Giants select RHP Ryan Murphy with 144th pick

The San Francisco Giants selected right-handed pitcher Ryan Murphy with the 144th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft on Thursday night. Murphy comes from Division II Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

Murphy was the Giants fifth-round draft pick, which, in this highly truncated draft, also represented the team’s seventh and final selection.

He’s 20.7 years old, 6’1, and 185 pounds, and a bit unheralded. Murphy didn’t appear on the big boards for ESPN, MLB, or Fangraphs, with those publications offering up 150, 200, and 250 names, respectively.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t good. Murphy made just four starts this year (admittedly against not great competition), and while his run prevention wasn’t stellar, his strikeout stuff was there. Usually that’s a pretty good sign. The right-hander had a 3.91 ERA, but struck out 36 batters in just 23 innings.

That’s been the story of his college career, as he finishes the amateurs with a 3.40 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, with his strikeout rate dramatically improving in each of his three years.

His delivery is pretty fun, too:

So the Giants finished the draft with another pitcher, after facing some criticism for not drafting a pitcher in the first round. Ultimately they finished with four pitchers in seven picks, plus a combo third baseman and pitcher.

Here’s how it all panned out:

#13 — Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State
#49 — Casey Schmitt, 3B/RHP, San Diego State
#67 — Nick Swiney, LHP, North Carolina State
#68 — Jimmy Glowenke, SS, Dallas Baptist
#85 — Kyle Harrison, LHP, De La Salle High School (CA)
#114 — R.J. Dabovich, RHP, Arizona State
#144 — Ryan Murphy, RHP, Le Moyne