I’m pleased with the draft but it’s not as immediately satisfying as last year’s. Kind of more like 07, where I’m hoping that in a year or so we’ll be like “OMFG ZACK WHEELER AND TOMMY JOSEPH ARE SO AWESOME SHIT”

Zack related video

While i like Matzek a lot, I like Wheeler just as much. Matzek’s polish is impressive, but Wheeler really could end up better—though he may not get there: that is the difference between the two—Matzek isn’t too far from his ceiling, it seems, and it is high, so he seems one of those high floor, high ceiling guys. Wheeler is further away, but it very well could be higher ceiling, and there is a decent chance he gets to it, or close.

I think Wheeler has the better fastball (and it might get better yet). Matzek has shown more velocity, but Wheeler has a lot more life on his than Matzek (video makes it pretty clear)>

Wheeler’s secondary pitches project very nicely, so no major worries there.

I wrote this in one of the draft threads, and wanted to clarify:

Nothing against Wheeler, but it seems like the decision between him and Matzek was made just based off signability and not talent.

I am happy with Wheeler; as Grant says, he is no consolation prize. Plus, the Zach Morris pictures alone will be worth it. However, pretty much every source had us taking Matzek over Wheeler until the bonus demands came out. Really, whether I’m happy with the decision of Wheeler over Matzek will come down to the difference in what they sign for. If it’s in the millions, which would theoretically help us sign other draft picks/Latin talent, then I think they did the right thing. If the difference doesn’t end up being much, I will be less enthused. I still really like Wheeler though and am excited for his future.

Overall, I like this draft just a little bit less than last year—so far (i don’t know about a lot of the later picks, so I can’t say there).

Joseph is a hell of a pick, IMHO. I think his bat is real—powerful, and a polished projectable. I don’t really care if he can’t stick at catcher (or can only stick in a below average way.

Dominguez is a nice high risk pick. Power like that is always worth a shot, and he has improved over time, so that provides some reason to think he might continue to.

There’s a reason Matzek fell to #11, and I can’t imagine it’s ALL because of signability concerns. The next four picks between the Giants and Rockies were all pitchers, and while the Nats probably took Storen to save some cash for Strasburg, I don’t imagine the Tigers, Reds, or Braves have the same payroll constraints (especially considering how much Detroit is clearly willing to spend). Maybe the ML scouts saw something in Matzek’s delivery or his attitude that they didn’t like. After his interview I thought “Wow, this guy’s a douchebag. You just got drafted #11 overall and you’re basically saying you think you deserve better.”

Wheeler’s got a great attitude it seems and he really wants to play baseball, he’s not in this for the money. He was already talking about how he wants to move quickly through the system and start playing as soon as possible.

Let’s bring Joseph and Dominguez up now. We need the power!

I do not understand all the McLovin for Tyler Matzek. He is one of the HS guys. No better than Wheeler. Yet Wheelere gets no love. Yeah I wanted Mike Leake however very happy the Giants selected Wheeler over Matzek.

And the third-round pick was a big, powerful feller who might have to move from third base – Richie Sexson was a comp that I read.

We should have drafted someone who compares to Durham instead. That way, we could spend years talking about how weshould trade that guy for Dominguez.

I love the Dominguez pick. That’s thing you have to do if you want any chance at landing yourself a Pujols.

Aside from the annoyance of the 10,000th call to TRADE CAIN FOR BATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, in what possible world does drafting a high school pitcher have anything to do with your ability to trade a major league pitcher this year!?

I’m going to believe that the Giants liked Wheeler more then Matzek all along. Yes, there were signability concerns, but the Giants really haven’t been cheap recently. Remember, Posey was floating some crazy high number last year and the Giants didn’t balk. Throw in AnVil, Rodriguez, even Kieschnick and Crawford, and the Giants haven’t been shy about spending money on amateur talent.

Either they had Wheeler ranked higher or the difference between them was very negligible.

(fyi u of hole is oregon…)

Bet the Giants would have pounced on Stephen Strasburg if he was available. SIgnability issues and all. Same for Ackley.

Matzek won’t sign for less than $7 million. Those OC kids….

I look forward to watching Zack Wheeler give interviews pitch.

We only drafted 2 brothas and several other minorities in 30 rounds.

Clearly it was MATZEK who has the coke problem.

Sabean screwed up! We could have had Slater. He went to a Cal! Dump the preppy and sign AC!!!!

Everybody wants to give the Giants the benefit of the doubt, and it seems like people are searching for reasons not to like Matzek. People around here are supposed to irrationally hate the Giants pick and prefer somebody else for no particular reason.

Tommy Joseph C/RHP Sr. R-R 6-1 210 Horizon Phoenix Arizona 7/16/1991

SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Joseph has been overlooked somewhat among the exceptional crop of catchers in the 2009 high-school class but that could change this spring-especially if the powerfully-built righthanded hitter can consistently show his offensive potential. He has a loose, extended swing with an ideal swing plane that produces easy over-the-fence power. He has the best projected power of any prep senior in Arizona and was the state’s representative in the International High School Power Showcase Home Run Derby, held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., in January.

