The 2008 First-Year Players Draft is here. Who will the Giants take? Could they get lucky enough for Pedro Alvarez to fall all the way to a #5 pick? Probably not but the Giants could still have some other quality options if everything goes right. Justin Smoak, Eric Hosmer, or Gordon Beckham could all be possibilities for the Giants and their #5 pick.
Will the Giants resist the temptation to draft a pitcher this time? In the ’07 draft fans yearned for some hitters but the Giants picked pitchers — Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson — with their first two picks. Not that those picks have turned out bad, yet, but this is the year that the Giants should be gunning for some hitters.
Who the Giants will take is anybody’s guess, most draft analysts agree that the Giants are super-sneaky when it comes to this sort of thing. I’d love to get a hitter like Justin Smoak but Eric Hosmer might be a nice consolation prize.
My personal Top-5 is:
1. Pedro Alvarez
2. Tim Beckham
3. Justin Smoak
4. Buster Posey
5. Eric Hosmer
Alavarez, Beckham, and Posey will most likely be off the board by the time the Giants pick at #5, but Smoak and Hosmer could still be there.
Draft coverage kicks off at 2PM EST on ESPN2 and MLB.com. This is one of the best times of the year for baseball fans because of all the drama that surrounds the draft, it really is an exciting time to be a fan. The Giants pick at #5 and #37, so tune in, watch, and hopefully we get some good picks!
Draft Day Links
Special Assistant John Barr from the Giants Talks on KNBR about the Draft (mp3 file)
Baseball Prospectus Real-Time Roundtable Draft Discussion
Pre-draft Buzz from Baseball America
Draft Thoughts and Predictions from McCovey Chronicles
Pre-draft Jitters from Giants Cove
Comment Starter: Who sits atop your draft shopping list?
And the Giants gobble up C Buster Posey at the #5 pick.