2024 Draft

[LHG]

Jordan is a very athletic power hitter with questionable defense. He is fast, but has not shown good base running ability. He has a slightly above average arm for the OF. He is a sophomore, so signability may be an issue.

Oh wow. I was reading about him this morning. There was some talk about him being a late first rounder so the opinion of the author was that he'd go in the 2nd round. I guess the defense plus the signability issue pushed him fro 2nd round to 4th round territory.
So if he is signed, then FZ looks like a crafty tactician, but if does not sign, then FZ looks dump for wasting a pick after not having a pick for 2 rounds.
Personally, seems like a really risky move. I would think getting someone more of a sure fire signing would have been better. Remember, the Giants have the lowest budget for all 30 teams drafting so its not like they've banked up a bunch of money by having to skip drafting in 2 rounds.

 

[tzill]

Lefty slugger, smart move to try to draft those (because signing them is pretty much impossible)

I'm not sure hes a "slugger" so much as he's a "hitter"

We'll see.

 

[tzill]

Oh wow. I was reading about him this morning. There was some talk about him being a late first rounder so the opinion of the author was that he'd go in the 2nd round. I guess the defense plus the signability issue pushed him fro 2nd round to 4th round territory.
So if he is signed, then FZ looks like a crafty tactician, but if does not sign, then FZ looks dump for wasting a pick after not having a pick for 2 rounds.
Personally, seems like a really risky move. I would think getting someone more of a sure fire signing would have been better. Remember, the Giants have the lowest budget for all 30 teams drafting so its not like they've banked up a bunch of money by having to skip drafting in 2 rounds.

Those two things are related though...lower pool BECAUSE they lost two picks. Also, I'd be pretty surprised if FZ doesn't have a pretty good idea that the kid will sign.

 

[LHG]

Those two things are related though...lower pool BECAUSE they lost two picks. Also, I'd be pretty surprised if FZ doesn't have a pretty good idea that the kid will sign.

Yes, my point was that they don't have extra laying around because they didn't (couldn't) draft in those two rounds. I think most of us would get that but wanted to clarify in case someone assumed, "hey we got 2nd and 3rd round money just lying around!"
Maybe FZ does have a pretty good idea but why would he drop so far if he was willing to sign? Does FZ have some information 29 other GMs/VPs didn't have?

 

[LHG]

So far, the Giants have drafted:
3 pitchers
0 catchers
2 infielders
3 outfielders (And yes, I know that is hardly a marker for what positions that they will play as pros)

0 high schoolers
1 college sophomore
4 college juniors
3 college seniors

I assume that there will be some high schoolers towards the end of the draft but it is interesting that none were picked by the Giants in day one or two. Maybe that is mostly due to not having picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

 

[LHG]

MLB.com write up on Hudson:
"One of the best prep athletes in the 2022 Draft, Jordan went unselected because he planned on playing baseball and football at Mississippi State. The three-star wide receiver recruit wound up giving up the gridiron and handled the rugged Southeastern Conference well, batting .336 and bashing 30 homers in two seasons. He has improved faster than scouts expected and could factor into the first round this July as a sophomore-eligible. Jordan may have more bat speed than anyone in the 2024 Draft, and his lightning-fast right-handed swing and strength produce huge exit velocities and at least plus power to all fields. He made strides with his pitch recognition and plate discipline as a freshman, inspiring confidence that his pop will translate at higher levels. He still needs to prove he can make consistent contact, because he swings through fastballs and chases breaking balls, weaknesses that contributed to a 29 percent strikeout rate this spring.While Jordan has at least plus speed and may have plus-plus straight-line quickness, he's still learning how to make the most of it. He's not aggressive on the bases and is shaky in the outfield, where he spent most of his freshman year in left. His arm has gotten a little stronger since high school and now grades as average."

Christian:
"Christian spent the first two years of his college career mashing at Division II Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, finishing second in the nation with 28 home runs in 2023. He showed it was no fluke by moving to nearby Division I San Diego and hitting 26 more homers and finishing with a 1.288 OPS. Christian earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors, helped by hitting .420 and slugging .970 in conference play and putting him firmly on the Day 2 Draft map. A massive presence with his 6-foot-5 frame from the right side of the plate, there's little question that Christian has plus strength and a ton of raw power to tap into. Questions start to come in regarding whether he'll hit enough to get to that power consistently in games at the next level. He absolutely punishes fastballs, but he has a bit of a grooved swing and some scouts worry about his pitch recognition as he struggled with spin. Even believers recognize it will likely be a power over hit profile. A strong and physical athlete, Christian worked hard on his outfield play, and there's confidence he'll be fine in right field, with enough arm for the outfield corner. He does have experience at first base to add some versatility to his resume, but teams considering taking him in the top 10 rounds will be looking past his lack of resume against good competition and believing he'll be able to use that power as a professional hitter."

