SF Giants make their first undrafted player signing

The SF Giants have made their first undrafted player signing following the 2020 MLB Draft.

The SF Giants have officially signed their first of what is expected to be many undrafted players following the conclusion of the 2020 MLB Draft. And that first signing is NC Central outfielder Carter Williams.

Given the nature of this year’s draft, it’s expected that a large number of talented players will end up signing with players as undrafted free agents. That’s because of the round reduction from the typical 40 to just five in 2020.

Williams is one of many young prospects who would have been selected had the MLB Draft been its normal 40 rounds. And there’s a good chance that he could have gone as high as the seventh or eighth round.

Nonetheless, the Giants were able to snag him after the draft was over and convince him not to return to college. Even though Williams was a senior in 2020, the NCAA has allowed another season of eligibility following the cancellation of the season due to COVID-19 restrictions.

All undrafted players are eligible to sign deals worth up to $20,000 which while nice is a fraction of what they likely would have made if they were drafted after the fifth round.

Still, that obviously didn’t dissuade Williams from signing with the Giants.

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Who is the SF Giants’ first undrafted signing?

Williams spent four seasons at NC Central slashing .330/.412/.479. While he never hit for much power totaling just 13 home runs in over 630 career at-bats, his plate discipline was impressive as he managed 81 walks over that time — nearly as many as his 85-strikeout total.

And at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, you’d expected there to be some untapped raw power to his game.

Williams also showed some speed on the base paths during his time at NC Central totaling 41 steals over what was essentially three full seasons. He was off to a hot start in 2020 slashing .316/.422/.368 in nine games before the season was canceled.

The Giants didn’t use any of their seven draft picks on an outfielder so Williams is certainly a welcome addition. The 22-year-old has played primarily left field but can play all three outfield positions.

This also marks yet another North Carolina native that the Giants have added after taking both Patrick Bailey and Nick Swiney during the draft. Of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as though North Carolina is the former backyard of amateur scouting director Michael Holmes.

It remains to be seen whether Williams will ever reach the majors or not, but he’s a worthwhile addition at a position that wasn’t addressed in the draft.

Expect to see more undrafted signings in the coming days.