Giants Draft 2011

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Giants take shortstop Panik with first pick | SFGiants.com: News

Giants nab high school righty Kyle Crick at No. 49 | SFGiants.com: News

A lot of mixed reviews about our top pick Joe Panik but I like the pick. He was a Golden Spikes semifinalist and from all accounts will likely slide over to second base. He's a high OBP guy with gap power which is perfect for AT&T.

Crick is a tricky one because he is signed to play football at TCU so he will have to get paid a nice bonus to not go. He is a project for sure as his command and mechanics aren't sound but can throw some smoke and has the ability to be a good pitcher. I really trust our scouting when it comes to pitchers

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#86 Andrew Susac, Oregon State- C

The draft-eligible sophomore was a good high school catching prospect in Northern California two years ago, but teams stayed away (the Phillies took a shot in the 16th round) because of his strong commitment to Oregon St. Now, Susac is mentioned frequently near the top of the catching list in this year's class, though there are differing opinions about his skill set. Teams that will consider him highly see the potential for him to be an everyday catcher. He does have average raw power, mostly to the pull side, with more gap power to other fields. That could mean 15-20 homers annually, if he can make enough contact to tap into that power, something some have concerns about. He's a bit of a guess hitter and uses a big leg lift in his swing. Susac is stocky, but not physical and muscular -- kind of like a Gregg Zaun-type. Behind the plate, he has a solid average arm and will flash a plus now and again. His hands can be a little stiff, but he's made some good improvement in his receiving skills. A broken left hamate bone forced him out of action this spring, and it remains to be seen how that will impact his Draft status.

Interesting pick. Sounds like he could make for a good everyday catcher and a good backup plan to Posey in case he does have to switch positions on down the road.

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#116 Ricky Oropesa, USC- 1B

In a class that is less than deep in college bats, Oropesa's stands out based on one tool: power. The corner infielder has always had it and was a prospect back in high school, when the Red Sox took a shot and selected him in the 24th round of the 2008 Draft. The left-handed hitter has plus raw power, perhaps as much as anyone out west. He hasn't always swung the bat consistently enough to tap into it, but he made some good adjustments this season to show a little more overall hittability to some. He's shown he can rise to the occasion, picking up three hits -- including a homer -- against UCLA ace Gerrit Cole. He's not a clogger on the bases, but he's not a runner, either. While he's got a plus arm, he's below-average defensively overall, meaning he's likely destined to be a first baseman or designated hitter when all is said and done. As one of the few guys in this Draft with true plus raw power, there's bound to be a team fairly early thinking his bat will play just fine at those spots.

Looks like we got a good, power hitting first baseman. I like the Giants drafting these college kids. Giants drafted Bryce Bandilla with #147 pick, a left-handed pitcher who is a Junior at Arizona.

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Draft Tracker | 2011 First-Year Player Draft | MLB.com: Events

I am very pleased with the Giants draft!

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The Giants have agreed to terms with their first-round pick, St. John's shortstop Joe Panik.
Panik's signability was one of the main reasons the Giants pulled the trigger on him with the 29th overall selection, so it's no surprise this got done quickly. The financial particulars aren't available at this time, but it's expected that he'll get somewhere around $1.1 million, which is MLB's slot recommendation for the 29th pick. Panik is a high-floor, low-ceiling player that should be able to move fairly quickly. He might eventually have to move to second base.

Glad we inked him early!