I started working on the San Jose scouting reports before I went idle which should be tons of fun but I figured it's better to write up the 2017 MLB Draft prospects first.
It's the middle of the offseason and the organizational evaluations like the Top 100 Prospect lists and the Top 30 Prospects of every organization are slowly coming out. But there's also one list that are starting to pop out as well. The 2017 MLB Draft prospect lists are slowly churning out as well. In the case of the Giants, they are currently slotted at 19th in the first round but there's still a great chance that the club will move higher due to a lot of the top sluggers who received qualifying offers have yet to sign and there's a possibility that club like the Astros and Angels will sign one of those sluggers. I'm going to take a look at some of the prospects that the Giants could draft that could fit in their philosophy and the fit in the system. Even though the draft is 6 months away, it's not bad to talk about the prospects don't you think?
Keston Hiura OF/2B
6'0" 185 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to The Prospect Pipeline and rkyosh007 1 and 2
If the Giants stay true to their philosophy of drafting hit-first, okay speed and can plug in anywhere in the field-type of guys with great track record of hitting in major events, Hiura must be somewhere in the top, if not the top, of their list.
Hiura's track record of hitting has been excellent, batting .330 and .358 in his freshman and sophomore seasons in UC Irvine, .356 in the West Coast League in 2015 and breaking multiple single-season records when he played, and played for Team USA CNT this year and bat .289 with limited playing time but hit a clutch pinch-hit homer against Team Cuba.
He is a definition of a pure hitter at the plate, mixing a compact swing with strong wrists and advanced approach at the plate to consistently produce loud contact at the plate. His swing might get too wristy at times and concerns of him hitting high fastballs are there but the bat and the pure hitting ability should be enough to answer the questions. He sprays the field well but he's more gap to gap power than true homer hitter but he maximizes his power with his hit tool.
He is not a true burner but he runs hard in the bases. I think he has more speed than what other scouts grade him for as I clock him from home to 1B at 4.22-4.28 seconds which is good for above average in the FanGraphs scale. He has good fielding actions at second base and his average arm looks is good for second base. He plays some center field as well and he got some natural actions there too.
Hiura might be a little low on the top draft prospects lists but the Giants have been very unpredictable in the draft in recent memory and if their mantra in terms of hitters holds true and Hiura will have a great junior season in UC Irvine, this pairing will be as obvious as it gets come June.
Grades: Hit 60 | Power 40 | Speed 50+ | Arm 45 | Glove 50
Tristan Beck RHP
6'4" 165 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to rkyosh007
Beck is once a top 70 draft prospect in 2015 by MLB.com and after a great freshman season, he will enter the draft as a sophomore. He gained just 5 pounds in his frame but he has sharpened his command of his repertoire.
He throws a low-90s fastball that is relatively straight when down in the zone but has good life high in the zone. He also throws a two-seamer in the same velocity with great sinking action. His rail thin frame looks can add a good chunk of muscle and throw his fastball a little bit harder. He got a sweeping curveball that flashes above average when thrown right but is still inconsistent in terms of the release point. His changeup is more consistent than his curveball and shows above average sinking movement and good deception over his fastball though he can lower his arm slot.
He repeated his mechanics more consistently this year and I project him to have a ceiling of above-average command. The overall mechanics reminds me of Mark Appel. He will surely has his doubters in terms of his durability given his rail thin frame but it will be answered if he gains significant body weight.
Beck might be one of the safest bets in this draft class with a high floor and a good ceiling. The Giants are in the state of drafting college players that can help the big league club right away to better utilize the prime of the core and Beck fits along very well in their plans.
Grades: FB 55 | CB 55 | CH 55 | CMD 55
Garrett Mitchell OF
6'2" 200 lbs. L/R
Videos: Credits to rkyosh007 and FanGraphs
If the Giants will want to go for the ceiling next year, Garrett Mitchell offers as much of a ceiling as anyone.
An excellent athlete, Mitchell offers true five-tool potential. Already armed with a well built frame, Mitchell offers close to above-average power potential in the left handed batter's box and can add more power if he put on more weight. The swing is clunky specifically in his loading and with the swing path but he makes his swing work thanks to his athleticism. The swing is quick even though it can get long at times. He is showing a good eye at the plate as well. With the way he swings the bat, I think he can translate his raw power in games as a double digit homer threat.
