Wichita State third baseman Conor Gillaspie was selected 37th overall by the Giants.
A second consecutive terrific pick for the Giants. Gillaspie won't be a 30-homer guy, but he can really hit for average and will still draw walks. He's drawn comparisons to former Giant infielder
Bill Mueller. He could move quickly -- lesser Giants prospects certainly are -- and potentially arrive in the majors in 2010.
Hitting Ability: It's Gillaspie's best tool. He's a very good hitter who has a good idea of what he's doing at the plate.
Power: He doesn't have much and doesn't profile to have much. He's a base-hit machine.
Running Speed: He's got below-average speed.
Base running: Despite not being fleet footed, he's an excellent base runner and uses his smarts to steal some bases.
Arm Strength: He's got an average arm at third.
Fielding: He'll make for an adequate third baseman.
Range: His range is a little limited, but it's OK.
Physical Description: Gillaspie is a left-handed hitting third baseman in a Bill Mueller-type mold.
Medical Update: A small back issue kept him out of action for a little while, but he appears fine now.
Strengths: Pure hitting ability.
Weaknesses: Lack of power keeps him from having a true profile position.
Summary: After a strong Cape season, Gillaspie has followed up with an excellent junior campaign. He's a terrific hitter and has been over .400 for most of the year. His lack of power makes it hard to profile him anywhere other than as a
Bill Mueller-type third baseman. There are worse things to be, of course, and a team that values what Gillaspie can do will surely take him.