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San Francisco Giants: Grading the 2011 MLB draft class

Joel Reuter|
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Joe Panik #12 of the San Francisco Giants turns a double play as Jeff McNeil #68 of the New York Mets slides in the eigth inning during their game at Citi Field on August 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Joe Panik #12 of the San Francisco Giants turns a double play as Jeff McNeil #68 of the New York Mets slides in the eigth inning during their game at Citi Field on August 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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 2011 draft class.

The San Francisco Giants had the No. 29 pick in the 2011 draft after going 92-70 and winning the World Series the previous season.

The team had 51 total selections and wound up signing 39 of the players that were picked.

The highest unsigned selection was right-hander Adam Paulencu in the 13th round. Current Oakland Athletics starter Andrew Triggs was also unsigned as a 21st-round pick.

Of the 39 players that signed, 10 have reached the majors.

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

First Pick: 2B Joe Panik, St. John’s—1st round, 29th overall

Joe Panik hit .370/.474/.597 during his three years at St. John’s, including a .398/.509/.642 line with 32 extra-base hits and 21 steals during his junior year.

That was enough to make him the third college middle infielder chosen after JUCO second baseman Cory Spangenberg (No. 10 overall) and Hawaii second baseman Kolten Wong (No. 22 overall).

He made his MLB debut on June 21, 2014, and he hit .305/.343/.368 in 287 plate appearances to finish sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

He was an All-Star the following season and won Gold Glove honors in 2016.

All told, Panik has hit .275/.338/.392 with 7.5 WAR over six MLB seasons.

Passed On: CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (40th overall), RHP Michael Fulmer, (44th overall), SS Trevor Story (45th overall), LHP Blake Snell (52nd overall)

(Second-)Best Pick: RHP Kyle Crick, Sherman HS (Texas)—1st round, 49th overall

Baseball America ranked Kyle Crick as the No. 1 prospect in the San Francisco Giants system heading into the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and he peaked at No. 33 on the Top 100 prospect list at the start of the 2014 campaign.

Spotty command caused him to flame out as a starter, but he found new life after making the full-time move to the bullpen. The electric right-hander finally debuted in 2017, posting a 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 32.1 innings over 30 appearances.

That was enough to catch the eye of the Pirates, and he was included in the trade package that also sent outfielder Bryan Reynolds to Pittsburgh in exchange for Andrew McCutchen prior to the 2018 season.

Since joining the Pirates, Crick has emerged as a dominant late-inning force, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 with 26 holds in 83 appearances.

Best Late-Round Pick: IF Kelby Tomlinson, Texas Tech—12th round, 387th overall

Kelby Tomlinson spent parts of the past four seasons in a utility role with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .265/.331/.332 with 28 extra-base hits and 19 steals in 687 plate appearances.

He was worth 1.9 WAR during his time with the Giants before being outrighted off the 40-man roster at the end of last season. He is currently a free agent after briefly joining the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Others Who Reached the Majors

  • C Andrew Susac—2nd round, 86th overall
  • LHP Josh Osich—6th round, 207th overall
  • RHP Ray Black—7th round, 237th overall
  • RHP Derek Law—9th round, 297th overall
  • RHP Cody Hall—19th round, 597th overall
  • RHP Joe Biagini—26th round, 807th overall
  • RHP Jake Smith—48th round, 1,467th overall

Andrew Susac briefly looked like the catcher of the future in San Francisco before he was shipped to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the Will Smith trade. Reliever Derek Law saw some high-leverage appearances before he was included in the Kevin Pillar trade. Joe Biagini was lost in the Rule 5 draft to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hard-throwing Ray Black still has a chance to make his mark after beginning the season as the No. 17 prospect in the San Francisco system, according to Baseball America.

Final Thoughts/Grade

The Giants drafted a lot of MLB talent in the 2011 draft. While the class is lacking a headlining star in the Buster Posey or Madison Bumgarner mold, they did get an All-Star second baseman and several other solid contributors.

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.

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