Re-Evaluating the San Francisco Giants' Top Draft Picks from the Past Decade
The San Francisco Giants have used the amateur draft to build and fortify their roster. Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans have done a good job with the scouting and development of young talent throughout the Giants' organization.
Their pitching staff is rife with homegrown talent, with Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Chris Heston and Sergio Romo all coming up through the Giants' system.
The Giants have an entirely homegrown infield, with position players Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford, Matt Duffy and Andrew Susac all ascending through the organization. The only area that the Giants have not done well in developing is the outfield.
The 2015 amateur draft is slated for June 8-10, and the Giants have the 18th overall pick.
With the draft just around the corner, now is a good time to look back over the past decade to see how the Giants have done with their first-round selections, including compensatory picks.
In 2005, they did not have a first-round pick, so we will begin with 2006.
2006: Tim Lincecum
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The amazing thing is that nine teams passed on drafting Tim Lincecum. Undoubtedly, the likely concern was that he was too small (5'11") and would have a short-lived career.
Lincecum's career has been like a supernova. He exploded on the scene in 2007 and won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2008 and 2009. He was an All-Star selection in four consecutive years, from 2008 to 2011. He also led the league in strikeouts from 2008 to 2010.
Lincecum's luster has faded in recent years, as his lowest ERA from 2012 through 2014 was 4.37. In 2012, he slumped to a 5.18 ERA and 1.468 WHIP.
The amazing thing is that he seems to have remade himself this year. In 52.2 innings, he has allowed 42 hits and 24 walk while striking out 40. Lincecum has an ERA of 2.56 and WHIP of 1.253 thus far in 2015.
He will be a free agent at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether the Giants will retain him. Nevertheless, their resurgence began when they drafted Lincecum.
Lincecum's career record is 106-81 with an ERA of 3.56. He has struck out 1,684 hitters over his nine years with the Giants.
A fan favorite, he will forever be remembered for his unique delivery and getting the most out of his small frame.
In addition to Lincecum, the Giants also drafted Emmanuel Burriss in 2006. He was a compensatory pick and the 33rd overall selection in the draft.
He played parts of five seasons with the Giants, from 2008 to 2012. He never quite hit enough to become an every-day player. In 720 career at-bats, h has a career batting average of .243, with an OBP of .304 and OPS of .573. He has one career home run and 42 RBI.
Burriss is playing in the minor leagues for the Washington Nationals.
2007: Madison Bumgarner
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Madison Bumgarner was the 10th pick in the 2007 amateur draft. In 2009, he broke into the majors as a September call-up at the age of 19. He made a significant impact in 2010, starting 18 games and finishing the year with a record of 7-6. He was also the Giants' secret weapon in the postseason.
Bumgarner has emerged as the ace of the pitching staff, and at the age of 25 he has already won 73 games against 51 losses.
In 1,015.2 innings pitched over his career, Bumgarner has allowed 911 hits and 241 walks while striking out 951. His career ERA is 3.06, and his WHIP is 1.127. He also earned All-Star recognition in 2013 and 2014.
Bumgarner has been outstanding in the postseason, and his performance in the 2014 World Series was legendary. He was the MVP of the National League Championship Series and World Series last year.
The Giants had two additional first-round selections and three compensatory first-rounders. Unfortunately, none of them has made an impact at the major league level.
Tim Alderson, Wendell Fairley, Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams and Charlie Culberson are all toiling in the minors. Only Williams remains in the Giants organization, playing in Richmond, the Giants' Double-A affiliate.
2008: Buster Posey
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Buster Posey was the Giants' top pick in the 2008 draft and fifth overall selection. He became the starting catcher in 2010 and has helped to lead them to three world championships.
Posey's accomplishments are many. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2010, was the NL MVP in 2012 and is a two-time All Star. He has also won two Silver Slugger awards.
He is a career .308 hitter, with an OBP of .374 and OPS of .859. His emergence as a star is a primary reason for the Giants' recent run of success.
In addition to his offensive exploits, Posey is a good defensive catcher and takes great pride in his work with the pitchers.
The Giants also had a compensatory first-round pick in 2008. They used it to draft third baseman Conor Gillaspie with the 37th overall pick. He played 29 games for the Giants, but they traded him to the White Sox in 2013. He is currently on their major league roster.
