Hello, it has been Day 3 of the MLB Draft, and this is the weird day for a lot of people. Before we talk about the picks, let’s do a quick rundown of things you should know. Signability is a big thing to remember. Players drafted on Day 3 pretty much get a maximum bonus of $125,000 (most will get fewer). Any money over that goes against a team’s draft pool. For high school kids, junior college players or even some college Juniors, they may choose to return to school in hopes of doing better and earning a bigger bonus. Be careful about looking at stats. Just like the minors, where one must consider the level of a league before getting too excited, the quality of opposition in the many different college leagues and levels, junior college levels, and high schools varies greatly. We include the stats because, well, they are fun to look at. But 12 home runs in a good college league is better than 36 junior college (For example, that total belonged to Juan Perez , who set league HR records in his junior college level before being drafted). , who set league HR records in his junior college level before being drafted). Getting stats for a lot of schools is tough. There’s nothing available for the kids from Puerto Rico. Junior college stat sites vary in quality. So if you see some players who don’t have as many stats listed as some others, know that I’m not hiding anything. Scouting reports are rare. I’ve included summaries where I could, but not even Baseball America scouts 1,200 players (about how many were drafted). Video can be even crazier. The kids from Puerto Rico make clean college application videos (though without game footage). Some kids playing in California have some of the worst video ever put up on YouTube as their only videos. (No, really, check out Preston White.) Alright, let’s dive in. 11th (#316) David Villar, 3B, South Florida - .374/.463/.648, 219 AB, 82 H, 24 2B, 12 HR, 28 BB, 58 SO, 1 SB in 1 attempt. Led the American Athletic Conference with 24 doubles, tied for the 3rd-highest in a single season in school history, and had 12 home runs. He was second in the AAC in batting average at .374, and led the team in almost all categories. He was first team All-Conference in 2018, and third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and College Sports Madness. With Day 3 of the #MLBDraft underway, here's a few more guys of note:#Giants 3B David Villar (USF) - Eugenio Saurez body type, fringy defensively but can make enough plays to stick - Hunts fastballs middle-away/generates plus bat speed and some loft - Some inherent swing & miss — Michael Cuva (@MCuv2) June 6, 2018 Video - Starts at 1:31 when Villar homers. 12th (#346) Sean Roby, 3B, Arizona Western College (JC) - .356/.429/.739, 21 BB, 48 SO in 254 PA, with 22 home runs, 15 doubles and 2 triples. 15 SB in 18 attempts. 13th (#376) George Bell, CF, Connors State College (JC) - .360/.484/.512, 9 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 34 BB, 28 SO, 9 SB in 9 attempts. His middle name is Michael. Son of former AL MVP George Bell. His brother, also named George (Bryner) Bell, was signed by the A’s out of the DR in 2016. Yes indeed, the George Bell the Giants drafted in the 13th round is the son of THE George Bell. He wasn't signed as a teenager so he left the Dominican Republic to play at Connors State College in Oklahoma. He's a center fielder. — Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) June 6, 2018 14th (#406) Bryce Tucker, LHP, Central Florida - First LHP taken by the Giants. 2.02 ERA in 25 relief appearances. 26.2 IP, 17 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 16 BB, 35 SO, .179 BAA. Used as a reliever. Pitched on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, had a 4.50 ERA in 10 innings, with 18 strikeouts and 6 walks, 5 hits allowed. Used as a reliever in 2017. Erratic command, fringe-average control. FB is 89-93 with life. 80-82 slurvy slider that he can change shapes with. 15th (436) Matt Frisbee, RHP, UNC Greensboro - 3.45 ERA in 15 starts, 91.1 IP, 86 H, 23 BB, 116 SO, .249 BAA. Had a 4.50 ERA in 6 starts in the Cape Cod League, with 21 SO, 12 BB in 24 IP. Best start was 7 shutout innings against the then No.4 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Throws a 94 MPH fastball that could go 97 MPH if he goes to relief. (Video from 2015 HS - Link for Apple News viewers) Meanwhile, imposing @UNCGBaseball RHP Matt Frisbee comes at you through high slot, hides ball very well. FB between 90-92, that both cuts and tails. Also throwing a sinking, diving breaker at 80-82 pic.twitter.com/Mft4WbtynL — Stu Murray (@Stu_Murray1) April 27, 2018 16th (#466) Trenton Toplikar, RHP, UC Riverside - 4.07 ERA, 6-3 record in 14 starts, 84.0 IP, 85 H, 19 BB, 62 SO, .257 BAA. Missed his first two seasons for unlisted reasons. Played for UC Riverside, who won the WCL title in 2017. He earned two wins in the postseason, including in the WCLCS finale, with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings in that postseason. (Video from 2014 HS - Link for Apple News viewers) 17th (#496) Ryan Olenek, RHP, Ole Miss - 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 SO… but hit .350/.388/.464 with 18 doubles and three home runs as an outfielder, primarily center field. Not a great base stealer with 9 in 16 attempts. He also played in the infield, with games at third and shortstop. MLB says he profiles as a second baseman at the pro level, and says his bat hasn’t been very productive. Kiley McDaniel said in his Day 3 chat that Olenek was a favorite of his, if signable, which he assumes Olenek is not. Interview video: 18th (#526) Bryan Hernandez, OF, Miguel Such Vocational School (HS) - Comes from Miguel Such Vocational School in San Juan, PR.