If Joseph shows he can make the necessary adjustments to top-level stuff, he could be a top offensive performer at a premium defensive position. He has a short, quick, compact stroke, and the ball jumps off his bat-whether using wood or aluminum. Joseph is relatively new to catching on an everyday basis as he served mainly as a backup his first three years at Horizon High, though he played first base to get his potent bat in the lineup. He has plenty of arm strength and a good, clean exchange to catch at the upper levels, but has a way to go to refine his receiving skills. He isn’t blessed with much natural speed or agility, but has surprising quickness behind the plate.-DAVID RAWNSLEY

UPDATE (5/15): Joseph’s obvious strength is his power, and it was prominently on display this spring as he homered 15 times, while batting .494 with 35 RBIs. He more than did his part in leading Arizona prep power Horizon High into its sixth straight state-championship game appearance, a loss. Long-time Arizona scouts were quick to compare Joseph to long-time big leaguer Paul Konerko, a first-round draft pick in 1994 out of Scottsdale’s Chaparral High who had a very similar profile to Joseph at the same stage of development. Konerko was seen as a superior catcher at the time, though he was still quickly moved to first base in pro ball. The same fate could befall Joseph as he lacks polish and agility behind the plate, though he has arm strength and a quick, clean exchange.

Source: PGCrossChecker

Chris Dominguez 3B Jr. R-R 6-5 235 Louisville Miami Rockies ’08 (5) 11/22/1986

SCOUTING PROFILE (3/1): Over the last two summers, no Cape Cod League player intrigued scouts with his raw tools more than Dominguez. But his ability to use them efficiently left them equally befuddled. That was particularly so in 2007, when Dominguez hit .266-15-61 and struck out a national-high 86 times as a red-shirt freshman at Louisville, and followed by hitting a feeble .216-3-8 in the Cape, with 38 more strikeouts in 97 at-bats. But Dominguez began to tap into his considerable talent more consistently last year as he batted a robust .365-21-78 at Louisville, and shaved his strikeout count to 47. His improvement in the Cape was equally dramatic as he earned all-star honors at third base by topping the league with 10 homers (including three in one game) and 22 extra-base hits, although he hit a modest .262 and posted just a 10-51 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

Dominguez is still playing catch-up, to a degree, after breaking his arm three games into his freshman season at Louisville, and missing a critical year of development. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he elected to return to the Cape last summer rather than sign with the Colorado Rockies, who selected him in the fifth round in June. His decision could pay off handsomely in the 2009 draft as his raw power and arm strength are first-round quality tools, and his surprising mobility at third for a player his size is an asset. Dominguez has a fluid stroke and easy power in his 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame, though his tendency to swing-and-miss at a high rate is a definite red flag. He has a long, often wild swing and remains prone to chasing first-pitch breaking balls and becoming an easy strikeout victim in the process as he has a poor two-strike approach. But he has good hand-eye coordination, which has enabled him to recognize pitches a lot better and take greater advantage of his power. He still needs to modify his plate approach, however, especially his pitch recognition. He can punish mistake pitches, but needs to figure out which pitches he can hit, and those which he can’t-notably pitches on his hands.

Dominguez also has exceptional arm strength and has been clocked at 95 mph across the diamond. His range on the hot corner is somewhat limited because he lacks first-step quickness, but he moves surprisingly well for a player his size, has good hands and displays surprisingly fluid actions around the bag. He is especially adept at handling the slow roller as his huge hands enable him to barehand most balls cleanly. He could become an exceptional defender at first, if a team is still inclined to move him there, though his arm would be wasted in that role. A team that values raw tools will look seriously at Dominguez in the first round next June, especially since he has finally come close to playing up to his considerable potential, but his inconsistent past may cause others to be more cautious.-ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Dominguez has been one of the most-analyzed prospects in the country over the last seven years-or ever since he was a man-child high-school prospect down in the Miami area. That hasn’t always served Dominguez well as he is a player with flaws in his actions and approach-despite his huge tools. But those tools seem to play more and more every year, and his massive production speaks towards it. Dominguez hit .348-23-80 with 19 stolen bases this spring (as Louisville entered NCAA super-regional play) despite being pitched around consistently. He’s done a better job of shortening up his swing and learning how to lay off breaking balls outside the zone, and yet still hits the ball out of the park from foul line to foul line. Dominguez’ defense wasn’t as steady this year as he made 23 errors, despite playing on Louisville’s all-turf field, but the tools remain strong. Pinning down a draft round on Dominguez is more difficult than most players; but it wouldn’t be surprising if he went as high as the compensation round (or even late in the first round) to a tools-oriented team, but he could also have to wait until the second day (4th round and beyond) to hear his name called.-DAVID RAWNSLEY

Source: PGCrossChecker

I’m happy with the draft. It didn’t make me want to jump up and down in joy like last year’s, but it’s solid.

I like Zack Wheeler. It’s hard to argue against a high school pitcher who’s loved by both the Giants and Braves, two organizations that know how to develop pitching.

Tommy Joseph is real interesting. He absolutely crushes the ball in all the videos I’ve seen. I’m excited to see how he develops.

I’m not sure what to make of Chris Dominguez. He’s got the mix of tools and holes that’s typical of a third rounder. I had imagined him as a lumbering oaf with a big stick, but he actually looks pretty athletic. Plus, he’ll have wilriv making lots of “toe the rubber in the city” comments with that arm.

Jason Stoffel is a pretty good pick in the fourth round. He was a possible first rounder before a mediocre season dropped him.

My only disappointment is that I’d hoped a high-profile signability guy would fall to the Giants.

All in all, a good draft so far. And, frankly, after a run of Lincecum-Bumgarner-Posey as first-round picks, I’m willing to trust Barr, Tidrow and company.