he was just a freshman. Didn't sign as a 20th round pick. This year, as a 5th rounder, the Giants will definitely sign him. Again, like Rivera, probably slightly over the slot (~$400K).

Here's what I had on Winn last year (it wasn't much): "Keaton Winn, 20th rounder out of Iowa Western CC. Another JC freshman, so he's extremely young. Like Tostado, great projectable body. 6'4" 205. Seemed to be pitching a mixture of relief and spot starts. 10 K/9 in 50 innings. Hard to find info on some of these guys." 2017 MLB Draft

Sounds like Winn continued to pitch mainly in relief last season

 

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The Giants are leaning on pitching in this draft, which isn't surprising because this system really lacks depth in that area. I like what they've done so far. Hasn't blown me away, but it's by no means a bad draft

 

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From a Tiggers site.

Here are some of the top MLB draft prospects still available in Round 3


RHP Kumar Rocker

Rocker is a big-bodied righthander that many expected to be long gone by this point. He is the No. 23 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s draft board, and No. 29 on FanGraphs’ version. He is absolutely huge, at 6’5 and 250 pounds, and sports a fastball to match. He sits anywhere from 92-96 miles per hour with the heater, and can touch as high as 98 mph. His mechanics need a little work, but he’s a great athlete, and should be able to smooth out those inconsistencies with professional instruction. His slider is the better of two off-speed offerings, but as you might expect with a prep arm, both that and the changeup need work.

The issue here isn’t talent, but rather signability. Rocker reportedly wants a big payday to forego his commitment to Vanderbilt, and we might be past the point where any team can generate enough bonus money to woo him to the pros. Taking Rocker here would be a big risk, but after a night to negotiate, also an indication that the team is confident a deal will get done.

RHP Cole Wilcox
You could copy and paste most of Rocker’s profile here for Wilcox. Both are prep arms from Georgia — Wilcox out-dueled Rocker in a high-profile playoff game in May — and both can reach as high as 98 miles per hour. Wilcox isn’t build like a house, but still stands 6’5. His changeup is a bit better than his slider, but he has a good chance to develop a solid three-pitch mix. His delivery isn’t quite as smooth as some others, though, and there isn’t much physical projection remaining.

But also like Rocker, Wilcox is probably headed to school at this point. He is committed to Georgia, and was probably expecting a payday in the $3 million range after getting so much love throughout the draft cycle. But if the Tigers grab him, it means they think they can sign him.

RHP Tristan Beck
The industry is split on Beck, who missed significant time at Stanford this season due to injury. The draft-eligible sophomore had an excellent freshman season in 2016, but redshirted in 2017 after a stress fracture in his back. He has been solid this season, with a 2.98 ERA in 90 2⁄3 innings, but he only struck out 73 batters. Beck doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but sits 91-92 mph with the fastball and has an excellent changeup. He is the No. 35 prospect at MLB Pipeline, but No. 70 on FanGraphs because his “fastball is straight and doesn’t miss bats.”

OF Tristan Pompey
Few would have batted an eye if the Tigers had grabbed Pompey with their second round pick. He’s a big, athletic outfielder who should hit for both average and power, but isn’t as speedy as his brother Dalton, an outfielder in the Blue Jays system. Tristan is a switch hitter that has displayed some power and patience from both sides of the plate. He is the No. 51 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s board, but has dropped due to a recent injury (nothing serious, from what I gather) and an uptick in strikeouts. His defensive profile is likely limited to left field as well because of a below-average arm.

OF Mike Siani
A surefire center fielder at the next level, Siani is another prep player who will likely head to college. He stands a solid 6’1 and weighs 180 pounds, but scouts are worried about his ability to hit for power at the next level. He’s a bit raw at the plate in general, as there are some swing-and-miss issues at play too. Defensively, he’s a plus defender with a plus arm, and his plus speed will help him run down balls in the gaps. This gives him a relatively high floor as a prospect, but the issues with his bat and signability concerns left teams passing on him on Monday. He’s one that could boost his stock in a big way in college.

SS Nander de Sedas
de Sedas was considered a potential top overall pick once upon a time, but has seen his stock plummet over the past year. FanGraphs is concerned about his ability to handle premium velocity, and there were questions about his offensive profile even before this recent drop. He could be a true five-tool player if everything pans out, but he might be better off going to Florida State and jumping back into the draft pool in three years.

OF Kyle Isbel
Isbel is another college outfielder many would have liked as the Tigers’ second round pick. He is a plus runner with an average hit tool, and should hit for some power as well. He’s a well-rounded player who does a lot of things well, but doesn’t have the loud tools that would have gotten him drafted on Day 1. There are questions about his ability to stick in center field, and his value takes a hit if he has to move to a corner. It’s a fairly bland profile, but a safe one that should see him go early on Tuesday.

RHP Blaine Knight
Oh, great, another SEC righty, right? Not exactly. While Knight is a hard-throwing righthander who plies his trade in the Southeastern Conference, his command is a shade better than most of the arms the Tigers have grabbed in recent years. He went 11-0 and limited opponents to a 2.74 ERA for the Razorbacks this year, and walked just 22 batters in 95 1⁄3 innings (just over two batters per nine). He is razor-thin, at 6’3 and 165 pounds, but still ramps his fastball as high as 97 miles per hour. It sits a bit lower than that, though, and his off-speed stuff give him more of a back-end starter profile.

