Scouting the 2022 Draft: Rounds 3-10

 The Giants continued their 2-year run on pitchers on Day 2 of the 2022 draft.  

First, some additional thoughts on Day 1:  

I know ceiling and upside are the buzzwords of the Giants Day 1 efforts but let's curb that enthusiasm just a bit by considering that between college and summer leagues, Reggie Crawford LHP/1B has a grand total of 418 PA's and 16.1 IP since HS.  Scouting reports say on the offensive side, he hits FB's well but struggles against breaking stuff and a lot of swing and miss in his game.  On the pitching side, he has elite velocity but his only secondary pitch is a slider which he struggles to command.  The Giants baseball educators have their work cut out for them and it's not likely to be a quick study.  The 2-way thing won't speed that up.  I am as excited by the ceiling as anyone but we should think about Crawford's timeline as more like a HS draftee's and a long term project at that.

On the other hand, Carson Whisenhunt LHP seems to be a much more polished product despite missing his junior season of college due to a PED suspension.  His ceiling is clearly not in the same class as Crawford's but he's much more likely to be a fast mover and a guy who can become a long term mid-rotation SP.  I am particularly encourage by the rave reviews of his changeup I've seen.  IMO you can be a MLB SP without a breaking ball(If you don't count a cut fastball as a breaking ball), but you can't without a changeup.  It's like Kruk says, "major league hitters aren't impressed if you throw 100 MPH.  They want to know if you have a changeup."  It sounds like Young Carson already has a good one.

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OK, let's get to the Day 2 draft profiles and some snap judgments.

Round 3, #106.  William Kempner RHP, Gonzaga(college).  DOB:  6/18/2001.  6'0", 222 lbs.  2-1, 3.00, 36 IP, 21 BB, 48 K.  Gonzaga must have had a heckuva pitching staff this season as Kempner kind of got lost behind Gabriel Hughes RHP and Trystan Vrieling RHP who got a lot more pre-draft ink.  Per MLB scouting report Kempner started the season as the Zags Saturday SP but missed time with a finger injury and came back as the Sunday SP where he performed well.  A bit on the short side for a SP, Kempner has high 90's velocity and a couple of secondary pitches.  MLB mentioned he may have suffered the finger injury from throwing his change up.  A preseason scouting video from Giants Prospective showed a nice fading changeup at 89 MPH off a 94 MPH FB.  On the surface, Kempner has the feel of a bullpen arm but he may have the stuff to be a SP and could even be a fast mover.  Nice pick in third round!  BTW, he's from San Jose so good chance he is a Giants fan.

Round 4, #136.  Spencer Miles RHP, Missouri(college).  DOB:  7/26/2000.  6'3", 180 lbs.  5-5, 6.20, 69.2 IP, 23 BB, 67 K.  College numbers are not impressive but remember the SEC is the toughest college conference.  Much better results in the 2021 Cape Cod League.  Prospects Live has an optimistic scouting report from the Cape reporting a low-mid-90's FB, a "bendy" curveball and changeup with "late drop".  That all sounds like something the Giants pitching wizards can work with and a potential SP arsenal.

Round 5, #166.  Liam Simon RHP, Notre Dame(college).  DOB:  7/26/2000.  6'4", 220 lbs.  2-1, 4.99, 30.2 IP, 28 BB, 56 K.  Obvious control/command issues but a big kid who throws hard.  MLB scouting report has him hitting triple digits although he seems to sit more in the upper-mid 90's.  Another Prospects Live scouting report from the Cape notes both a slider and changeup as secondary pitches with a plea to give him a chance to develop as a SP.  

Round 6, #196.  Hayden Birdsong RHP, Eastern Illinois(college).  DOB:  8/30/2001.  6'4", 215 lbs.  5-4, 3.35, 45.2 IP, 21 BB, 66 K's, 1 Save.  Can't find a scouting report.  Found a local news article where Birdsong was quoted as crediting his improved 2022 season on mixing in secondary pitches with his fastball.  Although used mostly as a reliever, he seems to be a bulk innings guy whether he starts or relieves.  There was an account of one game where he entered in the second inning with his team trailing 5-0 and held the opponent scoreless on two hits over the next 5 innings to enable a come-from-behind win.

Round 7, #226.  Zach Morgan C, Fresno St(college).  DOB:  3/30/2000.  B-R, T-R.   6'0", 180 lbs.  .381/.454/.592, 8 HR, 2 SB, 25 BB, 17 K, 218 AB.  The Giants made their first position player drafted a catcher because..... well, of course they did!  OK, what I want to know is why on Earth was this guy still around in Round 7?  Maybe a bit shy on power but my goodness!  Everything else checks out. Just check out those K/BB ratios!  Scouting reports have him better D than as a hitter to boot!  Grew up watching the Giants and a finalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.  I can envision him moving to the top of the Giants catching depth charts in a hurry.

Round 8, #256.  Wade Meckler OF, Oregon St(College).  DOB:  4/21/2000.  B-S, T-R.  5' 10", 178 lbs.  .347/.456/.478, 23 2B, 2 HR, 12 SB,  53 BB, 49 K, 268 AB.  Another guy who probably falls this low because he's shy on power but love the rest of the profile.  I found a newspaper article about him overcoming a lot of adversity but it was behind a paywall.  Prospects Live calls him an "energetic sparkplug."  Excellent bat-to-ball skills with some speed and defensive flexibility.  

Round 9, #286.  Jack Choate LHP, Assumption College(college).  DOB:  4/8/2001.  6'6", 249 lbs.  6-2, 2.43, 70.1 IP, 35 BB, 127 K's.  Big lefty with big strikeout numbers from a college I've never heard of.  That's all I have. 

Round 10, #316.  John Bertrand LHP, Notre Dame(college).  DOB:  2/8/1998.  6'3", 205 lbs.  10-3, 2.81, 109 IP, 21 BB, 111 K.  Pitched 3 seasons for Furman U.  Got to Notre Dame as a graduate student and was their Friday SP leading them into the college postseason.  Prospects Live calls him a "pitchability" lefty whose FB ranges from high 80's to low 90's, peak at 94 MPH.  Has the ability to change up and pitch backwards if the standard sequences aren't working.

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So, the Giants go pitching-heavy for the second straight year.  Interesting they take no HS players.  We'll see if they nab one for an overslot bonus at #11 tomorrow.  To sum up, they grabbed a lottery ticket with a huge payoff but long odds in Round 1.  Round 2 pick, Carson Whisenhunt would have been a first rounder were it not for the PED suspension and he probably has the best chance of being an impact MLB'er with a mid-rotation SP ceiling.  Besides a  couple of undervalued hitters, they loaded up on arms that have potential for development.