SF Giants lean heavily on one school more than any other team in 2025 MLB draft

Assuming the SF Giants sign all 18 of their picks, there will be a sense of familiarity with a trio of picks. Jordan Gottesman (sixth round), Cam Maldonado (seventh round), and Cooper McGrath (18th round) all came from Northeastern University.

SF Giants lean heavily on one school more than any other team in 2025 MLB draft

Northeastern University finished in first place in the Coastal Athletic Association with a 49-11 record. The next closest team was the College of Charleston, with a 37-22 record.

The Giants took notice of the strong year that Northeastern University had, and clearly had a strong scouting presence at their games. In total, only five players from that school were selected in this year's draft. The Detroit Tigers selected infielder Jack Goodman in the 13th round, whereas the Atlanta Braves picked pitcher Aiven Cabral in the 18th round. The other three were selected by San Francisco.

Teams scour the entire country for talent. Colleges in the SEC and ACC tend to attract a lot of attention because the competition level is not unlike the lower levels in the minors. The Cape Cod League is a popular scouting target, especially for position players. That league uses wood bats, so teams get to see how a player adjusts to that change.

In the sixth round, the Giants picked Jordan Gottesman. The lefty pitcher recorded a 2.27 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 17 walks in 83.1 innings. He throws a low 90's fastball with a slider and a changeup. The fastball does not overpower with velocity, but he commands it well. Gottesman's slider and changeup both had healthy whiff rates. The pitchability-over-stuff profile tends to do well in the lower minors.

In the next round, the Giants selected outfielder Cam Maldanado. Maldanado was one of Northeastern University's best hitters this season. He had a 1.098 OPS with 15 home runs and 59 RBI in 272 plate appearances. While the Giants targeted contact-heavy hitters this year, the right-handed bat does have some swing-and-miss in his profile. He also offers more power than most of the players selected by the Giants.

Lastly, the Giants selected pitcher Cooper McGrath in the 18th round. McGrath worked out of the bullpen, registering a 1.66 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 12 walks in 21.2 innings. He throws from a low, three-quarters delivery that gives his pitches some natural gloveside movement. McGrath's fastball sits in the low 90's, and he mixes in a mid 80's sweeper with a harder cutter. The righty pitcher throws two types of fastballs.

Of course, they were not the only college teammates selected by the Giants this year. They picked Lorenzo Meola from Stetson University in the third round, followed by his teammate Isaiah Barkett in the 10th round. Both shared the left side of the infield in college this year.