San Francisco Giants Select 1B Logan Wyatt 51st Overall

San Francisco Giants: No. 51 Overall Pick

Player: Logan Wyatt

Position: First Baseman

DOB: 11/15/1997

Height/Weight: 6’4”, 230 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/R

School: University of Louisville

Prospect Evaluation

After sitting on the bench for the majority of his freshman season at the University of Louisville, new San Francisco Giants prospect Logan Wyatt locked down first base and was one of the most effective hitters in the country over the past two seasons.

He’s a slow 30-grade runner but is a pretty smooth athlete with soft hands and a solid arm that should make him an above-average defensive first baseman. A few scouts think he could handle left field. Scouting director Michael Holmes said the Giants believe he has the necessary athleticism to be playable as a corner outfielder, but his lack of speed makes that seem pretty unlikely.

The bat is going to have to carry Wyatt to Oracle Park and his profile defers from the first basemen selected under the past regime. With John Barr running the ship, when the Giants went with a first basemen they tended to lean toward power (with exception to Brandon Belt). Ricky Oropesa, Brian Ragira, and Chris Shaw all were touted for their massive raw power, but very questionable hit tools.

Wyatt’s swing is geared more for hit than power. Scouts think he has 50-55 raw power that a swing change could tap into, but in college, he’s been much more of a doubles hitter.

His approach at the plate is easily his best tool. He has been one of the most disciplined hitters in the country since the start of his sophomore season (126 BB in 566 PA from 2018-19). Normally, a patient approach brings strikeouts with it, but Wyatt has kept those down as well (only 75 K from 2018-19).

His approach was successful at the Cape Cod League, where he led the league in walks and still managed to avoid punch outs (29 BB to 24 K in 168 PA). His Cape Cod League slash line of .305/.458/.438 is probably what Giants brass’ see as his ceiling of production as a pro.

Perhaps they believe their development group can make a swing adjustment to generate 25+ home runs, but his current profile could still be effective.

While, Wyatt does not have what many people think of as your typical first baseman’s profile,  when you look at the best first basemen in baseball today, many of them weren’t mashers at this point.

Of the best former NCAA first basemen in the league today, Paul Goldschmidt, Max Muncy, Rhys Hoskins, and Brandon Belt didn’t really hit for big-time power in college (Goldschmidt hit double-digit home runs but in a weak conference and strong hitting environment), but all of them walked more than they struck out their junior seasons.

Draft Value

At first, this pick was a disappointment. Not directly because of Wyatt, but because prep players like SS Matthew Lugo, SS Kyren Paris, and OF Maurice Hampton had all slipped to the San Francisco Giants and would have made for an amazing pairing of upside with first-round selection Hunter Bishop.

However, the more I see of Wyatt, the more I like the pick. His profile is quite similar to most of the best first basemen around baseball and while Giants’ player development will surely try to develop more home run power, his archetype may be the perfect way to attack Oracle Park.

In terms of value, it really depends on who you ask. MLB Pipeline ranked Wyatt the 58th best prospect, Keith Law was bullish on him at 43, and Baseball America was even higher at 36. With that said, FanGraphs Prospects didn’t even consider him one of the 150 best prospects available.

How the Giants choose to develop Wyatt will determine how quickly he can move. If they think his swing and current profile is good to go, he may be able to move through the minor leagues quickly, but if they see adjustments to generate more power as necessary, then there will likely be some growing pains.

In case you missed it, check out our write-up on San Francisco Giants’ first-round pick Hunter Bishop and stay tuned for more on him, Wyatt, and the rest of the Giants’ picks as the draft continues tomorrow.