It has come down upon us folks, the first day of the 2019 MLB draft has come to pass. There are little surprises early on in a draft that was expected to be full of. I do not really care much about other teams and their picks and it is very unfair to grade their picks because they will have to undergo the grind of the minors to grade them either as a bust or a success.
For the Giants, the draft went pretty much what expected, especially when there are a plethora of names being thrown around to be selected. No C.J. Abrams, no Jackson Rutledge, no Bryson Stott, nada. It was the one that I am very hyped since following college baseball early this year, Hunter Bishop, with the 10th overall selection. With the second selection, the Giants went pretty intriguing with Logan Wyatt, a first baseman. Yes, a first baseman. They said that they see a potential corner outfielder there but yes, a first baseman.
Scouting reports and grades are my own and I hope you find this one a good read.
First Round
As the first round kick started, I don't even know who will be drafted. As the Giants were on the clock, all I thought was "PICK HUNTER BISHOP GODDAMMIT". AND THEY DID! JESUS CHRIST! HUNTER BISHOP IS THE PICK LET'S GO!
No, seriously, Hunter Bishop is one of the guys that I want early on in the process (definitely saved him last because I am most hyped with him). That's still in early-March but I am one of the first ones who are pounding the drum for Bishop. I mean come on, who would not want Hunter Bishop's tools at the 10th pick? Some see a Yelich (taller version), some see a Benintendi (much taller version), some see a Barry Bonds (that's probably me), but the potential is there. I can feel it. That's the guy that I want. Before back in 2015 when Cove Chatter kept on pounding the drum for Benintendi but the Giants never stood a chance drafting him, and this time we have a pretty similar situation and the Gigantes finally has a shot? And they took it???? I mean LET'S GO. LET'S GOOOOOO BISH BOMBS I AM SO HYPED! HUNTER BISHOP TO THE GIANTS IS LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY, BUTTER ON TOAST, PANCAKES AND MAPLE SYRUP, JUST TOO GOOD TO PASS UP. YES!
I lost all professionalism there (that's why I like blogging more because there's a certain level of freedom of expression), there is my full scouting report on him.
Hunter Bishop OF COL
6'5" 210 lbs. L/R 21.3 y/o
Videos: Credits to Jack Lautaret, Sun Devil Baseball, Perfect Game Baseball and JustBombsProductions
Hit 45 | Power 60 | Speed 60 | Arm 40 | Glove 50+
Of all the top available prospects in this draft class, there are only less than a handful who are as toolsy or has greater tools than Bishop. A physical specimen at 6'5" 210 lbs., Bishop's body is excellent in an athletic frame standpoint. One that resembles Christian Yelich, a guy that is often compared to him. There is not a lot of bulk in the frame but it is strong and filled with oozing raw power.
As one of the best, if not the best, power-speed combos in this draft class, Bishop really has true plus to 65 raw power. The issue is getting from point A to point B at around 400+ feet. The answer came with a major makeover with his swing. I have not seen the swing makeover this past Cape Cod League and other post-Cape events in 2018 so I can probably say that he hunkered to the bunker in winter and fixed what ailed him. So I can say that his numbers in the Cape last year is not a good benchmark in terms of evaluating Bishop. Focusing most of his 2019 numbers might be a lean towards recency bias but if any players overall numbers improved, either drastically or subtly, due to a change in something, that recency bias can be trusted. I mean look at Duggar. I am the earliest that said that if Duggar change his swing path because he is already putting up impressive number in NWL back in 2015 with that clunky of a swing, what if you give the man a better swing? He did improve his swing and you know what they say, the rest is history. By the way, here is a video analysis of Bishop's swing mechanics for your deeper viewing.
