Examining how the SF Giants actually got really good value in 2024 MLB Draft

The draft is the lifeblood of any organization. Every year, teams enjoy an influx of amateur talent as they look for the next homegrown star that will bring them a title. The SF Giants are in a precarious spot this season, however, as they have to surrender both their second and third-round picks for their signings of both Matt Chapman and Blake Snell last offseason. It was beneficial for the sake of winning for this season but hindsight is 20/20. Who would have thought that injuries would run amok in the team in the first half of the season?

Examining how the SF Giants actually got really good value in 2024 MLB Draft

Once the draft was over though, it seemed that the Giants squeezed out as much as they could with the resources available to them. All in all, the Giants drafted nine position players and eight pitchers this year. They also only drafted one high school prospect, Andy Polanco in the eleventh round. And of course, they drafted a catcher like they always do.

Most, if not all, hitters selected by the Giants seem to be good fastball hitters and can park the hard stuff over the plate over the fence but struggle with breaking balls. That is interesting to me because the Giants coaches emphasize on making better contact against breaking balls with their hitting prospects. They have seen more success in that area compared to other organizations over the past couple of seasons. Perhaps they would try to help these heater punishers with better breaking ball recognition and contact ability to make them more well-rounded hitters. That, my friends, is scouting and player development working together.

On the other hand, the pitchers drafted this year do not have the recognition of what they have added to the organization over the past couple of years. You can only do so much without a second and a third, but there seemed to be a method to the madness. The pitchers they drafted on the third day seemed more exciting than those they drafted in the seventh to tenth rounds. And it is all because of bonus pool machinations. Unlike the players drafted in the first two days, players drafted in the third day can receive up to $150,000 without affecting the bonus pool. It means there are more exciting pitchers, including talented seniors, who receive six-figure bonuses and do not hurt the pool while seniors willing to take $20,000, around five to six times less, get drafted on the second day.

There will be no draft or tool grades to be handed out to every player drafted. I am going to do so when I make my final top prospects rankings update after the trade and signing deadlines. Honestly, I would much prefer to see the players play in the backfields first before handing out an evaluation and tool grades. It is because pro ball is a whole different animal. Folks may consider the SEC as better than Low-A ball or some do treat the Minors as child's play. But for most, it is a grind. It is a struggle. A lot of players show traits that were unseen when they were amateurs. Some prospects that have a tool graded highly as amateurs look rather vanilla right off the gate in pro ball and vice versa. Some are motivated to work, and some just rather take the money and head off to the sunset while still very young. Remember, development, motivation, and coachability are essential.

Signings are updated as of July 21, 2024, 3 PM PT.