San Francisco Giants 2023 MLB Draft Report Card

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Revisiting the 2023 Giants MLB Draft class after the conclusion of the minor league season.

Best Pure Hitter: Shortstop Walker Martin (2) was viewed by many scouts as a first-round talent thanks to his above-average hitting potential and well-rounded supplemental toolset beyond that. He has yet to make his pro debut, but was one of the most dominant high school hitters in the country—he led the nation with 20 home runs—and has a clean and quiet lefthanded swing with a balanced lower half.

Best Power Hitter: Perhaps the best slugger among prep hitters, first baseman and lefthander Bryce Eldridge (1) became the top two-way player in the country when Paul Skenes focused on pitching only. He has gargantuan raw power to go with a massive frame, and has the strength to mis-hit balls out of the park from foul pole to foul pole. It’s a fairly easy double-plus power projection.

Fastest Runner: There aren’t any real burners to speak of in the Giants’ draft class. The club likes the speed of outfielder Scott Bandura (7) and he did steal 15 bases with Princeton this spring, but shortstop Maui Ahuna (4) could be another solid choice and has above-average speed.

Best Defensive Player: Scouts viewed Ahuna (4) as one of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball this spring. He has tremendous infield actions and fluid movements in the field, with deft glovework, above-average range and plus arm strength that should allow him to make all the expected plays and then some.

Best Fastball: Righthander Josh Bostick (8) has a mid-90s fastball that ranged from 94-98 mph this spring and was the hardest heater of the Giants’ draft class among pitchers who made their pro debuts. He averaged 94 and touched 96 in affiliated ball, though the pitch has just average ride and carry.

Best Secondary Pitch: Lefthander Joe Whitman (2C) has a sharp slider in the low 80s that features impressive two-plane bite and has high spin rates in the 2,600+ rpm range. The pitch was a high-usage offering for him during the spring and he generated a 38% whiff rate with it. It has plus potential.

Best Pro Debut: Eldridge (1) was outstanding in his pro debut, and he’s only shown half of what he’s able to do, since he has yet to throw a pitch. He slashed .294/.400/.505 with six home runs, five doubles and had fantastic batted ball data, including a 92.4 mph average exit velocity, a 107.1 mph 90th-percentile mark and an impressive 18% chase rate for a long-levered hitter with some swing-and-miss questions.

Best Athlete: Martin’s (2) athletic testing pre-draft was some of the most impressive in the entire 2023 draft class. He is big and physical, powerful, strong and fast for his size with excellent athletic indicators based on testing.

Most Intriguing Background: Outfielder Nadir Lewis (20) comes from an athletic family. His brother Omar played soccer at Howard and his cousin played basketball at UNC Wilmington.

Closest To The Majors: Whitman (2C) checks a lot of boxing as a polished college pitcher. He has above-average control. He has a chance for an above-average fastball. He has the plus slider that we have previously mentioned. He also rounds out his repertoire with a solid changeup. Pair that with a 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame and Whitman has all the tools to be a quick-mover.

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): The Giants are excited with what they have in outfielder Bo Davidson (NDFA), who they signed out of Caldwell (N.C.) JC. Davidson slashed .286/.397/.469 with one homer, one triple, four doubles and solid exit velocity data as a 20-year-old in the Arizona Complex League.