Nonetheless, the looser, more athletic swing mechanics has the natural loft to bring out his raw power to life. It also allowed him to stay balanced at the plate, more relaxed, worry less about his swing and focusing more on just doing damage. He improved his walk rate as a result to a more palatable rate in college ball. I think he can be a decent source of walks in pro ball. The issue the people has on Bishop is his swing and miss issues, especially swinging over breaking balls, and I have seen it too. I think it's on Bishop now to make the adjustment to have better breaking ball recognition because his wrists are strong and he has the bat speed to catch up on premium velocity. That stuff can be learned in pro ball but ultimately, it's up to him. Thanks to his combination of strength, bat speed and loft, he is able to post homers with exit velocities of up to 114 MPH. He plays his home games in a bandbox but 114 MPH is 114 MPH, that is true homer-power at work. I think there's a potential for a solid hit tool at best if he learns how to recognize breaking balls better but yes, I have no issue seeing north of 20-25 homers from him.
Bishop also has the speed to compliment his power. It is a true plus speed with near 4.0 run times from the left side but he should improve his basestealing ability, especially his jumps, after only 12 bases in 19 tries. It is something that he can improve on. That pure speed gives him a greater than 50% chance to stick at center. Grades about his arm are wide, with as low as 30 and as high as 50. There's a big windup in his throws and the pure strength is just fringy, so a move towards left field is a possibility. But I have seen him do impressive diving catches and up the wall catches to make me think he can stick at center. If he can do the spectacular catches already without proper jumps and route running, what if you improve on it? And hey, Mike Trout has a 40 arm. All of it makes up a very promising center field prospect. A rather high risk-high reward kind of prospect but hey, if you want to swing for the fences in an outfielder, you can bet on Bishop.
In terms the value of the pick, the value is right on the money, with a lot of media sources listing Bishop in their top 10 and is a true center fielder among the outfielders (only Corbin Carroll is the only true center field prospect that I see in the top 20), in terms of fit with the org, I see Bishop as in some ways a plan for the Zaidi front to augment Bishop with Heliot, Bart and Luciano to have them arrive together at around a 2-year window.
In terms of where to slot Bishop in the prospect rankings, I can say he is at the top 4, most likely the 4th best, but I hate doing it that way, so I will say that he is in the same tier as Luciano (Bart and Heliot are pretty much in a higher tier because they are just so good this year). Although if you give Bishop a first full season next year and he excels, there's no hesitation in my mind to have him in the same tier as Heliot and Bart (hopefully, Luciano as well), giving the Giants a promising core of position players, more importantly up the middle position players, for the next decade (assuming all goes well). Don't be sad that the Giants did not draft a pitcher this year, someone like a Manoah or a Rutledge, because if they keep playing bottom 5 baseball for the season, they will be in a prime spot to take a top-end pitcher, much better than what this year is offering. Or they grab a Tork to bring the Tork-Bish combo to the China Basin. However, the second selection of the Giants might've put a dent in those dreams.
Second Round
I was devoted to my work as a R&D food specialist when the second round came by and I completely missed it (came back to expect the Giants on the clock but it is already pick 70+). So, I just checked the MLB Draft Tracker and saw that the Giants drafted Logan Wyatt in the second round. At first, I am shocked, because it seems pretty obvious that the Giants do have a logical future for Buster Posey to move him to first base either once the front office decides enough is enough with him behind the plate or once Joey Bart pushes him outta the crouch. The Zaidi front had nothing of that crap and decided to say screw that plan and drafted the left-handed hitting first baseman from Louisville.
Below is my full scouting report on Logan Wyatt
Logan Wyatt 1B/OF COL
6'4" 230 lbs. L/R 21.6 y/o
Videos: Perfect Game Baseball, The Prospect Pipeline, Prospects Live and 2080 Baseball
Hit 55 | Power 45 | Speed 35 | Arm 50 | Glove 50
The heir to Brendan McKay at first base (but not on the mound, obviously), Wyatt ever since been a force at the heart of the Louisville lineup for two years and has been in the top 3 in walks for the past two years. Known for hit than power, Wyatt has been more of a steady source of on base percentage than the slugging percentage, a quite of an intrigue considering first base is a position that has been known to be a source of power in the lineup.
