Draft 2022

[tzill]

Here's who the Giants took at #30

83. Reggie Crawford, LHP, Connecticut

Crawford is the biggest wild card among the wild cards of the pitchers who’ve had Tommy John surgery in this draft class because he’s barely pitched, with just 20.1 innings in total across two springs with UConn, and two summers in collegiate leagues and with Team USA. He did strike out exactly half of the batters he faced in that span, sitting 94-97 mph and touching 99 mph, occasionally mixing in a fringy slider. He spent more time as a power-hitting first baseman for the Huskies who couldn’t hit a breaking ball, so the mound is probably his best bet for a big-league career. But even with the athleticism of the typical two-way player, how can you project him to start with just a huge fastball and very little track record?

Interesting pick. I thought they might go for Brock Jones from Stanford, since Susac (!!) was already off the board.

It looks like he projects to be a closer?

 

[tzill]

Fangraphs has him ranked #88, single inning relief pitcher. 70/70 FB, tops out at 102. Projected 1.0 WAR pitcher.

Useful, maybe a closer, probably middle relief.

 

[tzill]

From ESPN:

Who is Crawford? A two-way star at UConn, Crawford was drawing top-10 and even top-five buzz before missing the entire 2022 college season due to Tommy John surgery. A left-handed slugger at the plate, Crawford hit triple digits on the Cape in 2021 and shined for Team USA's collegiate national team, so his future might be on the mound -- even though he threw just 8 1/3 total college innings for the Huskies.

Why the Giants took him here: Crawford is the most unique talent in this draft, a true two-way threat, who slugged .546 as a hitter at UConn -- but left-handers who hit 100 mph have a way of ending up on the mound in the pros. Another factor to consider: Crawford announced he was transferring to Tennessee just before the draft, which will give him some additional leverage in contract negotiations with San Francisco. He was a player who was drawing more buzz than anyone else in this draft last summer, so if he returns to health -- and signs -- the upside is clear.

 

[Stokes1931]

Rated in the mid to late 80's. Wouldn't there be a good chance he's be around at 66 (the next pick)?

Seems like a major reach. Disappointing pick for me. Hope the young man recovers and develops.

I was hoping for someone like Drew Thorpe from Cal Poly, who Fangraphs had rated at 22.

Full Report​

Thorpe doesn't have huge velocity but both of his secondary pitches are good and he has impact command of his entire repertoire. His sinker lives at the bottom of the zone and to his arm side, his changeup in that area and below, and he rarely ever hangs a slider. Thorpe's age, very projectable frame, and general athleticism indicate that his velocity might yet spike, but his fastball's tailing action already gives it grounder-inducing movement to Thorpe's arm side. Considering his arm slot (which is fairly north/south), it's kind of strange that he imparts sink/tail movement on the ball, and this might be augmented in pro ball to give him a four-seamer he can use at the top of the zone, in addition to his sinker. Thorpe arguably has the best command in the draft, the kind of pitcher who could explode if he starts throwing harder, a feat pro teams seem consistently able to help pitching prospects achieve.

 

[Stokes1931]

Second round pick, Carson Whisenhunt

Full Report​

Whisenhunt is a lefty with plus command of a plus-plus changeup, so while his stuff is otherwise very medium, he's a high-probability starting pitching prospect likely to race through the minor leagues. He didn't pitch at East Carolina in 2022 due to a PED suspension, and instead pitched on Cape Cod, where he was his usual low-90s. Whisenhunt's fastball has sneaky utility at the letters even though it isn't all that hard, in part because he is a great athlete who gets so far down the mound that his fastball ends up having very shallow angle. His athleticism and modestly projectable frame create hope for more velo, but it's not a given. He can double and triple up on his fading changeup and still garner ugly swings because Whisenhunt's arm speed convinces hitters they're looking at a fastball. To ballpark Whisenhunt's draft stock, the apples-to-apples comp here is 2021 21st overall pick Jordan Wicks, another lefty with a great changeup, command, and a trait-reliant fastball. Teams have varying opinions about how to augment where Whisenhunt falls on their board because of the suspension, but on talent, he should come off the board around pick 20.

 

[LHG]

Huh. This FO's draft strategies are still out for judgment but I've not been too impressed thus far. Of course, some guys from the last couple of years have some promise. These two picks both seem to fit the same strategy the churn utilizes - get some projects and hope you hit. Sure, that is kind of the draft in general but they seem to be projects even compared to typical amateur picks.