He's a plus-plus runner (6.3 seconds in 60-yard dash, under 4 seconds home to 1B) who can impact the game with his feet, with the ability to stretch singles to doubles and steal bases at a very good clip. He also have a pretty great arm that can unleash 94 MPH fastballs and will be an above-average defender at center given his tremendous speed and good outfield instincts.
Mitchell can be as good as it gets. The only hurdles that I see is that he's a Type 1 diabetic and because his swing doesn't look pretty or conventional, can he hit at the next level. I read in MLB.com that he is handling his diabetes very well and the unconventional swing reminds me of Hunter Pence. The Giants can afford waiting for Mitchell to develop given the bounty of outfield prospects available ig they ever draft him.
Grades: Hit 50+ | Power 50 | Speed 70 | Arm 60+ | Glove 55
Blayne Enlow RHP
6'4" 180 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to 2080 Baseball and The Prospect Pipeline
Tall and projectable with good stuff, Enlow is a guy that the Giants can take since they have a bevvy of pitchers in the High Minors that can pitch in the rotation next year like the Young Beedah and can afford to draft a pitcher with ceiling and can wait.
He got a low-90s fastball that can see an uptick once he fills out his very projectable frame. The fastball also has decent life in it and he could add a sinker to aid that. His curveball is one of the best in the draft class, with sharp 12-6 break in the 80 MPH range. He isn't afraid to throw it in both sides of the plate and is sure to be his out pitch. His changeup looks average but he clearly needs to develop it. His delivery has good tempo in it but the arm action looks aggressive on his shoulders and I don't really like the recoil that he has in the follow through. He does have a good feel for his mechanics and his pitches that could result to above-average command.
If the Giants will take a shot at Enlow, it will not probably take a lot of time to work since he got a good feel for his fastball-curve combo and I'm a sucker for the "advanced feel" as a positive indicator for future success and the Giants will surely get a good pitching prospect at their hands.
Grades: FB 55 | CB 60 | CH 45 | CMD 55
Brendon Little LHP
6'2" 195 lbs. L/L
Videos: Credits to MLB.com and The Prospect Pipeline
In a farm system like the Giants that lacks a left-handed pitcher with quite of an amount of ceiling (I know there's Andrew Suarez but he's more of a floor guy), the farm can use an arm like Little.
The Giants might still remember him as they took a flier at him in 2015 at the 35th round, Little has seen his fastball velocity increase, from throwing 90-94 MPH in high school to 93-96 MPH that can touch 97 MPH while having nice tail in it. His curveball has been better and looked like a plus pitch at times. His changeup looks decent enough to be a third pitch. The mechanics reminds me of Craig Kimbrel. The problem that I still see from Little is that his delivery is still stiff in his drive and he is still having a pretty hard time finding consistency with it. The result of that is him having trouble commanding his pitches well. If he can improve his consistency by possibly bending his back leg during his drive, he should have enough command to harness his repertoire.
I think that Little has the opportunity to flourish in a system with a pretty good track record of pitching like the Giants. I did notice that in the MLB.com video which he's shown that he's throwing from the stretch, he could be used as a reliever that's why there's an uptick in the velocity. I remember a guy that used that velocity uptick in the Cape as a springboard to a first round selection in 2015 (If you don't it yet, it's Phil Bickford). If Little would be drafted by the Giants, he should have a lot of time to be a starter and he could be a pretty good reliever if all else fails.
Grades: FB 65 | CB 60 | CH 45 | CMD 45
That is the end of Part 1 of my first look of the draft prospects. These are the prospects that are I feel the best fit in the Giants philosophy right now. In part 2, I will add up several more prospects that I want the Giants to draft or I like that's in the neighborhood. If you have any questions about other draft prospects, kindly hit me up in the comments section. I hope you enjoy reading! Happy holidays!
6'0" 185 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to The Prospect Pipeline and rkyosh007 1 and 2
If the Giants stay true to their philosophy of drafting hit-first, okay speed and can plug in anywhere in the field-type of guys with great track record of hitting in major events, Hiura must be somewhere in the top, if not the top, of their list.