If you look at his height and weight, you might think that Wyatt is a stocky first baseman but actually, he's not stocky at all. The frame's well built, he actually looks pretty lean for his size because his torso and legs does look to allow more weight to add muscle but I am happy with his overall frame. The frame gives him plus raw power but he never hit more than 10 homers in his two full seasons for the Cardinals. So, what gives?
Looking at his swing mechanics, he has very little load with his swing, not just with his back side but also his hands. Working from a wide, slightly open base, his way of loading is just by closing his front leg and moving forward a bit. He does not pull back to his back side and he does not load his hands well. Instead of turning the bat knob towards the catcher, the bat knob is pointed down to the ground. Even though I like how he keeps his hands loose throughout his swing, if he does not allow to rear back and let his natural power work, his likely power will not be good, and it will stay average at best. If he ever works on it though, like maybe adding a slight wrinkle to his leg kick and loading his hands more, then it is an easy evaluation of grading his power to a 55, or more. I like how his bat speed is a plus, the bat travels well through home plate but there are times he pulls his arms in too much and creates an iffy bat path.
But the thing that is sticking out like a sore thumb is his ability to work counts. His ability to take pitches, foul pitches in two strike counts and take borderline pitches with some relative ease is kind of like Joey Votto-esque in some ways. He's got good feel for the zone but he can be blamed for being too passive and taking pitches that he should've did damage. That said, coaching him to take advantage of his eye and approach at the plate to be more aggressive in pro ball could do him wonders at the plate, especially that he's using the whole field as it stands, peppering it with doubles. There's a bit of an issue in terms of the strikeout rate that is likely a result of being too passive but I don't see his strikeouts to be an issue in the near future.
For a guy with below average speed, Wyatt's a very good athlete at first base, showing nimble and quick feet, the fielding actions are quick and nice, arm strength is good with a compact arm action, and has the potential to be a solid defender at first base, and I would not be surprised if he became a better defender there than I expected. Wyatt should be an enticing prospect for those who love walk percentage, on base percentage, and some defensive versatility if ever they want to try him out at the corner outfield. Hey, Michael Busch did it, why not Wyatt? I think he is a passable defender there but the ingredients to be a good defender in the future to pair up with his hit over power (for now) bat is good. There's some Pavin Smith-like bust potential (hit/OBP over power 1B who failed to develop power) but I hope that pro coaching can alter his swing to drive the ball better and hit for power while keeping his on base percentage high.
Now, now, I know what you are thinking. Wyatt is the antithesis of Chris Shaw. Wyatt is not a do-or-die-type of hitter, he is a controlled hitter. Wyatt is someone that the Zaidi front who craves for: guys with high OBP, walks and stuff. Someone that can be their poster child for what the direction of the organization as a whole. The whole first base thing be damned. The Giants brass said Wyatt will be tried out in the corner outfield. I can see the reasons why they want to try him out there: the speed is not horrible or a 20 rating like Chris Shaw to be a liability there as it is something that can be palatable (35-40 depending on what you see from him), the nimbleness and the quick twitch at first base are obvious (how he turns his body from first base side to second base to throw the ball without much recoil or stiffness is impressive) so I can definitely see the reasoning for trying him out there. If he does not pan out there, put him back at first base where he can platoon with Buster. That stuff will work it out. In terms of the value of the pick, I am not that enamored at first because I liked other players with the riskier but toolsier profiles but I am fine with the pick. In terms of where Wyatt will slot right now, the first thing on my mind is to slot him in the top 12 prospects.
All in all, Zaidi wanted to draft bats in the early going of the draft and he did deliver, with two of the best hitters available in their spot (Bishop definitely more toolsy than other players avaiable even if less of a hitter, Wyatt's offensive impact potential is the best among whoever's left after 50 picks). It is not a bad draft. Not a bad draft at all. Some might feel they could've drafted a HS prospect, high-risk high-reward, in the second round. Then again, Bishop has more risk in his overall profile than a regular 10th pick so the case of drafting the safest guy on board, usually a mature offensively college position player, is a good choice and Wyatt presents that safety blanket. That's not to say that Wyatt does not have a ceiling to reach. There's a ceiling to Wyatt. I can see why they drafted the two. We can see what is the M.O. of Zaidi's administration. What Zaidi said is true: he wants a quick rebuild, and a way to quickly rebuild is to draft quick-movers with offensive impact, and the tandem of Bishop and Wyatt is a testament to that.
