San Francisco Giants: 5500 Words on the 2019 MLB Draft

2nd round (51st overall): Louisville 1B Logan Wyatt—Slot: $1,436,900

Most early collegiate picks have been playing regularly since their freshman year. That wasn’t the case for Wyatt.

The  6’4”-230-pound Louisville native has always been limited defensively and when he arrived on campus, Brendan McKay was already entrenched as the starting first baseman. As a result, Wyatt tallied just 18 at-bats as a freshman.

While it was obviously a struggle, Wyatt credited the difficulty for humbling him before he moved forward.

He took over as the starting first baseman during his sophomore season and has been one of the most effective hitters in the country since.

Scouting director Michael Holmes said the Giants believe Wyatt has the necessary athleticism to be playable as a corner outfielder, but that remains an open question. He’s a smooth athlete with soft hands and a solid arm that make him an above-average first baseman. However, his 30-grade speed just limits how much ground he can cover.

Whether or not he can handle the outfield, the bat will have to carry Wyatt to Oracle Park. His swing is geared more for hit than power, but he has 50-55 raw power that a swing change could tap into.

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 with 126 walks in 566 plate appearances. Often times, a patient approach can lead to more strikeouts, but he has kept those down as well with only 75 the past two seasons.

With John Barr running the ship, the Giants tended to prioritize power, so Wyatt’s profile differs from the type of first baseman who has been selected in years past.

Fangraphs Prospects were by far the lowest on Wyatt because he lacked big-time power. There are legitimate questions if he is unable to make some adjustments whether his approach will be enough to carry him at the next level.

That said, his approach was successful in the Cape Cod League, where he led the league in walks (29) and still managed to avoid strikeouts (24) over 168 plate appearances. His .305/.458/.438 line at the Cape might be his ceiling as a pro.

Perhaps there is more in there, though. After all, even his manager at Louisville admitted he had asked Wyatt to be “greedier” at the plate. If a swing adjustment could generate 20+ home runs and he maintains his plate discipline in the process, it could make for an elite first baseman.

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 the league today, many of them weren’t mashers at this stage in their careers.

Of the best former NCAA first basemen in the league today, Max Muncy, Rhys Hoskins, and Brandon Belt all didn’t hit for much home run power in college. They all have one thing in common, though. They all walked more than they struck out their junior seasons, just like Wyatt.

Other pundits were much higher on Wyatt than Fangraphs and some suggested the Giants may have gotten great value. MLB Pipeline ranked Wyatt the #58 best prospect, Keith Law was bullish on him at #43, and Baseball America was even higher at #36.

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, there will likely be some growing pains.

Much like Bishop, Wyatt is both sure to sign and sure to receive his full slot-allotment of $1,436,900.