San Francisco Giants Draft Analysis: Potential Targets in the First Round

The 2015 MLB amateur draft is being held on June 8-10. This is a time for all teams to bolster and fortify their prospect list and add talent to their organization.

The San Francisco Giants have used the draft successfully and have several players on their 25-man roster who were selected and came up through their minor league infrastructure.

The entire starting infield is homegrown, with Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford and Matt Duffy all products of the Giants farm system. In addition, backup catcher Andrew Susac is also homegrown. 

The Giants have done even better with their pitching, as Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Chris Heston, Sergio Romo and Hunter Strickland all honed their skills in the Giants' minor league system.   

The Giants own the 18th overall pick in the upcoming amateur draft. They also have the 31st overall selection, a compensatory pick because of the departure of Pablo Sandoval in the free-agent market.

Let's take a closer look at some of the players the Giants may be targeting with those first two picks.

James Kaprielian, Starting Pitcher

Eric Francis/Associated Press

James Kaprielian is one of the best pitchers in the Pac-12.

The San Francisco Giants have a strong history of drafting and developing quality starting pitchers.

In addition to Bumgarner, Lincecum and Cain, who have been cornerstones of the pitching staff, the Giants have also used some of their top pitching prospects as trade commodities. 

Ryan Vogelsong was also a Giants draftee back in 1998, although unlike Bumgarner, Lincecum and Cain, he took a circuitous route to get to where he is today.

Quality pitching is the most valuable asset in baseball, and with the Giants' emphasis on pitching, look for them to go that route with the 18th overall selection.

James Kaprielian, a right-handed pitcher out of UCLA, would be a great selection. At 6'4" and 200 pounds, he has ideal size and will fill out as his body matures.

Steve Garrity and Paul Doran of USA Today Sports said this about Kaprielian:  

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Kaprielian has a four-pitch mix that makes him appealing to scouts. They are average pitches at this point, but his low-90s fastball, along with his curveball, slider and changeup, help him to be effective on the mound. Kaprielian put up dominant numbers in high school and pitched well at UCLA, yet he is a raw prospect.

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At UCLA this past season, Kaprielian threw 106.2 innings, allowing 86 hits and 32 walks while striking out 114. His ERA was 2.03 to go along with a WHIP of 1.116. Opposing batters hit only .226 against him.

The real draft question with Kaprielian is whether he will be available when the Giants' selection comes up. If he is, look for Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans to make him their top pick.

Mike Nikorak, Starting Pitcher

Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain were high school pitchers who made a fast jump to the majors with the Giants. Mike Nikorak could be the next young arm to do so.

A senior at Stroudsburg High School in Pennsylvania, Nikorak has a power arm, with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s. 

Nikorak has already committed to the University of Alabama, so the Giants would need to be sure they can sign him prior to making him their top pick. If the outlook is favorable, Nikorak would be a tremendous pick. His upside is huge, and he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

On BaseballEssential.com, Shawn McFarland provided a detailed scouting report on Nikorak.

Nick Plummer, Outfielder

If the San Francisco Giants opt to go with a position player, someone to definitely consider is Nick Plummer. He is an outfielder and is currently playing at Brother Rice High School in Michigan.

The Giants have had little success developing young outfielders in recent years. Their last top outfield prospect was Gary Brown, who was the Giants' top pick in the 2010 amateur draft. He had excellent speed and was a fine defensive outfielder.

Brown was expected to make the jump to the big leagues and play center field for the Giants, but he simply did not hit enough to make it. The Giants released Brown earlier this year, and he is struggling to resurrect his career.

Unlike Brown, Plummer's claim to fame is his offense. He is a polished hitter for such a young player.

Plummer has good speed and is a decent, though not great, defensive player. However, it is his offense that will be his ticket to the majors. David Goricki of the Detroit News provided a report on Plummer.

As Goricki also mentions, Plummer is committed to play his college ball at Kentucky, but if he is selected in the first round, he likely will not pass up the opportunity to begin his professional career.

Alex Young, Starting Pitcher

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Alex Young shown here throwing his circle change.

In addition to the 18th overall pick in the draft, the Giants also have the 31st overall selection. This is a compensatory pick due to the departure of Pablo Sandoval in the free-agent market.

This gives the Giants an opportunity to get another highly touted player, and an excellent option is TCU left-handed starting pitcher Alex Young. He is one of the top lefties in the draft and would be a great addition to the Giants' stable of young arms.

Young has a fastball in the low 90s and a good, hard slider that is his best pitch. In 2015, Young threw 83 innings and allowed 66 hits and 19 walks while striking out 81. His command of the strike zone is excellent for such a young pitcher.

Young compiled an impressive 9-2 record with an ERA of 2.39 and WHIP of 1.024. Opposing batters hit only .216 off of him.

A junior at TCU, Young appears poised to make the jump to professional baseball.

Dakota Chalmers, Starting Pitcher

Dakota Chalmers is a right-handed pitcher out of North Forsyth High School in Georgia. He is an intriguing option for the Giants to consider with their compensatory pick, the 31st overall selection.

At 6'3" and 175 pounds, Chalmers is still lean and will fill out as he matures. Chalmers has excellent mechanics, as pointed out by Brooks Parker of CrawfishBoxes.com on SB Nation.

The report on Chalmers is that he throws in the low-to-mid 90s and has good movement on his fastball. He also features a curve and slider, along with a changeup that still needs refinement.

The key for the Giants, or any team selecting Chalmers, is whether they can sign him. He has committed to play his college baseball in his home state at Georgia, so the Giants must be confident they can sign him before using the 31st overall pick on him.

Cody Ponce, Starting Pitcher

Cody Ponce is a big, strapping pitcher out of Cal Poly Pomona. At 6'5" and 235 pounds, he has the body type that teams covet. Ponce emerged as a legitimate big league prospect with a stellar performance in the Cape Cod League last summer.

Ponce features a fastball in the mid 90s, along with a cutter, curve and changeup. This season, he threw 62.1 innings, allowing 54 hits and 14 walks while striking out 67. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.78 was extremely impressive. Ponce finished the year with an ERA of 1.44 and WHIP of 1.091. 

Ponce would be an excellent addition to the Giants' array of young pitchers. He has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter in the majors.

Spencer Morris of CrawfishBoxes.com provided this report on Ponce.