Let's hope day 2 is full of excitement, like the first and of course, I will write the review of that tomorrow. For now, enjoy the BISH BOMBS (!!!!) BISH BOMBS (have to repeat it because I am hyped) and the WYATT WARS.
No, seriously, Hunter Bishop is one of the guys that I want early on in the process (definitely saved him last because I am most hyped with him). That's still in early-March but I am one of the first ones who are pounding the drum for Bishop. I mean come on, who would not want Hunter Bishop's tools at the 10th pick? Some see a Yelich (taller version), some see a Benintendi (much taller version), some see a Barry Bonds (that's probably me), but the potential is there. I can feel it. That's the guy that I want. Before back in 2015 when Cove Chatter kept on pounding the drum for Benintendi but the Giants never stood a chance drafting him, and this time we have a pretty similar situation and the Gigantes finally has a shot? And they took it???? I mean LET'S GO. LET'S GOOOOOO BISH BOMBS I AM SO HYPED! HUNTER BISHOP TO THE GIANTS IS LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY, BUTTER ON TOAST, PANCAKES AND MAPLE SYRUP, JUST TOO GOOD TO PASS UP. YES!
I lost all professionalism there (that's why I like blogging more because there's a certain level of freedom of expression), there is my full scouting report on him.
Hunter Bishop OF COL
6'5" 210 lbs. L/R 21.3 y/o
Videos: Credits to Jack Lautaret, Sun Devil Baseball, Perfect Game Baseball and JustBombsProductions
Hit 45 | Power 60 | Speed 60 | Arm 40 | Glove 50+
Of all the top available prospects in this draft class, there are only less than a handful who are as toolsy or has greater tools than Bishop. A physical specimen at 6'5" 210 lbs., Bishop's body is excellent in an athletic frame standpoint. One that resembles Christian Yelich, a guy that is often compared to him. There is not a lot of bulk in the frame but it is strong and filled with oozing raw power.
As one of the best, if not the best, power-speed combos in this draft class, Bishop really has true plus to 65 raw power. The issue is getting from point A to point B at around 400+ feet. The answer came with a major makeover with his swing. I have not seen the swing makeover this past Cape Cod League and other post-Cape events in 2018 so I can probably say that he hunkered to the bunker in winter and fixed what ailed him. So I can say that his numbers in the Cape last year is not a good benchmark in terms of evaluating Bishop. Focusing most of his 2019 numbers might be a lean towards recency bias but if any players overall numbers improved, either drastically or subtly, due to a change in something, that recency bias can be trusted. I mean look at Duggar. I am the earliest that said that if Duggar change his swing path because he is already putting up impressive number in NWL back in 2015 with that clunky of a swing, what if you give the man a better swing? He did improve his swing and you know what they say, the rest is history. By the way, here is a video analysis of Bishop's swing mechanics for your deeper viewing.
Nonetheless, the looser, more athletic swing mechanics has the natural loft to bring out his raw power to life. It also allowed him to stay balanced at the plate, more relaxed, worry less about his swing and focusing more on just doing damage. He improved his walk rate as a result to a more palatable rate in college ball. I think he can be a decent source of walks in pro ball. The issue the people has on Bishop is his swing and miss issues, especially swinging over breaking balls, and I have seen it too. I think it's on Bishop now to make the adjustment to have better breaking ball recognition because his wrists are strong and he has the bat speed to catch up on premium velocity. That stuff can be learned in pro ball but ultimately, it's up to him. Thanks to his combination of strength, bat speed and loft, he is able to post homers with exit velocities of up to 114 MPH. He plays his home games in a bandbox but 114 MPH is 114 MPH, that is true homer-power at work. I think there's a potential for a solid hit tool at best if he learns how to recognize breaking balls better but yes, I have no issue seeing north of 20-25 homers from him.
