Scouting the 2019 Draft: Day Two Report

Remember the over/under for the Giants drafting a player nobody had heard of from a place nobody had heard of?  Third round!  The Giants drafted Grant McCray CF, HS who was not ranked on MLB Pipeline.  I don't think Fangraphs had him ranked either.  The Giants then proceeded to draft hitters with 6 of their next 7 picks or 9/10 total for days 1 and 2.  It's not clear if this was due to organizational need or a Best Player Available strategy.  Possibly some of both?  This draft was strong on hitting and weak on pitching.

Round 3, #87:  Grant McCray CF, HS.  B-L, T-R.  6'2", 170 lbs.  McCray is a thin, young looking, but wiry strong kid with a bit of a swagger at the plate on video.  He's the son of Rodney McCray, not the basketball player, but the baseball player who got a cup of coffee or two but is best known for crashing through the OF wall as a minor leaguer in a video that went viral on baseball blooper shows about 20 years ago.  Perfect Game likes his tools with a 6.57 60-yard dash time and a 92 MPH throw from the OF.  He's got nice height and a frame that should fill out.  Most scouting reports say he is very raw and will be a longterm project.  He is committed to Florida State, so is not a slam dunk to sign.  I really like this pick a lot if the Giants can sign him.

Round 4, #116.  Tyler Fitzgerald SS, College(Louisville).  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 205 lbs.  2019:  .338/.413/.523, 13 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 15 SB, 9.69 BB%, 14.73 K%, 258 PA.  2018 Cape Cod League:  .298/.370/.415, 14 2B, 2 HR, 9 SB, 7.7 BB%, 24.35 K%, 193 PA.  Big for a SS, but reasonably athletic.  Ranked #157 on MLB Pipeline, in the 50's by Fangraphs.  Average to above average tools across the board but no single outstanding tool.  Profiles as a utility player who could be decent at multiple positions.  Dad also got a cup of coffee in MLB.

Round 5, #146.  Garrett Frechette, 1B, HS.  B-L, T-L.  6'3", 200 lbs.  Sweet swinging lefty 1B ranked #196 by MLB Pipeline.  If you use your imagination, you can see Adrian Gonzalez in the swing on video.  We'll see if the Giants can sign him.  Seems like a kid who might be better off going to college.

Round 6, #176.  Dilan Rosario SS, HS.  B-R, T-R, 6'0", 175 lbs.  Toolsy SS out of Puerto Rico.  Scouitng reports say he is a bit raw, but videos look good to me and he has tools to dream on.  Very fast with a 6.4 recorded 60-yard dash time.  Frame has potential for power. Arm might be a bit short for SS with IF throws clocked in the mid-80's.  I looked up his scouting report before the draft and really liked it.  Ranked #166 on MLB Pipeline.

Round 7, #206.  Armani Smith OF, College(UCSB).  B-R, T-R.  6'4", 215 lbs.  .325/.395/.636, 16 2B, 8 3B, 11 HR, 3 SB. 238 PA.  Big kid who profiles as a corner OF.  On video, body looks fully developed so not much projection here, but plenty big enough already.  May have to watch weight in future.  8 triples in the stat line are intriguing.  Could develop into a solid middle of the order bat with coaching and pro experience.

Round 8, #236.  Caleb Kilian RHP, College(Texas Tech).  6'4", 180 lbs.  8-2, 4.02, 71.2 IP, 16 BB, 58 K's.  2017 California Collegiate League:  5-1, 3.38, 24 IP, 7 BB, 37 K's.  Nice height for a pitcher with long arms and a projectable frame.  Fits category of polished college SP, but may have room to add velocity in the pros.

Round 9, #266.  Simon Whiteman SS, College(Yale).  B-R, T-R.  5'10", 165 lbs.  .337/.388/.465, 17 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 34 SB, 206 PA.  Giants drafted a couple of college seniors in Rounds 9 and 10 hoping to save some pool money for the HS kids.  Whiteman is reputed to be an off-the-charts worker who improved his game significantly.  Undersized but has some speed.  3.99 GPA with a major in Chemical Engineering so obviously has career options.  Giants have to sign him or lose the pool money.

Round 10, #296.  Jeff Houghtby SS, College(San Diego).  B-L, T-R.  5'11", 175 lbs.  .341/.438/.512, 12 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 4 SB, 11.27 BB%, 10.29 K%, 204 PA.  Nice senior numbers from a solid college program.