And Hipwell:
"Santa Clara University's best player was outfielder Randy Winn, and he's also the last position player to be taken in the top five rounds from the school, a third-round selection back in 1995. When Hipwell jumped into the starting lineup during his sophomore year in 2023 and posted a 1.206 OPS, there was anticipation in Northern California that the Broncos could have another early-round bat on their hands. That excitement was tempered when Hipwell was suspended and missed the first chunk of the season, though he did return in mid-April to try and answer questions about his tools and makeup. At his best, Hipwell can do some serious damage from the left side of the plate, and he was back to showing off some impressive offensive qualities after his suspension. He has quality at-bats with a solid approach, drawing tons of walks and working counts so he can do more damage. He has an ability to drive the ball to all fields and has routinely registered high exit velocities. Where Hipwell plays defensively remains a question. He's played both infield corners at Santa Clara, and his strong arm would profile very well at the hot corner, where some thought he could play long term. He seemed slow-footed and stiff upon his return, with scouts wanting to see if he could return to form as he gets more reps. Assuming concerns about the suspension can be answered, there's a belief Hipwell can hit, perhaps with first base or left field as a future defensive home."

 

[LHG]

Seems like we've got a bunch of 1st base-leftfielders so far (with one guy possibly playing right field).

 

[Stokes1931]

Seems like we've got a bunch of 1st base-leftfielders so far (with one guy possibly playing right field).

Maybe FZ got tired or bored of looking for light hitting middle infielders?

 

[LHG]

Maybe FZ got tired or bored of looking for light hitting middle infielders?

 

[msgkings322]

 

[tzill]

Yes, my point was that they don't have extra laying around because they didn't (couldn't) draft in those two rounds. I think most of us would get that but wanted to clarify in case someone assumed, "hey we got 2nd and 3rd round money just lying around!"
Maybe FZ does have a pretty good idea but why would he drop so far if he was willing to sign? Does FZ have some information 29 other GMs/VPs didn't have?

Maybe they've talked to him and his agents?

 

[tzill]

Seems like we've got a bunch of 1st base-leftfielders so far (with one guy possibly playing right field).

I think Trip is headed for DH.

 

[LHG]

I think Trip is headed for DH.

They may all be headed for the DH, except that is not where the Giants will start any of them in the minor leagues. I'm thinking about more that all of these guys I'm reading about have some serious defensive liabilities, except for maybe Christian.

 

[calsnowskier]

They may all be headed for the DH, except that is not where the Giants will start any of them in the minor leagues. I'm thinking about more that all of these guys I'm reading about have some serious defensive liabilities, except for maybe Christian.

Christian looks to a ++ defense first SS.

 

[LHG]

Christian looks to a ++ defense first SS.

Is that you, FZ?

 

[calsnowskier]

Is that you, FZ?

Oh shit!

Susac, get the car started! We need to get out of here!

 

[tzill]

Oh shit!

Susac, get the car started! We need to get out of here!

Pipe down, all of us!!

NO DOXXING!

 

[calsnowskier]

Giants took a HS kid in the 11th. This is significant because rounds 11+ have different rules regarding the pool money. Theoretically, kids picked in the 11th are real lotto picks.

 

[calsnowskier]

Per the MLB rankings, the Giants got the #151 prospect in the 12th and #199 in the 14th

 

[LHG]

Per the MLB rankings, the Giants got the #151 prospect in the 12th and #199 in the 14th

Darby (14th):
"While Santa Barbara has earned a well-deserved reputation for producing prospects on the mound who really know how to pitch, it hasn't had a position player get taken in the top three rounds since Chris Valaika was a third-rounder back in 2006. Darby, coming off a solid sophomore season for the Gauchos and a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, had the chance to break that dry spell, but an inconsistent spring has hurt his stock. A left-handed-hitting infielder, Darby makes a ton of contact. He doesn't chase much and has posted high zone-contact rates along with good exit velocities, which should stand out for the data inclined, and he did the same with a wood bat on the Cape, though his miss and chase rates did creep up in his junior season. He can get a little pull-happy and could be an even better hitter if he can use the entire field more consistently. He'll show off big raw power in batting practice to all fields, but it's yet to show up in games much. A solid average runner who is better underway, Darby had worked to improve his defense and lower his center of gravity at third base, rather than mostly bending at the waist. He's moved over to first base for most of the spring, which puts even more pressure on his bat."
Jenkins (16th):
"The group of college hitters who have hit 20-plus homers in two straight seasons is a select one, a list that includes future first-round picks Charlie Condon, Jac Caglianone, Nick Kurtz and Tommy White. Jenkins is a lesser known member of the fraternity, having mashed 21 homers for Maine as a sophomore in 2023 and 22 more dingers this spring to earn him first-team All-America East Conference honors for the second year in a row. A big, 6-foot-4 left-handed first baseman, Jenkins puts up the kind of numbers, with good analytics underneath, that teams that value college performance are bound to look at. He does it with a lot of funkiness in his swing, using an unorthodox upright setup with low hands. But while no one would teach those kinds of mechanics, he makes a ton of contact and is really fast out front. He also has good strike zone knowledge and draws walks, helping him tap into his plus-plus raw power. It's mostly classic pull power with loft to right field, the kind of thing current team models like, though he does struggle more against spin. Because of his size and lack of speed, Jenkins is definitely a first baseman only, but he's a solid defender there with an average arm. Teams that think what Jenkins does will work at the next level will certainly consider the power potential that profiles well at the infield corner at some point on Day 2, giving him the chance to join Black Bears hitters taken in the top 10 rounds like 2023 fifth-rounder Quinn McDaniel and, of course, Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, taken in Round 3 back in 2018.:

Jenkins, it should be noted, was a college teammate of one of the Giants' picks from last year - Quinn McDaniel.

It is going to be really funny to see a bunch of 1st baseman playing the whole field for the ACL and San Jose.