Bishop also has the speed to compliment his power. It is a true plus speed with near 4.0 run times from the left side but he should improve his basestealing ability, especially his jumps, after only 12 bases in 19 tries. It is something that he can improve on. That pure speed gives him a greater than 50% chance to stick at center. Grades about his arm are wide, with as low as 30 and as high as 50. There's a big windup in his throws and the pure strength is just fringy, so a move towards left field is a possibility. But I have seen him do impressive diving catches and up the wall catches to make me think he can stick at center. If he can do the spectacular catches already without proper jumps and route running, what if you improve on it? And hey, Mike Trout has a 40 arm. All of it makes up a very promising center field prospect. A rather high risk-high reward kind of prospect but hey, if you want to swing for the fences in an outfielder, you can bet on Bishop.
In terms the value of the pick, the value is right on the money, with a lot of media sources listing Bishop in their top 10 and is a true center fielder among the outfielders (only Corbin Carroll is the only true center field prospect that I see in the top 20), in terms of fit with the org, I see Bishop as in some ways a plan for the Zaidi front to augment Bishop with Heliot, Bart and Luciano to have them arrive together at around a 2-year window.
In terms of where to slot Bishop in the prospect rankings, I can say he is at the top 4, most likely the 4th best, but I hate doing it that way, so I will say that he is in the same tier as Luciano (Bart and Heliot are pretty much in a higher tier because they are just so good this year). Although if you give Bishop a first full season next year and he excels, there's no hesitation in my mind to have him in the same tier as Heliot and Bart (hopefully, Luciano as well), giving the Giants a promising core of position players, more importantly up the middle position players, for the next decade (assuming all goes well). Don't be sad that the Giants did not draft a pitcher this year, someone like a Manoah or a Rutledge, because if they keep playing bottom 5 baseball for the season, they will be in a prime spot to take a top-end pitcher, much better than what this year is offering. Or they grab a Tork to bring the Tork-Bish combo to the China Basin. However, the second selection of the Giants might've put a dent in those dreams.
Second Round
I was devoted to my work as a R&D food specialist when the second round came by and I completely missed it (came back to expect the Giants on the clock but it is already pick 70+). So, I just checked the MLB Draft Tracker and saw that the Giants drafted Logan Wyatt in the second round. At first, I am shocked, because it seems pretty obvious that the Giants do have a logical future for Buster Posey to move him to first base either once the front office decides enough is enough with him behind the plate or once Joey Bart pushes him outta the crouch. The Zaidi front had nothing of that crap and decided to say screw that plan and drafted the left-handed hitting first baseman from Louisville.
Below is my full scouting report on Logan Wyatt
Logan Wyatt 1B/OF COL
6'4" 230 lbs. L/R 21.6 y/o
Videos: Perfect Game Baseball, The Prospect Pipeline, Prospects Live and 2080 Baseball
Hit 55 | Power 45 | Speed 35 | Arm 50 | Glove 50
The heir to Brendan McKay at first base (but not on the mound, obviously), Wyatt ever since been a force at the heart of the Louisville lineup for two years and has been in the top 3 in walks for the past two years. Known for hit than power, Wyatt has been more of a steady source of on base percentage than the slugging percentage, a quite of an intrigue considering first base is a position that has been known to be a source of power in the lineup.
If you look at his height and weight, you might think that Wyatt is a stocky first baseman but actually, he's not stocky at all. The frame's well built, he actually looks pretty lean for his size because his torso and legs does look to allow more weight to add muscle but I am happy with his overall frame. The frame gives him plus raw power but he never hit more than 10 homers in his two full seasons for the Cardinals. So, what gives?