 

[pachyderm]

Did anyone mention he's coming off of Tommy John surgery?

I do like this pick though.

 

[calsnowskier]

What a weird draft…

1) The A’s were able to get a top 10 catcher in the world right now with the #19 pick
2) The Cards picked an STD with the #22 pick
3) Bill Laskey proposed the Giants take a risk on Kumar Rocker with the #30 pick (Rocker went #3)

 

[tzill]

What a weird draft…

1) The A’s were able to get a top 10 catcher in the world right now with the #19 pick
2) The Cards picked an STD with the #22 pick
3) Bill Laskey proposed the Giants take a risk on Kumar Rocker with the #30 pick (Rocker went #3)

Yeah, BrotherofSus was gone at #30, so FZ gets a pass there.

Also, G-d love Laskey but he's a terrible radio guy. Terrible. Just zero information imparted. Nice guy, nothing useful to say. That he thought Rocker would be around bottom of the first says it all.

 

[tzill]

from mlb.com

30) Giants: Reggie Crawford, LHP/1B, Connecticut
We had been hearing the Giants might go with a high-upside, risky pick here, and boy did they. Crawford has everything you dream about in a pitcher; he’s left-handed, he’s 6-foot-4, he has an elite level fastball and a killer slider. The only problem is, nobody has seen him pitch much. He’s only thrown eight innings in his college career and had Tommy John surgery before the 2022 season began. It was interesting to see him get announced as a two-way player, something he did briefly at UConn when he was healthy. It makes me wonder if the Giants will let him hit for a little bit while his elbow gets healthy.

 

[calsnowskier]

Crawford says the Giants told him they want him to continue as a two-way player.

 

[LHG]

from mlb.com

30) Giants: Reggie Crawford, LHP/1B, Connecticut
We had been hearing the Giants might go with a high-upside, risky pick here, and boy did they. Crawford has everything you dream about in a pitcher; he’s left-handed, he’s 6-foot-4, he has an elite level fastball and a killer slider. The only problem is, nobody has seen him pitch much. He’s only thrown eight innings in his college career and had Tommy John surgery before the 2022 season began. It was interesting to see him get announced as a two-way player, something he did briefly at UConn when he was healthy. It makes me wonder if the Giants will let him hit for a little bit while his elbow gets healthy.

Crawford says the Giants told him they want him to continue as a two-way player.

Just read the blurb from mlb.com and was about to post it here when I saw that tzill beat me by 32 minutes.

As you can see from that blurb, there was a thought that he may get some hitting in while he heals.

This has disaster written all over it. Of course, if it works, it will be spectacularly humble pie. I just don't see some humble pie being served in this case. I had no idea he's only thrown 8 innings in college ball. This looks like a diamond in the rough you waste your 5th round pick on, not the 1st round pick.

 

[LHG]

Next Ohtani? SF top pick excited to chase 2-way dream

The Giants selected University of Connecticut two-way standout Reggie Crawford with the 30th and final pick of the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

www.mlb.com

 

[tzill]

Crawford says the Giants told him they want him to continue as a two-way player.

I don't think that's quite accurate. They want him to pursue both hitting and pitching, the thinking being that baseball will sort him into one position. Likely pitching.

 

[tzill]

Every amateur is a high-risk, high-reward player, especially this deep in the draft. Previous 30th picks include:

• The greatest third baseman in baseball history

• Several players who made All-Star Games and contributed to championship-winning teams (and great LensCrafters ads).

• Noah Lowry

Checkmate, alts.

Checkmate.

 

[calsnowskier]

Every amateur is a high-risk, high-reward player, especially this deep in the draft. Previous 30th picks include:

• The greatest third baseman in baseball history

Um…

Posey was drafted #5…

 

[tzill]

Um…

Posey was drafted #5…

damn you Cal....

 

[tzill]

Reggie Crawford has confirmed that the Giants plan on using him as a two-way player. He also plans on signing.

 

[calsnowskier]

damn you Cal....

Sorry, me.

 

[LHG]

Reggie Crawford has confirmed that the Giants plan on using him as a two-way player. He also plans on signing.

I do wonder if he signs for under slot or if his pending transfer to another school was used as leverage to get slot money.