Hiura's track record of hitting has been excellent, batting .330 and .358 in his freshman and sophomore seasons in UC Irvine, .356 in the West Coast League in 2015 and breaking multiple single-season records when he played, and played for Team USA CNT this year and bat .289 with limited playing time but hit a clutch pinch-hit homer against Team Cuba.
He is a definition of a pure hitter at the plate, mixing a compact swing with strong wrists and advanced approach at the plate to consistently produce loud contact at the plate. His swing might get too wristy at times and concerns of him hitting high fastballs are there but the bat and the pure hitting ability should be enough to answer the questions. He sprays the field well but he's more gap to gap power than true homer hitter but he maximizes his power with his hit tool.
He is not a true burner but he runs hard in the bases. I think he has more speed than what other scouts grade him for as I clock him from home to 1B at 4.22-4.28 seconds which is good for above average in the FanGraphs scale. He has good fielding actions at second base and his average arm looks is good for second base. He plays some center field as well and he got some natural actions there too.
Hiura might be a little low on the top draft prospects lists but the Giants have been very unpredictable in the draft in recent memory and if their mantra in terms of hitters holds true and Hiura will have a great junior season in UC Irvine, this pairing will be as obvious as it gets come June.
Grades: Hit 60 | Power 40 | Speed 50+ | Arm 45 | Glove 50
Tristan Beck RHP
6'4" 165 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to rkyosh007
Beck is once a top 70 draft prospect in 2015 by MLB.com and after a great freshman season, he will enter the draft as a sophomore. He gained just 5 pounds in his frame but he has sharpened his command of his repertoire.
He throws a low-90s fastball that is relatively straight when down in the zone but has good life high in the zone. He also throws a two-seamer in the same velocity with great sinking action. His rail thin frame looks can add a good chunk of muscle and throw his fastball a little bit harder. He got a sweeping curveball that flashes above average when thrown right but is still inconsistent in terms of the release point. His changeup is more consistent than his curveball and shows above average sinking movement and good deception over his fastball though he can lower his arm slot.
He repeated his mechanics more consistently this year and I project him to have a ceiling of above-average command. The overall mechanics reminds me of Mark Appel. He will surely has his doubters in terms of his durability given his rail thin frame but it will be answered if he gains significant body weight.
Beck might be one of the safest bets in this draft class with a high floor and a good ceiling. The Giants are in the state of drafting college players that can help the big league club right away to better utilize the prime of the core and Beck fits along very well in their plans.
Grades: FB 55 | CB 55 | CH 55 | CMD 55
Garrett Mitchell OF
6'2" 200 lbs. L/R
Videos: Credits to rkyosh007 and FanGraphs
If the Giants will want to go for the ceiling next year, Garrett Mitchell offers as much of a ceiling as anyone.
An excellent athlete, Mitchell offers true five-tool potential. Already armed with a well built frame, Mitchell offers close to above-average power potential in the left handed batter's box and can add more power if he put on more weight. The swing is clunky specifically in his loading and with the swing path but he makes his swing work thanks to his athleticism. The swing is quick even though it can get long at times. He is showing a good eye at the plate as well. With the way he swings the bat, I think he can translate his raw power in games as a double digit homer threat.
He's a plus-plus runner (6.3 seconds in 60-yard dash, under 4 seconds home to 1B) who can impact the game with his feet, with the ability to stretch singles to doubles and steal bases at a very good clip. He also have a pretty great arm that can unleash 94 MPH fastballs and will be an above-average defender at center given his tremendous speed and good outfield instincts.
Mitchell can be as good as it gets. The only hurdles that I see is that he's a Type 1 diabetic and because his swing doesn't look pretty or conventional, can he hit at the next level. I read in MLB.com that he is handling his diabetes very well and the unconventional swing reminds me of Hunter Pence. The Giants can afford waiting for Mitchell to develop given the bounty of outfield prospects available ig they ever draft him.
