Pair of undrafted SF Giants prospects considered diamonds in the rough

MLB Pipeline highlighted one diamond-in-the-rough prospect for each organization earlier this week. For the SF Giants, two were highlighted in outfield prospect Bo Davidson and reliever Trent Harris.

Pair of undrafted SF Giants prospects considered diamonds in the rough

Their paths are interwoven in a few different ways. Most notably, Davidson and Harris joined the Giants as undrafted free agents in 2023.

It was rare in the past for undrafted free agents to even reach the majors in the recent past. That trend could start to change, as MLB consolidated the draft to 20 rounds a few years ago. It was not that long ago when the draft consisted of 50 rounds.

So, teams will have more success finding undrafted prospects given that the number has increased. For Davidson and Harris, MLB Pipeline shared another similarity between the two Giants prospects:

"Giants part-time scout Paul Faulk (now with the Royals) scored with two nondrafted free agents out of North Carolina in the summer of 2023, landing Davidson from Caldwell CC for $50,000 and Harris for $10,000 out of NCAA Division II UNC Pembroke"

MLB Pipeline

The Giants have had a lot of success scouting, drafting, and developing players in the southeast, especially in North Carolina. Madison Bumgarner is the most notable recent example, but Patrick Bailey was drafted out of North Carolina State University as well.

Davidson has done nothing but hit since becoming a pro. He is slashing .328/.380/546 (149 wRC+) with four home runs, 20 RBI, and 19 runs in 129 plate appearances this season. This includes a 7.8 percent walk rate, 20.2 percent strikeout rate, and .218 ISO.

The left-handed bat generates plenty of bat speed and has above-average raw power. That is translating to game power better than he did last year, as he is beginning to lift and pull the ball with a little more regularity.

On the other hand, Trent Harris has recorded 11 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts against two walks with the Richmond Flying Squirrels this year. He is coming off a year in which he posted a 1.81 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 79.2 frames across three levels.

The right-handed reliever is a bit on the older side (26), so the Giants can be more aggressive with his development path. On the mound, he flashes a mid-90's four-seam fastball with two, distinct breaking pitches. Harris has a good feel for the fastball up in the zone, and it has plenty of late carry, leading to a lot of swinging strikes.

He mixes in a big, 12-to-6 curveball with a tighter, gyro slider. The curveball gets swinging strikes in the zone and as a chase pitch, whereas the slider gives hitters a different look.