2025 SF Giants first-round pick among three prospects to make latest preseason ranking

On Monday morning, Keith Law of The Athletic published his top-100 prospect list. The SF Giants had three prospects make the list, including 2025 first-round pick Gavin Kilen.

2025 SF Giants first-round pick among three prospects to make latest preseason ranking

Kilen came out of the University of Tennessee. His selection, along with the additions of Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell potentially paved the way for the Giants to land Tony Vitello as their next manager.

When the Giants selected Kilen, it felt like a slight overdraft. However, Law praised the pick by the Giants at the time, noting that he had a high floor.

Kilen came in at No. 69 in Law's preseason rankings. Bryce Eldridge and Josuar Gonzalez led the way for the Giants at No. 23 and No. 38, respectively.

It has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Giants. Although, they upgraded the outfield defense on Monday, with the reported addition of Harrison Bader.

Around this time of year, prospect outlets put together their preseason rankings. MLB Pipeline only had two Giants on the list, with Gonzalez seeing a notable bump up to No. 44.

Baseball America views the Giants' farm system as showing a night-and-day improvement compared to last year.

A lot of that improvement is happening in the lower minors. That said, Bryce Eldridge is one of the few Giants prospects who could impact the club as soon as this season. Gavin Kilen may not be slated to reach San Francisco by the end of the year, but he is a relatively advanced college bat. Plus, he has a track record of success against ACC pitching, which tends to be an indicator for someone who should do well in the lower minors.

Kilen is coming off a strong college season, where he slashed .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs, 46 RBI, and 60 runs in 245 plate appearances. This includes a 12.2 percent walk rate, 11.0 percent strikeout rate, and .314 ISO.

The left-handed bat saw a notable improvement in his slugging, going from a .591 slugging percentage in 2024 to a .671 slugging percentage last season. He had a brief stint with the San Jose Giants at the end of the year, but posted a .561 OPS in 43 plate appearances.

I generally do not put much weight into a player's pro performance in their draft year. They usually have had a full college season by the time they reach pro ball, so many are dealing with fatigue that late into the summer.

Kilen was drafted as a shortstop, but split time at second base and shortstop with San Jose. There is a good chance that he slides over to second base permanently due limited range and an average arm.