With the 58th selection in the 2017 MLB Draft, the San Francisco Giants selected Jacob Gonzalez, a third baseman from Chaparral High School in Arizona. He’s the son of former Diamondbacks All-Star Luis Gonzalez, who hit 354 home runs in his career, with approximately 353 of them coming against the Giants.
This is, without a doubt, the most important sports news in the Bay Area on Monday night, so text your friends and loved ones.
Gonzalez was ranked the eighth-best third baseman in the draft according to Baseball America, and the 123rd-best prospect overall. Here’s your once-a-post reminder not to care about the various rankings versus where the Giants draft. They have their own ditty playing in their heads.
It still makes the ol’ Spidey-sense tingle when a second-rounder doesn’t have a scouting report on Baseball America, though.
MLB.com does have a scouting report, though, which reads:
Chaparral High School in Arizona has produced a fair share of corner infielder types with power, guys like Ike Davis and Paul Konerko. Gonzalez, the son of former big leaguer Luis Gonzalez, has the kind of pop to join that illustrious group. Gonzalez's standout tool is definitely his power, and he has as much raw pop as perhaps any high school bat in the country. He hasn't always been good about consistently reaching it, but during his senior season, he has impressed some scouts with a new-found ability to make adjustments.
He's shown the ability to stay back and take breaking stuff the other way and do damage with two strikes, things he hadn't done at the plate well in the past. He's a below-average runner, though he's not a clogger. While he has some arm strength, his arm action is a bit funky. That, plus a fringy glove, likely moves him to first base in the future. It can be tough for a right-handed first baseman to profile well at the position, but Gonzalez has the power potential to buck that trend. His pop, along with those MLB bloodlines, could very well get the TCU commit off the board in the top four rounds.
He’s committed to Texas Christian University, but that second-round money ($1.1 million suggested slot value) will help with that.
Four of the Giants’ better prospects were drafted in the second round in recent years, with Bryan Reynolds, Andrew Suarez, Aramis Garcia, and Ryder Jones coming in the second rounds since the 2013 Draft. The franchise’s overall record is a little spottier, with their top second rounders in franchise history looking like this:
- Barry Bonds, #39, 1982 (didn’t sign)
- Bob Knepper, #43, 1972
- Chris Singleton, #48, 1993
- Scott Linebrink, #56, 1997
- Chris Brown, #44, 1979
- Kirt Manwaring, #31, 1986
- Nate Schierholtz, #63, 2003
- Fred Lewis, #66, 2002
- Jeff Robinson, #44, 1983
- Butch Metzger, #41, 1970
In addition to the above, the Giants also got Mike Caruso, Andrew Susac, and Tommy Joseph in the second round. So this is the get-draft-bait round, if franchise history is any guide.
Also, the Giants should have signed Barry Bonds.
The Giants’ next pick will come in the third round, with the 96th-overall selection.