SF Giants: Scouting possible two-way player Casey Schmitt

The SF Giants drafted possible two-way player Casey Schmitt in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

The SF Giants surprised many people with their first-round selection of NC State catcher Patrick Bailey, and nearly as many people were surprised with their second-round pick as well.

After many felt that their first-round pick was a bit of a reach, they doubled-down and did a similar thing in the second round. Of course, pre-draft projections are more meaningless in the MLB Draft than in any other professional draft.

And in this case, the player the Giants drafted is as intriguing as any in the class.

With their second-round pick, the team took a chance on San Diego State’s Casey Schmitt — a third baseman by trade who also served as the Aztecs’ closer. And it’s that two-way potential that makes him so interesting.

Times are changing in the baseball world with numerous young prospects following in Shohei Ohtani’s lead of being possible two-way players at the next level. Schmitt could be next-in-line.

But as the Giants see him, he might be relegated to more of an exclusive hitting role. As John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, the Giants seem set on keeping him as solely an offensive player.

"“Rather than envisioning Schmitt as a two-way player, the Giants see him as a hitter. Until further notice, they value his bat potential and glove more than his work on the mound.”"

While some fans may be let down by that notion, it’s not something to get too worked up about After all, Schmitt still offers plenty of promise as a position player.

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SF Giants’ second-round pick Casey Schmitt could develop into a solid hitter.

The 21-year-old has above-average raw power and was pretty effective at the plate during his time at San Diego State. Schmitt slashed .323/.386/.452 during his final collegiate season and was on pace for perhaps his best season yet before the season was canceled after only 16 games.

ESPN ranked him No. 71 on their big board while FanGraphs had him as high as 87th. Both sites projected his future value at 40 — somewhat underwhelming for a second-round pick.

But while he may not have the highest ceiling, many see Schmitt as a high-floor prospect with enough promise at the plate to develop into an above-average hitter at the major-league level.

Of course, the intrigue will always be there to try him as a pitcher as well. Schmitt’s fastball can reach speeds of up to 94 or 94 mph which he pairs with a pretty average curveball and splitter. The movement on his fastball is what most excites scouts, however.

Ultimately, Schmitt might not have a future as a pitcher, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see him take the mound in an MLB game. After all, the Giants have found some success with allowing their third basemen to pitch in the past — let Pablo pitch!

This seems like a bit of a reach given his projected value, but it’ll be up to Schmitt and the Giants’ player-development department to prove his initial projections wrong.