Tyler Soderstrom. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
As the Giants are building, they’re hoping their roots are planted directly in the Bay Area.
In Farhan Zaidi’s first draft with the Giants, he and amateur scouting director Michael Holmes showed a willingness to be locally built. First-round pick Hunter Bishop is from San Mateo. Seventh-rounder Amani Smith from Concord. Carter Aldrete, a 15th-round selection, is from Monterey. Between the ease of scouting locally, the area teeming with talent and the lure of the easiest-to-market players should they graduate to the majors, keeping NorCal’s best at home makes so much sense.
“You never want to get beat in your backyard. That’s a common refrain in scouting,” Zaidi said on KNBR last week. “It’s going to be even more true [this year].”
This year, there will be chances for the Giants to load up on talent within the same area code during the draft, but a better chance at keeping Bay players at home once the draft ends. When all the undrafted players are drifting, deciding whether to go pro for a paltry sum ($20,000 max) or go/return to college, San Francisco hopes it can hang on to players who grew up idolizing Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford.
“You’re going to have to look for any place you might have an edge with a player,” Zaidi said. “Certainly in your own region where somebody’s likely to have grown up a Giants fan, that certainly gives you an advantage.”
Let’s take a look at the Giants’ local options in the early rounds, as well as just a few fliers they could take in the later rounds or pluck once the draft is completed:
First round
Tyler Soderstrom: The odds-on favorite to wind up with the Giants at pick 13. Soderstrom, a high school catcher from Turlock but with the athleticism to move to third base and perhaps left field, carries a stud lefty bat and a pedigree of being selected by the Giants. His father, Steve, was the sixth-overall selection by the Giants in 1993.
Garrett Mitchell: If the Giants want to travel a bit south, they would find the outfielder’s bat and electric legs doing serious damage to UCLA opponents. Mitchell is expected to be a mid-first-round pick and should be there when the Giants select, though their system is fairly deep in outfielders.
Later rounds/post-draft
Darren Baker: Remember him? Dusty’s son, from Redwood City, could fall out of the five-round draft, though the Astros and Giants would have some added incentive to ensure that doesn’t happen. The second baseman and outfielder slashed .306/.367/.335 in 52 games with Cal in 2019.
Brendan Beck: A righty out of Stanford, Beck is the brother of prospect Tristan Beck, whom the Giants acquired in last year’s Mark Melancon trade. In 2019, Brendan Beck pitched to a 3.63 ERA in 91 2/3 innings, in which he struck out 83 and walked 25.
Chase Davis: The lefty outfielder from Franklin High School in Elk Grove may have the strongest non-pitching arm in the draft, reportedly clocked at 99 mph from the outfield last year. Davis is committed to Arizona, though he should go in the first few rounds.
Carlos Lomeli: Lomeli, from SoCal, was not drafted out of high school because of an arm injury, sending the righty to St. Mary’s, where he emerged as a sophomore (10-2, 3.05 ERA). Now another unfortunate turn — the coronavirus turning a 40-round draft into a five-rounder — could make him slip.
Petey Halpin: Regarded by many as a first- or second-rounder, Halpin, from San Mateo, began his high school career at St. Francis in Mountain View before moving on to Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach. The Texas signee is seen as a top hitter with excellent speed.
Kyle Harrison: The 6’2 lefty from Danville, a De La Salle star, went a perfect 10-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his junior season, then picked up two quick wins before his high school career was unceremoniously closed. He’s committed to UCLA.
Eddie Park: An outfielder from San Jose who’s starred at Valley Christian Schools, Park is another Stanford commit and another player crushed by the slashed draft, as he likely would have been in the 6-10-round range.
Daniel Susac: A switch-hitting catcher from Jesuit High School in Carmichael, the 6’3, 205-pound Susac is regarded for his strong arm behind the plate and big-time untapped power in his bat. His brother, Andrew, was a second-round pick of the Giants in 2011, catching for the big-league team in 2014 and ’15 and now with the Pirates. Daniel Susac is committed to Arizona but could be a second- or third-round pick.
Tommy Troy: The shortstop from Los Gatos High School is known for his smooth defensive play and reportedly can hit 90 mph on his throws to first. The Stanford commit could be the hometown type the Giants try to lure once the draft is concluded.
Nick Yorke: An Arizona commit, Yorke is known for his bat and carries a strong, 6-foot, 195-pound frame. He’s played a lot of shortstop but has moved around, outfield included, and there’s debate over where he would stick. The Campbell native has starred at Archbishop Mitty.