Looking at his swing mechanics, he has very little load with his swing, not just with his back side but also his hands. Working from a wide, slightly open base, his way of loading is just by closing his front leg and moving forward a bit. He does not pull back to his back side and he does not load his hands well. Instead of turning the bat knob towards the catcher, the bat knob is pointed down to the ground. Even though I like how he keeps his hands loose throughout his swing, if he does not allow to rear back and let his natural power work, his likely power will not be good, and it will stay average at best. If he ever works on it though, like maybe adding a slight wrinkle to his leg kick and loading his hands more, then it is an easy evaluation of grading his power to a 55, or more. I like how his bat speed is a plus, the bat travels well through home plate but there are times he pulls his arms in too much and creates an iffy bat path.
But the thing that is sticking out like a sore thumb is his ability to work counts. His ability to take pitches, foul pitches in two strike counts and take borderline pitches with some relative ease is kind of like Joey Votto-esque in some ways. He's got good feel for the zone but he can be blamed for being too passive and taking pitches that he should've did damage. That said, coaching him to take advantage of his eye and approach at the plate to be more aggressive in pro ball could do him wonders at the plate, especially that he's using the whole field as it stands, peppering it with doubles. There's a bit of an issue in terms of the strikeout rate that is likely a result of being too passive but I don't see his strikeouts to be an issue in the near future.
For a guy with below average speed, Wyatt's a very good athlete at first base, showing nimble and quick feet, the fielding actions are quick and nice, arm strength is good with a compact arm action, and has the potential to be a solid defender at first base, and I would not be surprised if he became a better defender there than I expected. Wyatt should be an enticing prospect for those who love walk percentage, on base percentage, and some defensive versatility if ever they want to try him out at the corner outfield. Hey, Michael Busch did it, why not Wyatt? I think he is a passable defender there but the ingredients to be a good defender in the future to pair up with his hit over power (for now) bat is good. There's some Pavin Smith-like bust potential (hit/OBP over power 1B who failed to develop power) but I hope that pro coaching can alter his swing to drive the ball better and hit for power while keeping his on base percentage high.
Now, now, I know what you are thinking. Wyatt is the antithesis of Chris Shaw. Wyatt is not a do-or-die-type of hitter, he is a controlled hitter. Wyatt is someone that the Zaidi front who craves for: guys with high OBP, walks and stuff. Someone that can be their poster child for what the direction of the organization as a whole. The whole first base thing be damned. The Giants brass said Wyatt will be tried out in the corner outfield. I can see the reasons why they want to try him out there: the speed is not horrible or a 20 rating like Chris Shaw to be a liability there as it is something that can be palatable (35-40 depending on what you see from him), the nimbleness and the quick twitch at first base are obvious (how he turns his body from first base side to second base to throw the ball without much recoil or stiffness is impressive) so I can definitely see the reasoning for trying him out there. If he does not pan out there, put him back at first base where he can platoon with Buster. That stuff will work it out. In terms of the value of the pick, I am not that enamored at first because I liked other players with the riskier but toolsier profiles but I am fine with the pick. In terms of where Wyatt will slot right now, the first thing on my mind is to slot him in the top 12 prospects.
All in all, Zaidi wanted to draft bats in the early going of the draft and he did deliver, with two of the best hitters available in their spot (Bishop definitely more toolsy than other players avaiable even if less of a hitter, Wyatt's offensive impact potential is the best among whoever's left after 50 picks). It is not a bad draft. Not a bad draft at all. Some might feel they could've drafted a HS prospect, high-risk high-reward, in the second round. Then again, Bishop has more risk in his overall profile than a regular 10th pick so the case of drafting the safest guy on board, usually a mature offensively college position player, is a good choice and Wyatt presents that safety blanket. That's not to say that Wyatt does not have a ceiling to reach. There's a ceiling to Wyatt. I can see why they drafted the two. We can see what is the M.O. of Zaidi's administration. What Zaidi said is true: he wants a quick rebuild, and a way to quickly rebuild is to draft quick-movers with offensive impact, and the tandem of Bishop and Wyatt is a testament to that.
Let's hope day 2 is full of excitement, like the first and of course, I will write the review of that tomorrow. For now, enjoy the BISH BOMBS (!!!!) BISH BOMBS (have to repeat it because I am hyped) and the WYATT WARS.
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