Rocker, Wilcox and de Sedas won't get drafted until after the 10th round, and they won't sign. They're going to college.

 

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Giants are about to pick again

 

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Giants go with their first High Schooler:

P.J. Hilson

5'10" 165 lbs. outfielder

Projects as a speed guy. Can also hit 94 on the mound

 

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[Hangman]

Hilson, Patrick Nettleton Senior HS (AR) OF R/R HS SR

Also was a pitcher who hit 94. Very fast but small at 5'10" 165 lbs for a pitcher. Raw hitter but has all the tools. Late riser

 

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The Giants announced him only as an OFer. Would have been cool if they tried the two-way

 

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Hilson is one of the youngest players in the draft. Still just 17 years old. The more I'm reading up on this pick, the more I'm intrigued. Should be a burner in CF no matter what. If he can hit, could be a nice find.

 

[calsnowskier]

Hilson is one of the youngest players in the draft. Still just 17 years old. The more I'm reading up on this pick, the more I'm intrigued. Should be a burner in CF no matter what. If he can hit, could be a nice find.

I wasn’t aware of him before now, but the write ups are certainly catching my attention.

Maybe another JCP? With Brown speed?

 

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Giants go back to the Puerto Rico baseball academy. Giants have taken some guys from there recently.

Edison Mora, a shortstop.

Haven't heard of him. MLB dot com analysis Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis doesn't have much at all on him, only saying that the Academy had a down year this year.

 

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I wasn’t aware of him before now, but the write ups are certainly catching my attention.

Maybe another JCP? With Brown speed?

Yeah actually Gary Brown was the first guy I thought of. Seems fair. Will be an interesting guy to follow

 

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Edison Mora, another real young draftee for this class

 

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I wasn’t aware of him before now, but the write ups are certainly catching my attention.

Maybe another JCP? With Brown speed?

Damn, just looking at the San Jose numbers for Brown again. I forgot how incredible that season was. Everything just trended in the wrong direction after that year. K% up, BB% down, ISO down, SB down

 

[tzill]

Some info on Wong from Fangraphs:

"Grand Canyon RHP Jake Wong was on the periphery of our preseason top 30, as scouts pegged him as a second- or third-round prospect entering the year. He dominated top-10-ranked TCU on Friday night, allowing two hits and two walks over six inning, striking out nine.

Wong was 94-96 in the first inning before settling into the 92-94 range, touching 95 here and there throughout the rest of his start. The fastball missed bats up above, and within, the strike zone and induced weak ground-ball contact when located down. It’s a plus fastball and easily Wong’s best pitch.

His secondaries were pretty generic. He has an upper-70s curveball that has some depth to it when located beneath the strike zone, but it lacks bite and he babies it into the zone when he wants to throw it for a strike. His changeup ranged from 84 to 89 mph. He has feel for locating it in competitive locales, and it occasionally has bat-missing movement, but it isn’t consistent right now.

Wong hides the ball well, and even an average changeup would play well with his fastball. It’s fair to project it there, and probably somewhat conservative, but the breaking ball just isn’t there right now. I’ll get several more looks at Wong throughout the spring, and scouts have seen average breaking balls from Wong in the past, but even with a dominant outing against a highly ranked foe in front of lots of heat, his stock hasn’t moved just yet.

Because spring training has begun and all the Arizona facilities are concentrated around Phoenix, lots of executives have the opportunity to see these early-season games without opportunity cost. It’s not as significant to “scout the scouts” at this time of year as it is closer to the draft. Notably, though, Dodgers president Andrew Friedman, manager Dave Roberts, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich, and Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer were all in attendance for Wong’s start."

Draft Notes from College Baseball’s Opening Weekend | FanGraphs Baseball

Wong reminds me a lot of Jason Bahr, who the Giants drafted last year. Big fastball, probably would play up in the Pen but has the makings of a starter so you try him out there first to see what he can do.

My understanding of his curve is that he's developed a 12-to-6 release this year and he's throwing it well in the upper 60s. He still has the 3/4 arm tighter curve described above, but he's not throwing it very much anymore. He needs to develop the change if he's going to be in the rotation. He projects right now as a bullpen arm with the 97 FB.

 

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My understanding of his curve is that he's developed a 12-to-6 release this year and he's throwing it well in the upper 60s. He still has the 3/4 arm tighter curve described above, but he's not throwing it very much anymore. He needs to develop the change if he's going to be in the rotation. He projects right now as a bullpen arm with the 97 FB.

That Fangraphs was a report from early February so it could be dated info

 

[Hangman]

Bates, Solomon USC (CA) RHP R/R 4YR JR

 

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Bates, Solomon USC (CA) RHP R/R 4YR JR

Was a starter and reliever at USC

 

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Looks much bigger than his listed 215 lbs.

 

[tzill]

He looks a little like Jerome Williams...to this day the best minor league pitcher i ever saw live.