Pick 58
Here is where things get a little more tricky. If you go with the safe pick at 19, then you can certainly take some risks at 56.
Clarke Schmidt, a pitcher out of South Carolina, would definitely be a risky pick here. But he could also be a huge steal.
If it were not for injury problems, Schmidt would be a top 10 pick in this draft. So if the San Francisco Giants want to get a little risky here, I think Schmidt is the way to go.
However, Schmidt is ranked at 49, so there’s a chance he’s off the board for this pick anyway.
If they want to play it safe and get a bat, there should be a lot of college bats available at 58. You have SEC Player of the Year Brent Rooker from Mississippi State who is ranked 50th.
Brian Miller out of North Carolina is ranked 59th and would be a good pick here. A couple of Wake Forest bats in Gavin Sheets and Stuart Fairchild should be available.
Another power bat out of the SEC, Greg Deichmann from LSU, would also be a good pick here.
Other pitchers who would be available at 58 are Tristan Beck from Stanford and Blaine Knight from Arkansas.
I wrote an article on Beck earlier this year as a potential first round pick for the San Francisco Giants, but injury problems (non arm relate) prevented him from playing this year; thus, his MLB draft stock has fallen. Beck is someone who could go early if a team is willing to take a chance, or another team could get a high-upside pick later in the draft.
If the San Francisco Giants do take a college arm at 19, I would love to see them go after Stuart Fairchild or Greg Deichmann with this pick. Both are outfielders, something the San Francisco Giants need.
If not, then hopefully they can get either Schmidt or Beck here.