A Look at the San Francisco Giants Last Five First Round Draft Picks

Chris Shaw

With the 31st pick in the 2015 MLB Draft the San Francisco Giants took first baseman Chris Shaw from Boston College.

Shaw was originally drafted by the New York Mets with the 26th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Lexington High School in Lexington, Mass. He obviously declined and decided to play college baseball first.

In his junior season at Boston College he hit .319 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI, while playing in the ACC.

He played in the outfield for the Eagles, but it was clear when the Giants drafted him that he would play first base. Shaw also had a hamate bone injury in his last year at Boston College that limited his playing time, but it hasn’t seemed to affect him since.

He was immediately sent to Low-A where he hit .287 in 178 at-bats with 12 home runs and 30 RBI and a .360 on-base-percentage.

He spent time between High-A and Double-A last year where he hit a combined .267 with 21 home runs and 85 RBI.

The 23-year-old began this season back at Double-A where he’s hitting .283 with a .386 on-base-percentage and 3 home runs with 14 RBI.

The Giants are in no rush to bring him up to the big leagues with Brandon Belt currently holding first base. I think that’s why the Giants are moving him back to the outfield this year.

He’s played 11 games at first base this year, but he’s also played five games in left field. That’s pretty interesting considering the Giants desperately need a left fielder.

If he continues to hit 20-plus home runs in the minors it will be hard to hold Shaw back. My guess is that he spends all of 2017 in the minors and then gets an invite to spring training next year with a chance to make the team.