<doc-sep>With the 2nd overall pick in the draft, the San Francisco Giants have selected catcher Joey Bart from Georgia Tech. In mock drafts, Bart was projected to go 1st by ESPN and 2nd by Baseball America. Bart is considered the best college catcher in the draft after having an impressive junior season with the Yellow Jackets. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-handed hitter was named the ACC Player of the Year after he led the conference in batting average at .359, and ranked in the top 10 in slugging percentage (.632), hits (79), home runs (16), runs scored (55) and on-base percentage (.471). The 21-year-old was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after he posted a .992 fielding percentage, threw out 12 of 33 runners and recorded three pickoffs from behind the plate. Bart has most of the tools to be successful at the next level. His hitting, power and plate discipline have made him into a player who can put the ball all over the field. Though his speed is below average, Bart is an excellent defensive presence behind the plate, with his arm being above average and his fielding on the cusp of being rated the same. He should be an excellent commodity for the Giants. Get a look at Bart at the plate here:<doc-sep>SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig at the podium during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) San Francisco Giants Give Glimpse of What Could be With Sweep of Phillies San Francisco Giants Give Glimpse of What Could be With Sweep of Phillies by Luke Corvello The 2018 MLB Draft will get underway Monday night and the San Francisco Giants will have the second overall pick. Here is who they will take, and who they should take. Almost any mock draft you look at right now will have the Giants taking Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart with the second overall pick in the draft. First of all, this has zero impact on the current roster. Buster Posey will be the Giants catcher for years to come. You always take the best available player in the MLB Draft, especially early in the draft. These things will work themselves out. As a freshman at Georgia Tech he hit .299 with just 1 home run in 157 at-bats. That summer he played in the Cape Cod League and hit .309 with 2 home runs. As a sophomore in 2017 he grew into that power and hit 13 home runs in 186 at-bats with a .296 average. This year he hit .359 with 16 home runs and saw his draft stock skyrocket. It’s a lot easier to predict the first few picks of the MLB Draft, and if there is that much of a consensus on Bart going at two, then that’s who the Giants will most likely take. However, if the Tigers surprise people and don’t take Casey Mize at one, then I believe the Giants would jump all over him at two. Two other options for the Giants are Florida ace Brady Singer and South Alabama outfielder Travis Swaggerty. I watch a ton of college baseball, and if it were me making the pick I’d go with Brady Singer if Casey Mize isn’t available. Personally, I feel the Giants need more pitching in their farm system, and Singer could pitch in the big leagues right now. I have no doubt he’ll be a middle of the rotation starting pitcher in a few years. If the Giants felt they needed a major league ready bat, I’d go with either Wichita State third baseman Alec Bohm, or Florida third baseman Jonathan India. India, in particular, I’ve had the chance to watch a lot and think he’s one of the best position players in this draft because of what he gives you both on the field and at the plate. Bohm is just a great hitter and I have no doubt that he will hit .280 at the major league level and hit around 30 home runs. I quit trying to predict the draft because the Gians made me look foolish last year when they went completely off the board for Heliot Ramos. It looks pretty obvious that they’ll go with Joey Bart with the second pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, but who knows, maybe they’ll surprise us all again.<doc-sep>Click HERE if you’re having trouble viewing the gallery on your mobile device. SAN FRANCISCO–The Major League Baseball Draft begins at 4 p.m. PT Monday and this year, the Giants won’t wait long to make their first selection. The Giants hold the No. 2 overall pick for the second time in franchise history and the first since they tabbed Will Clark out of Mississippi State with the No. 2 selection in 1985. The franchise have held top-five selections four times in its history and has a strong track record of choosing impact players near the top of the draft. After selecting Clark in 1985, the Giants drafted Matt Williams in 1986 and chose another future All-Star, Jason Grilli, with the fourth overall pick in 1997. The Giants’ most recent opportunity to pick in the top five came in 2008, when San Francisco hit the jackpot with Buster Posey at No. 5. