San Francisco Giants: 5 Draft Picks Who Are Most Likely to Make the Majors

The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants reached the pinnacle of the baseball world in 2010, and perhaps the biggest reason for their recent success is the wise draft choices they have made over the past several years.

Beginning with Tim Lincecum, and continuing with Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, and Madison Bumgarner, the Giants have cultivated a youth movement in San Francisco baseball that has led them to unprecedented success.

The newest class of Giants prospects has been selected in the 2011 MLB draft.  Let's take a look at five who have a great chance at making The Show ...

Joe Panik, Shortstop, St. John's University

Freddy Sanchez is the now, and it appears that the Giants want Joe Panik, the 20-year-old shortstop out of St. John's University, to be the future at second base.

The Giants selected Panik with their first pick in the draft, 29th overall.

Panik, who is a 6-2, 195-pound left-handed hitter, had shoulder surgery and therefore is better suited for second base at the professional level rather than shortstop, where Brandon Crawford has shown in his first few starts that he intends to become the everyday starter for San Francisco.

Panik is hitting .398 with 10 home runs and 57 RBI in 58 games with St. John's. With his talent is a sure bet to be making a major league debut in the near future.

Kyle Crick, Pitcher, Sherman High School, Texas

With their second pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the Giants chose Kyle Crick, a 6-4, 225-pound right-hander, who can hit 97 mph with his fastball and 90 mph with his slider.  Crick has committed to Texas Christian University (TCU), but this may simply be to have leverage in contract negotiations with the Giants.

Crick went 7-2 with a 1.11 ERA in 13 starts this season.

With the type of stuff this kid has, don't be surprised if he is added to the already elite pitching staff in San Francisco in the very near future.

Ricky Oropesa, First Baseman, USC

Ricky Oropesa is regarded as one of the best pure power hitters in this year's draft.

During his three-season career at USC, the left-handed first baseman hit .331 with 40 home runs and 159 RBI.

Oropesa was drafted in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox but did not sign, showing just how sought-after he was even as a freshman in college.

Oropesa homered to highlight a three-hit performance when he faced No.1 overall pick Gerrit Cole earlier this season.

Look for Ricky to be in a Giants uniform before you know it.

Andrew Susac, Catcher, Oregon State

Andrew Susac was named the fifth-best prospect out of the Cape Cod League after hitting .290 with five home runs and 15 RBI over the summer in New England.

Susac was drafted in 2009 by the Philadelphia Phillies but chose instead to take his talents to Oregon State, where he hit .313 with five home runs in 37 games as the Beavers' catcher.

With Buster Posey's future behind the plate uncertain following his season-ending injury last month, Susac may just find himself showcasing his skills at AT&T Park in the foreseeable future.

Mitchell Beacom, LHP, UCLA

Mitchell Beacom is impressive in more ways than you'd think.

Not only does he pitch extremely well, his size is astounding.  His 6' 8, 260-pound frame is already enough to conjure up images of a beefed-up Randy Johnson.

Another impressive trait of Beacom's: he's ambidextrous.  He can throw with both hands, but has performed better as a southpaw.

He posted a 2.20 ERA with 38 strikeouts compared with just nine walks in 32.2 innings for UCLA this season.

This relief pitcher could be a beast out of the bullpen for the Giants in just a few short years.

There's Plenty to Look Forward to for the Giants

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 24: A general view during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves at AT&T Park on April 24, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This year's draft class has great potential and we are likely to see many 2011 picks join the ranks of those who came before and have now established themselves as stars at the major league level.

Soon names like Panik and Oropesa will join Posey and Bumgarner, and the future looks very bright for the San Francisco Giants.