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2009: Zack Wheeler
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The Giants drafted Zack Wheeler with the sixth overall selection in 2009. He was working his way through their minor league system and was one of their top prospects, when he was traded in 2011 for Carlos Beltran.
Wheeler broke into the majors with the Mets in 2013 and has shown great promise. Unfortunately, he injured his arm and underwent Tommy John surgery this past March.
2010: Gary Brown
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When the Giants drafted Gary Brown with the 24th overall selection in 2010, they hoped he would be their center fielder of the future. He has excellent speed and is a good defensive outfielder. He was a September call-up in 2014.
Brown had a strong showing in 2011 with San Jose, the Giant' High-A affiliate. He hit .336, with an OBP of .407 and OPS of .925. He also had 53 stolen bases that year.
Unfortunately, Brown could not sustain his offensive productivity as he moved up the ladder in the farm system. After 2011, he never hit above .279 and was designated for assignment just prior to the 2015 season.
Brown was claimed by the Angels and then released after playing in 24 minor league games and hitting .205. He is playing in Memphis, the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate, where he is hitting .160.
2011: Joe Panik
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Joe Panik was the 29th overall selection in the 2011 draft. He had moved up through the ranks of the Giants minor league system, and in 2014 he was playing in Fresno, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate at the time.
The Giants were in desperate need of a second baseman after trying several options that did not pan out.
Marco Scutaro could not stay healthy. Brandon Hicks, Ehire Adrianza, Joaquin Arias, Matt Duffy, Tony Abreu and Dan Uggla all got a chance to play second base; nevertheless, the Giants opted to promote Panik, somewhat out of sheer desperation.
He was a savior and solidified the second base position for the Giants. His emergence was a catalyst for the Giants as they won their third World Series title in five years.
He has continued to prove that he belongs in the majors, as he is hitting .296, with three home runs and 19 RBI in 2015. His OBP of .363 and OPS of .795 are strong. He has also played solid defense at second base.
The Giants also had a compensatory first-round pick, the 49th overall, which they used to select starting pitcher Kyle Crick.
He has a power arm and features a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s. The key for Crick is that he must learn to command his pitches better and throw more strikes.
In 2014, he pitched 90 innings and allowed 78 hits and 61 walks while striking out 111. He has continued to have lapses in control this year, as well. In 30 innings of work, he has allowed 21 hits and 20 walks while striking out 33.
If Crick hopes to make it to the big leagues, he will need to harness his control and throw more strikes.
2012: Chris Stratton
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Chris Stratton was the 20th overall selection in the 2012 draft. He is currently pitching for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Giants' Double-A affiliate.
He has struggled so far this year and has a record of 0-5. He has thrown 42 innings and allowed 35 hits and 21 walks while striking out 34. His ERA is 4.50, and he has a WHIP of 1.333.
If Stratton can get back on track, he could earn a promotion to Triple-A ball in Sacramento.
2013: Christian Arroyo
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To open the season, Christian Arroyo was promoted to San Jose, the Giants' High-A affiliate. He was the Giants' top pick in the 2013 draft, the 25th overall selection.
Due to injury, he has played in only seven games this year.
Arroyo is primarily a shortstop, but with Brandon Crawford already entrenched in San Francisco, look for Arroyo to get more work at second or third base.
Still at least a couple of years away from the majors, Arroyo is known for having a good bat. In 573 professional at-bats, he is hitting .321, with an OBP of .367 and OPS of .803.
Hopefully, he will be back on the field soon and continue to rise up through the ranks.
2014: Tyler Beede
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Tyler Beede was the 14th overall selection for the Giants in the 2014 amateur draft. He began his professional career in 2014, playing rookie ball in Arizona, and then he was promoted to Salem-Keizer, the Giants' Low-A affiliate.
Beede was promoted to San Jose, the Giants' High-A affiliate, to begin the 2015 season. He is off to a good start and has shown excellent control, harnessing his powerful arm. His fastball velocity is in the mid-to-upper 90s, and he is working on improving his secondary pitches.
In 2015, Beede has thrown 45.1 innings, allowing 47 hits and eight walks while striking out 26. He has done an excellent job throwing strikes, which could enable him to move quickly through the farm system.
He has fashioned an ERA of 2.58, to go along with a solid WHIP of 1.213. If he continues to pitch well in San Jose, he could be promoted to Richmond at some point this year.
Earlier this year, Wilson Karaman filed a scouting report on MinorLeagueBall.com about Beede.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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