San Francisco Giants: Best all-time draft picks by round

Round 1: C Buster Posey, 2008

The first round has been a hit-or-miss one for the San Francisco Giants, which considering that it’s supposed to be the round with the most sure-things, could be seen as a negative.

Fortunately, the hits have been home runs, making up for some busts.

Will Clark in 1985 and Matt Williams the following year were a good kick-start to the late-80’s San Francisco teams that made a World Series appearance.

Clark was an especially quick performer, becoming an All-star and leading the league in several major categories in just his third season. He’d probably be the pick if he had spent more than eight years in San Francisco, but he did rack up five All-star appearances, two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove during his time with the team.

The winner, however, has to be someone from the incredible run from 2006-08 when they drafted three of the best to ever put on a Giants uniform.

They owned the No. 10 overall pick in consecutive years, taking pitchers Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner in 2006 and 2007. Then, the next year with the No. 5 overall pick, they selected catcher Buster Posey.

Lincecum may have had the highest of all their highs, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the career longevity. Bumgarner has a real case as well, but we’ll go with Posey.

One of the best catchers of all-time, Posey became the first Giants player since 1975 to win NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2010. He is a six-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger winner and he has also won a Gold Glove and a batting title.

The 32-year-old a lifetime .304 hitter with 41.5 WAR in his first nine and a half seasons in the league. He will also be wearing a Giants uniform for the foreseeable future with his current contract running through the 2022 season.

Honorable Mentions: Will Clark (1985), Matt Williams (1986), Matt Cain (2002), Tim Lincecum (2006), Madison Bumgarner (2007)