3 Players Giants Can Target With Their 2019 First-Round Pick

The 2019 MLB draft is fast approaching, and with San Francisco Giants fans not having much to look forward to this season, many will have their eyes on the prospects that president Farhan Zaidi could be selecting in his first year with the team. The Giants have the 10th pick in the draft, so they could potentially be selecting a future replacement for Madison Bumgarner, or they could go with one of the great bats that will be left on the board.

Keeping all options open, let's take a look at three players the Giants could target with their first round selection.

3. Nick Lodolo

Lodolo is currently slated by many to go seventh to the Cincinnati Reds, although there's a chance they could be enamored with other prospects over the left-hander, so he could slide to the Giants. Lodolo is the number one arm in a weak draft for college pitchers, and features a fastball that tops out at 94 mph, with a slider-changeup combination. His 2.18 ERA with 113 strikeouts through 91 innings is a huge step up from his freshman and sophomore years at TCU, and that is primarily because of increased control over his pitches thanks to a more consistent arm slot than what he displayed in previous years. Make no mistake, Lodolo appears to be more of a mid-rotation arm than an ace, but you never know.

2. Bryson Stott

Bryson Stott, a shortstop out of UNLV, is arguably the best college infielder available, and could very well find himself on a fast track to the bigs if the Giants select him. He has a large, athletic frame at 6-3, 200 pounds, and he sports a relaxed approach at the plate, so he's not one to get overpowered often. He's able to use the entire field to hit, and because of his approach and good hit tools, he's completely raked during the 2019 season, hitting .361 with 10 homers and 36 runs batted in. His 51:38 BB:K ratio is also incredibly impressive, and shows that he could have great discipline in the majors. Stott has drawn comparisons to Brandon Crawford in terms of his build and bat, but not exactly his defense. As a whole, he could turn into one of the better shortstops in the league if given the chance to play everyday, and would be a great eventual replacement for Crawford.

1. Alek Manoah

Alek Manoah is a supremely interesting college player. The pitcher out of West Virginia stands at a beefy 6-6 and 260 pounds, has tattoos all down his right arm, and sports a wicked beard. He kind of looks like an MLB: Road to the Show player someone would create. It's totally acceptable for Manoah to look like this, however, as he rarely gets hit. In 2019, he is 8-3 with a 1.91 ERA, and has 125 strikeouts through 94.1 innings pitched with just 22 walks. Manoah's fastball sits comfortably between 94-97 mph; he also sports a solid slider, and a decent changeup that he's working on. The only problem seems to be his command issues, as he has seven wild pitches on the year. Despite those issues, he's likely the best right-handed college arm in the class, and could be a great option for the Giants at the 10th pick. Is he a future ace? Probably not, but if he can gain better command of his pitches, he'll likely be a solid second or third pitcher in the rotation. With his frame and pitch repertoire, he certainly has a lot of upside.