Grades: Hit 50+ | Power 50 | Speed 70 | Arm 60+ | Glove 55
Blayne Enlow RHP
6'4" 180 lbs. R/R
Videos: Credits to 2080 Baseball and The Prospect Pipeline
Tall and projectable with good stuff, Enlow is a guy that the Giants can take since they have a bevvy of pitchers in the High Minors that can pitch in the rotation next year like the Young Beedah and can afford to draft a pitcher with ceiling and can wait.
He got a low-90s fastball that can see an uptick once he fills out his very projectable frame. The fastball also has decent life in it and he could add a sinker to aid that. His curveball is one of the best in the draft class, with sharp 12-6 break in the 80 MPH range. He isn't afraid to throw it in both sides of the plate and is sure to be his out pitch. His changeup looks average but he clearly needs to develop it. His delivery has good tempo in it but the arm action looks aggressive on his shoulders and I don't really like the recoil that he has in the follow through. He does have a good feel for his mechanics and his pitches that could result to above-average command.
If the Giants will take a shot at Enlow, it will not probably take a lot of time to work since he got a good feel for his fastball-curve combo and I'm a sucker for the "advanced feel" as a positive indicator for future success and the Giants will surely get a good pitching prospect at their hands.
Grades: FB 55 | CB 60 | CH 45 | CMD 55
Brendon Little LHP
6'2" 195 lbs. L/L
Videos: Credits to MLB.com and The Prospect Pipeline
In a farm system like the Giants that lacks a left-handed pitcher with quite of an amount of ceiling (I know there's Andrew Suarez but he's more of a floor guy), the farm can use an arm like Little.
The Giants might still remember him as they took a flier at him in 2015 at the 35th round, Little has seen his fastball velocity increase, from throwing 90-94 MPH in high school to 93-96 MPH that can touch 97 MPH while having nice tail in it. His curveball has been better and looked like a plus pitch at times. His changeup looks decent enough to be a third pitch. The mechanics reminds me of Craig Kimbrel. The problem that I still see from Little is that his delivery is still stiff in his drive and he is still having a pretty hard time finding consistency with it. The result of that is him having trouble commanding his pitches well. If he can improve his consistency by possibly bending his back leg during his drive, he should have enough command to harness his repertoire.
I think that Little has the opportunity to flourish in a system with a pretty good track record of pitching like the Giants. I did notice that in the MLB.com video which he's shown that he's throwing from the stretch, he could be used as a reliever that's why there's an uptick in the velocity. I remember a guy that used that velocity uptick in the Cape as a springboard to a first round selection in 2015 (If you don't it yet, it's Phil Bickford). If Little would be drafted by the Giants, he should have a lot of time to be a starter and he could be a pretty good reliever if all else fails.
Grades: FB 65 | CB 60 | CH 45 | CMD 45
That is the end of Part 1 of my first look of the draft prospects. These are the prospects that are I feel the best fit in the Giants philosophy right now. In part 2, I will add up several more prospects that I want the Giants to draft or I like that's in the neighborhood. If you have any questions about other draft prospects, kindly hit me up in the comments section. I hope you enjoy reading! Happy holidays!
Out of this group.I like Enlow.
ReplyDeleteI also like Brannen(CF),Danner(C),Baz(SP),and Waters(CF)
Looking forward to part 2
Congratulations on the good grades man.Peace Wrenz.
Thanks David! I love Garrett Mitchell out of this group the most as he brings the highest ceiling out of the prospects that I have watched including Uselton and Turney (w/c I'll touch up in Part 2 as I'm doing the SJ Giants reports as I am writing this).
DeleteI'm pretty confident the Giants will get their guy.And,I'm sure he'll be a baller.Peace Wrenzie.
ReplyDeleteI finally had the chance to watch Perfect Game All American Classic.I Don't like Enlow's delivery.I can see why you like Turney.Good bat.The kid that I like the most after watching that game is Baz.At #19.I like Baz or Beck.Either arm would be nice at 19.
ReplyDeleteIn the future.I'm going to wait until I see footage from behind the pitcher.Only way for me to evaluate.Peace Wrenz.
ReplyDeleteI prefer actually going behind the catcher and from the outfield because it's better to track movement of pitches at the OF cam while it's better to track the depth of it from behind the plate.
Delete