San Francisco Giants 2022 MLB Draft Report Card

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Best Pure Hitter: The Giants spent each of their first six picks and top seven bonuses on pitchers during the 2022 class, but OF Wade Meckler (8) is the best pure hitter in the class. He slashed .347/.456/.478 in 66 games with Oregon State during the spring, with more walks (53) than strikeouts (49) and continued to hit in pro ball. Meckler got 12 games in the Arizona Complex League and 11 games in the Low-A California League and hit .367/.500/.544 between both levels—again with more walks (20) than strikeouts (16).

Best Power Hitter: LHP/1B Reggie Crawford (1) was viewed by amateur scouts as having more upside on the mound than at the plate, but the hulking, 6-foot-4, 235-pound slugger also brings well above-average raw power to the batter’s box. After recovering from Tommy John surgery and not pitching during the spring with Connecticut, Crawford made his pro debut as a hitter and played six games of rookie ball. Crawford managed max exit velocities of 104 mph in this small sample, but in his last full season with Connecticut in 2021, he hit 13 home runs and 11 doubles in 51 games.

Fastest Runner: Meckler (8) was a 65-grade runner in the draft and had his best season on the base paths as a junior, when he went 12-for-16 in stolen base attempts. He has the range for center field, but his arm strength could limit him to left if he doesn’t stick up the middle or plays with a superior defender who pushes him off the position. Meckler played 13 games in left and 11 in center during his pro debut.

Best Defensive Player: C Zach Morgan (7) was the first hitter-only San Francisco selected in the 2022 draft and was a finalist for the Buster Posey national catcher of the year award during the spring with Fresno State. Scouts viewed him as a solid defender with above-average arm strength at the position, and he threw out 42% of basestealers during his redshirt junior season.

Best Fastball: RHP William Kempner (3) throws from a low release point, but touched 99-100 mph during the spring with Gonzaga and averaged 95 mph during his nine-inning pro debut this summer in the Arizona Complex League and California League. The pitch has sinking life and arm-side run. Crawford (1) would be a good candidate for this category as well despite not having thrown since the summer of 2021. When healthy, Crawford’s mid-90s fastball from the left side was viewed as one of the best…