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. After winning three World Series during the first half of the decade, the Giants became accustomed to picking near the back half of the first round. The organization still managed to find impact talent like first rounders Joe Panik in 2011 and Chris Stratton in 2012, but many of the franchise’s recent top selections have either been traded or dealt with struggles during their ascent through the minor leagues. The Giants have traded four of their last nine first round choices while 2010 first round pick Gary Brown took just seven at-bats with the major league club before retiring. As the club’s current core ages, the Giants know this year’s evaluation process carries an extraordinary amount of weight. Finding an All-Star-caliber talent with the No. 2 overall choice is critical, but players drafted at the beginning of the second and third rounds will also be scrutinized. There are a number of different ways the Giants can approach the No. 2 overall pick, as they must balance their desire to draft the best player available with locating an athlete with minimal risks who can soar through the system and play with their current core. Though the vast majority of draftees need multiple seasons in the minor leagues before receiving their first major league opportunity, the Giants stand to benefit from selecting a more polished college talent. Auburn pitcher Casey Mize is a legitimate option if the Detroit Tigers pass on him at No. 1 overall, while Florida pitcher Brady Singer has also been tied to the Giants. Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart and Wichita State third baseman Alec Bohm are considered the top college power hitters available, but the Giants don’t necessarily have a need for a catcher or third baseman. And that’s why baseball’s draft is so tricky. Teams rarely bypass superior talent because a player profiles at a position where they have a star locked up, but drafting Bart and expecting him to contribute with the current core by the end of 2019 or the start of 2020 creates a conundrum. Would Buster Posey be ready to move to first base by 2020? What would the Giants do with Brandon Belt if Bart can play every day and Posey is clearly on the move to first base? These decisions are hardly easy, especially for an organization that has struggled to develop starting pitching depth since selecting Madison Bumgarner 10th overall in 2007. The best-case scenario for the Giants might be for the Tigers to take a position player and for Mize to fall into their laps, because he’s a big-framed pitcher with three pitches, a fastball that can ramp up to 97, and a right-hander who reportedly possesses impressive control. In the past few days, the franchise has also been tied to high school pitcher Cole Winn, a right-handed prospect general manager Bobby Evans has reportedly scouted in person several times. High school prospects tend to be riskier bets near the very top of drafts, but moving on Winn would likely allow the Giants to sign a player under slot value and save some cash to make bigger splashes in the second and third rounds. Regardless of how the Giants approach the No. 2 overall pick, scouting director John Barr and the rest of the front office have spent countless hours deliberating over and developing multiple plans of action. Much of what the Giants do will depend on how the Tigers handle their pick, but many of their draft decisions will likely reflect the sense of urgency that should be felt inside the organization. The key decision-makers know the Giants are short on pitching talent at the upper levels of the minor leagues, and cognizant of how the eventual success of the No. 2 overall pick and even the second and third round choices could impact their job security. In a few short hours, the Giants will fill out a card and lock in their top draft choice. It’s still too soon to know who they’ll pick and what will lead to that decision, but we do know this: They need a star.<doc-sep>
Julio Cortez/Associated Press Catcher Joey Bart will begin his journey to Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft Monday. Capping off a banner season by becoming the newest member of the Giants, Bart generated a lot of buzz on Twitter: This marks the second time Bart has been taken in the MLB draft. He was previously selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015, but a strong commitment to Georgia Tech led to signability questions and caused him to drop to the 27th round. Three years later, Bart developed into one of the top catchers in college baseball. The 21-year-old was named 2018 ACC Player of the Year after hitting .359/.471/.632 and tied for 27th in the nation with 16 home runs. He was also awarded ACC Defensive Player of the Year and has earned raves for his ability to hit with power and call games as a catcher. ESPN's Keith Law called Bart a "plus defensive catcher with a 70 arm and 70 raw power, and he's a better athlete than most catchers, a 40 runner who moves well behind the plate and shows soft hands." The first job for any starting catcher is an ability to call games, receive and frame pitches, and have a strong arm to throw out runners. Video Play Button Videos you might like Bart has displayed those traits already, and his immense power gives him star potential if he can make enough contact to use it in games. His strikeout rate (56 times in 220 at-bats) is high, but it hasn't prevented him from showing enough pop to be a solid hitter. The foundation of every great team starts up the middle. Being strong at catcher, shortstop, second base and center field is the easiest way to go from a disappointing franchise to one capable of competing for a playoff spot. The Giants don't have an immediate opening at catcher with Buster Posey still playing at a high level, but he's 31 years old with 10 years at the MLB level under his belt. He's been used more at first base in an effort to preserve his knees, and keep his bat in the lineup more often. If Bart is able to move through the minors quickly, he can become San Francisco's regular catcher. Posey can play more at first base, with Brandon Belt shifting to left field to give the Giants more offensive firepower.