San Francisco Giants: Grading the 2005 MLB draft class

In the days leading up to the 2019 MLB Draft, we’ll be taking a look back at every San Francisco Giants draft since 2000. Next up, the 2005 draft class.

The 2005 MLB draft was an interesting one for the San Francisco Giants.

As a result of signing Moises Alou, Omar Vizquel and Armando Benitez in free agency, the Giants did not have a pick until the fourth round.

They also failed to sign their sixth- (RHP Brad Cuthbertson) and eighth-round picks (2B Scotty Bridges), which left them with an extremely thin draft class.

The team had 47 total selections and wound up signing 27 of the players that were picked.

Of those 27 players that signed, only five ended up reaching the majors.

Here’s a closer look at a few notable selections:

First Pick: OF Ben Copeland, Pittsburgh—4th round, 132nd overall

During his junior season at the University of Pittsburgh, outfielder Ben Copeland hit .384/.469/.703 with 23 doubles, 10 triples, nine home runs and 29 steals.

He hit well in his pro debut after signing, posting a .315/.372/.514 line with 20 extra-base hits in 47 games between rookie ball and Low-A.

That was enough to earn him the No. 23 spot among Giants prospects heading into the 2006 season, according to Baseball America.

He wound up hitting .275/.353/.413 over parts of eight minor league seasons with three different organizations but never reached the majors.

Best Pick: RHP Sergio Romo, Colorado Mesa—28th round, 852nd overall

Another year where the “Best Pick” and “Best Late-Round Pick” were one and the same, Sergio Romo was drafted out of Colorado Mesa University from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

After beginning his pro career as a starter, Romo moved to the bullpen at High-A San Jose in 2007 and took off. He made his MLB debut the following season and was an integral part of the team’s bullpen all the way through the 2016 season.

His 515 appearances during his time with the Giants rank fifth in franchise history. During that time, he posted a 2.58 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 with 84 saves and 142 holds.

He also made 25 appearances during the team’s 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series runs, posting a 2.11 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 21.1 innings.

The 36-year-old is still active and pitching with the Miami Marlins this season.

Others Who Reached the Majors

• RHP Joe Martinez—12th round, 372nd overall
• LHP Alex Hinshaw—15th round, 462nd overall
• OF Antoan Richardson—35th round, 1,062nd overall
• OF Thomas Neal—36th round, 1,092nd overall

The Giants drafted Alex Hinshaw in 2000 (28th round) and 2002 (29th round) and he was also drafted by the Florida Marlins in 2003 (25th round) before finally signing with San Francisco as a 15th-round pick in 2005.

Final Thoughts/Grade

The Giants dug themselves a hole with their busy offseason and they failed to make up for it with the picks they did have. Sergio Romo was a huge part of the bullpen and an all-time steal in the 28th round, but it’s not enough to save this class.

Grade: F

We’ll be running through every San Francisco Giants draft class since 2000 leading up to the 2019 MLB Draft on June 3rd, so be sure to check back here for more.