San Francisco Giants Select Twice in First Round of the Draft
The San Francisco Giants had two selections in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, 18th overall and 31st overall. The second selection of the round was a Compensatory pick, which they received from the Boston Red Sox when they signed Pablo Sandoval this past offseason.
With the 18th pick, the Giants took right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford, from the College of Southern Nevada. Bickford was previously a first-round pick, as the Toronto Blue Jays picked him 10th overall in 2013. When the two sides couldn’t agree to a deal, Bickford went to Cal State Fullerton for a season.
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USA Today projected Bickford to go to the Royals at 21st overall, while MLB.com‘s Jonathan Mayo had him going 22nd to the Detroit Tigers. Overall, MLB.com’s prospect watch had Bickford ranked as the 21st-best prospect ahead of the draft.
In his one year at Fullerton, Bickford pitched in 20 games, including 10 starts. Over 76 innings, Bickford posted a 2.13 ERA and 1.039 WHIP, while striking out 74. After the season, he went to play in the Cape Cod League, where he was extremely impressive. In 27.2 innings, he allowed just two earned runs and struck out 44, and was named the League’s top prospect.
Bickford transferred ahead of the 2015 season to Southern Nevada, and he was fantastic. In 86 innings, Bickford posted a 9-1 record and 1.45 ERA, and struck out 166. That equals out t0 17.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Bickford’s best weapon is his fastball, which routinely hovers in the mid-90’s. His control is also superb with the heater. His coach Nick Gerritano said that Bickford’s “command on the fastball for a 19-year-old is unbelievable,” and that he “can put a 96-mph fastball anywhere he wants”.
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He doesn’t have a great secondary pitch as of yet, but he does have a slider that can be developed into a legitimate secondary pitch. The Giants’ system main priority at this point with Bickford should be developing a strong offspeed offering.
Bickford did have some personal issues before the draft, as he tested positive for marijuana in a predraft drug test.
With the 31st pick, the Giants went in a different direction, as they selected first baseman and corner outfielder Chris Shaw from Boston College. Shaw is a big man, standing 6’3″, and tipping the scales at 248 pounds.
Shaw is coming off two very nice seasons with BC. In 2014, his sophomore year, Shaw batted .329 with 18 doubles, six home runs and 45 RBI. He earned the honor of being named first-team All-ACC. After that season, he played in the Cape Cod League, and led the circuit with eight home runs.
He continued his batting prowess in his junior year. Despite missing a few weeks with a broken hamate bone in his hand, Shaw still batted .319 with a career-high 11 home runs, plus 43 RBI. He again earned first-team All-ACC honors.
For a man his size, his greatest tool is easy to see. Shaw possesses power, power and more power. He does also have a swing that could earn him a solid average to go with all that strength. Defensively, Shaw looks like a first baseman, but he did play in the outfield a lot at Boston College. He could slot in at either corner outfield spot, or at first base.
The Giants, for all the talk of having a weak farm system, have had incredibly good luck with a lot of their recent first-round picks. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Joe Panik were all Giants’ first-round selections. 2014’s number one pick, Tyler Beede, looks to be heading on a similar path, as he has already advanced to Double-A Richmond.
There’s been a fair share of duds as well. Notably, the Giants had six first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Madison Bumgarner was the first of those six. The other five (three of which were supplemental picks) have combined to play 68 games with the Giants. Nick Noonan played 62, Charlie Culberson played six, and Tim Alderson, Wendell Fairley, and Jackson Williams have combined for zero.
It’s no surprise the Giants went with pitching for one of these two picks. They’ve lived and died with their pitching for years now, and getting another top pitching prospect puts them in a great position for the future. Adding a power hitter also gives them something they lack in the farm system. Both Bickford and Shaw have the look to be able to help the Giants in the (near) future.