San Francisco Giants: Grading the 2007 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 2007 draft class.

The San Francisco Giants had six picks in the first 51 during the 2007 MLB draft, including the No. 10 overall selection, after going 76-85 during the 2006 campaign.

The departure of free agents Jason Schmidt, Moises Alou and Mike Stanton netted those extra first-round picks.

The team had 52 total selections and wound up signing 45 of the players that were picked.

The highest unsigned selection was right-hander Dan McDaniel in the 28th round, so they did a great job locking up their draft class.

However, of the 45 players that signed, just nine ended up reaching the majors.

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

First Pick: LHP Madison Bumgarner, South Caldwell HS (N.C.)—1st round, 10th overall

Madison Bumgarner was the second high school pitcher taken in the 2007 draft after Jarrod Parker went No. 9 overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Talk about a franchise-altering decision by the San Francisco Giants front office.

The ultra-polished Bumgarner made his pro debut at Single-A and he needed just 273 minor league innings before he made his MLB debut on Sept. 8, 2009, shortly after his 20th birthday.

He made 18 starts in 2010 and pitched his way onto the postseason rotation, capping off the first chapter in his illustrious postseason legacy with eight shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series.

Bumgarner joined the rotation full-time in 2011 and finished 11th in NL Cy Young voting, and from there he quickly emerged as one of baseball’s best young pitchers and a true workhorse ace.

While his 2017 and 2018 seasons were cut short by injuries, his career numbers are still extremely impressive. In 11 seasons with the Giants, he’s gone 113-87 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 29.9 WAR.  He has added another 4.3 WAR offensively with 18 career home runs.

That said, his legacy has truly been carved in the postseason, where he sports a 2.11 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 102.1 innings. His performance in the 2014 World Series when he recorded two wins and a five-inning save in Game 7 will go down as one of the greatest in MLB postseason history.

The question now becomes whether 2019 will be his final season in a Giants uniform and if he’ll still be around beyond the July 31 trade deadline.

Passed On: None

(Second-)Best Pick: IF Charlie Culberson, Calhoun HS (Ga.)—1st round, 51st overall

Charlie Culberson finally found a home with the Atlanta Braves last season after bouncing around for much of his career, posting a 111 OPS+ with 18 doubles and 12 home runs in 322 plate appearances as a super-utility player.

He didn’t make much of an on-field contribution during his time with the Giants, going 3-for-22 in six games during the 2012 season.

However, the Giants used him to acquire second baseman Marco Scutaro from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline in 2012, and he went on to play a pivotal role in the team’s World Series run that year.

Best Late-Round Pick: RHP Dan Otero, South Florida—21st round, 644th overall

Another player who found success elsewhere, Dan Otero posted a 5.84 ERA in 12 appearances with the Giants in 2012 before bouncing around on waivers.

He spent time with the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies before finally carving out a spot in the Cleveland Indians bullpen. In four seasons with the Indians, he has a 3.10 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 192 appearances.

Others Who Reached the Majors

• IF Nick Noonan—1st round, 32nd overall
• C Jackson Williams—1st round, 43rd overall
• LHP Dan Runzler—9th round, 284th overall
• LHP Joe Paterson—10th round, 314th overall
• RHP Steve Edlefsen—16th round, 494th overall
• C Johnny Monell—30th round, 914th overall

Lefty Dan Runzler had a 3.03 ERA in 41 appearances out of the Giants bullpen in 2010. Besides that, nothing much of note in this group.

Final Thoughts/Grade

The Madison Bumgarner pick was obviously a huge win, but the Giants whiffed on their five other picks inside the first 51. That’s enough to bump this draft class down to a B+, even if it did land them a franchise icon.

Grade: B+

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.