Jackson Flora impressed, but a SF Giants draft steal stole the show in his pro debut

The SF Giants are circling the drain right now and other than Rafael Devers continuing to mash the ball as he looks like he may reach 40 home runs on the season, the farm system might be the more exciting product to watch the rest of the year.

That was the case on Friday night as Jackson Flora, the pitcher the Giants selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, made his pro debut with the Single-A San Jose Giants.

He did pretty well, pitching one scoreless inning while he struck out two batters. The command wasn’t completely there as he walked one batter and gave up one hit but in all it was an impressive showing for the guy who grew up a Giants fan in the Bay Area. While Flora deservedly got all the headlines, another Giant making his pro debut also turned some heads. 

Another Giants prospect making his pro debut deserves praise

Drew Smith was selected by the Giants in the 15th round out of the University of Oregon and even when he was first picked it seemed like he could be a steal that late in the draft.

He didn’t do anything to disprove that narrative as he went 2-for-4 on Friday night with a double and a home run, driving in four of the team’s eight runs on the night. Obviously it is just his first professional game, but based on what he did for the Ducks it is not completely irrational to think he could be a guy who makes it through the system very quickly.

In 2026 with Oregon he hit .342/.425/.622 with 16 home runs and 64 runs batted in. His power finally came as a senior which is a good sign. His previous season-high in homers for the Ducks was five so if he adds power to an already solid contact profile he could be dangerous.

The 23-year-old played third base last night but he can play second base as well and can also serve as a corner outfielder. He profiles somewhat similarly to Parks Harber who is currently in Triple-A and was acquired in the Camilo Doval trade last year.

It’s far too early to say that Matt Chapman’s days with the Giants are numbered or anything like that, but Smith looks like a really solid selection so he will be a guy to keep an eye on down in San Jose alongside Flora, Josuar Gonzalez, and Tanner Malley just to name a few.

The farm system has been winning and thriving this year so maybe the minor league affiliates are foreshadowing some future success down the road for the Giants.

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