SF Giants MLB Draft 2020 recap: Uninspiring picks but system shows improvement

SF Giants 85th pick overall: Pitcher Kyle Harrison, De La Salle High School

It is odd to see De La Salle in the news and it not be related to football. That said, the Giants got excellent value with Kyle Harrison in the third round. Many mock drafts had the left-handed hurler going higher than the third round, but he fell right into the Giants lap.

This pick is similar to the Swiney pick in that both Harrison and Swiney throw with the left hand, which is clearly the superior hand if you ask Zaidi. That stats seem to agree with this message as well:

I am no expert, but I would argue that Harrison’s record as a high school arm is pretty impressive. And, if I was the team responsible for that one blemish, I would probably tell my grandchildren about it someday.

Anyways, Harrison features a three-pitch mix including a low-90s fastball, slider, and changeup. Perhaps, he can add another tick or two on his fastball as he develops, but the fact that it sits in the low-90s will probably limit his ceiling.

The 18-year-old uses his slider as his out pitch, but has a good feel for his changeup as well. This is just a theory, but baseball seems to quietly value southpaws with good sliders. That is Harrison’s bread-and-butter.

In total, Harrison is pitchability over stuff. He commands his pitches well and uses a three-quarters arm slot that hides the ball well from hitters. He is surprisingly mature for his age, but the question remains, how much of a ceiling does he have? Either way, this is a good value for a third-round pick.