The Giants have concluded their 2021 MLB Draft haul, and put a clear premium on replenishing the pitching in their farm system. They opened the draft with the selection of the College Baseball World Series MVP Will Bednar, followed by eight-straight pitchers. Things evened out in the second half of the draft, but San Francisco finished with 14 pitchers, three outfielders and three infielders.
The following is from the Giants:
GIANTS DRAFT SELECTIONS: The Giants concluded the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft today. Overall, the Giants selected 14 pitchers (13 college pitchers and one high school pitcher), three infielders (one college and two high school) and three outfielders (two college and one high school).
GIANTS SELECT RHP WILL BEDNAR WITH THEIR FIRST ROUND PICK:
The San Francisco Giants selected RHP Will Bednar (Mississippi State) with the 14th overall selection in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.
The 6-2, 229-pound Bednar was 9-1 with a 3.12 ERA (32er, 92.1ip) in 19 games (16 starts) for Mississippi State in 2021 as the Bulldogs captured their first-ever national title by defeating Vanderbilt in this year’s College World Series final. Bednar was the winning pitcher in the clinching game after twirling 6.0 hitless innings with three walks and four strikeouts. After getting to Omaha, Bednar was 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA (3er, 18.1ip) in three starts. He notched 139 strikeouts this season as a sophomore, tied for sixth-most in Division 1 this year. The Pittsburgh area native attended Mars Area High School. His older brother, David, is currently a reliever for Pittsburgh and has made 39 appearances for the Pirates this year.
GIANTS DRAFT SELECTIONS FROM DAY 2:
With their second selection (50th overall), the Giants selected LHP Matt Mikulski out of Fordham University. Mikulski became the second-highest drafted player out of Fordham behind Pete Harnisch – a 1987 supplemental first-round pick selection by Baltimore (No. 27 overall).The southpaw made 11 starts for Fordham in 2021, going 9-0 with a 1.45 ERA while striking out 124 of the 265 batters he faced (46.8%) over 68.1 innings. He was named both a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year.
The Giants selected RHP Mason Black out of Lehigh University with their third selection (85th overall). Black became the highest-drafted pitcher in program history and the third Lehigh player drafted in the top three rounds in the last 15 years. He went 7-3 with a 3.11 ERA in 13 starts for Lehigh in 2021, throwing four complete games (two shutouts) and striking out 95 batters over 72.1 innings.
With their fourth selection today (115th overall), the Giants drafted RHP Eric Silva out of JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Named an All-Trinity League pitcher, Silva helped lead his JSerra team to a Trinity League championship and Division 1 SoCal Regional championship in 2021 by throwing a complete game and striking out 11 hitters in the regional title game. He also threw a no-hitter against Santa Margarita this past season.
The Giants selected LHP Rohan Handa with their fifth round selection (146th overall) out of Yale University. Handa, the first Ivy Leaguer taken in this year’s draft, is the fourth-highest draft pick in Yale history. He did not play in 2021 with the Ivy League canceling its season due to COVID-19. Handa made a total of 20 appearances for the Bulldogs in two seasons (2019, 2020). He pitched for the Mystic Schooners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer, posting a 0.52 ERA with 25 strikeouts, eight walks and nine hits allowed in 17.0 innings.
LHP Seth Lonsway, the Giants’ sixth round selection (176th overall) out of Ohio State, finished the 2021 season with a 3-5 record and a 4.37 ERA while leading the Buckeyes with 98 strikeouts in 68.0 innings. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten conference and 20th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.97 K/9.0ip. He also allowed the second-fewest hits per nine innings of any Big Ten pitcher at 5.29 H/9.0ip. Lonsway had a career-best game vs. Indiana on April 3, striking out a career-high 17 batters in a 7.0-inning, two-hit shutout.
The Giants selected RHP Nick Sinacola in the seventh round (206th overall) out of the University of Maine. The right-hander posted a 9-3 record with a 2.04 ERA his junior year this season. He struck out a school-record 139 batters in 79.1 innings and threw five complete games – tied for seventh-best nationally – with one shutout. Sinacola was named a second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He also received a Northeast All-Region first-team nod from the American Baseball Coaches Association. He became the first pitcher to ever be named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper first-team All-American, and was the first Black Bear to be chosen the District I Player of the Year by the NCBWA.
RHP Ian Villers, out of the University of California, was the Giants’ eighth round selection (236th overall). The Walnut Creek, CA native went 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA in a team-leading 29 appearances (five starts) for the Cal Bears in 2021. He struck out 36 batters with 11 walks in 38.0 innings while stranding 11 of his 15 inherited runners. He earned an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention as a junior. The Giants selected RHP Mat Olsen in the ninth round (266th overall). The Central Arizona College junior appeared in 18 games (16 starts) this past season and went 13-0 with a save and a 2.13 ERA while striking out 133 batters in 88.2 innings (13.50k/9.0ip). His 13 wins and 16 starts were most in NJCAA and his 133 strikeouts were second-best overall.
With their final selection of the day in the 10th round (296th overall), the Giants chose OF Vaun Brown out of Florida Southern College. The outfielder appeared in 26 games in 2021 and hit a conference-leading 13 home runs, tallied 43 hits and scored 40 runs. He also led the Moccasins in batting average (.387), RBI (31), slugging (.793), OPS (1.255) and stolen bases (nine). Brown was named the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and made both the All-South Region first team and the NCAA Division II All-American Second Team.
GIANTS DRAFT SELECTIONS FROM DAY 3:
Donovan McIntyre, the Giants’ 11th round pick out of Marian Catholic High School in Illinois was named to the Class 3A Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State team in 2021.
With their 12th selection in the draft, the Giants selected RHP Landen Roupp out of UNC Wilmington. The four-year senior was the CAA Pitcher of the Year after going 8-5 with a 2.58 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts). He led his conference with 118 strikeouts and 101.0 innings pitched while ranking third in ERA.
San Francisco’s 13th round selection was OF Jared Dupere out of Northeastern University. The 2021 CAA Player of the Year batted .343 (61-for-178) with 60 runs scored, 21 home runs and 50 RBI in 48 games. His 21 homers broke the single-season school record and ranked fourth overall in the country.
RHP Tyler Myrick out of Floria International was the Giants’ 14th round selection. The right-hander went 7-4 with a 5.43 ERA in 14 starts, registering 67 strikeouts in 71.1 innings. Myrick ranks 15th in FIU history with 191 career strikeouts.
With their 15th round selection, the Giants picked UNC Wilmington SS Brooks Baldwin. In 2021, the switch-hitter led his conference with 79 hits and 141 total bases and led his team in batting average (.325), home runs (15) and RBI (45).
LHP Julian Bosnic out of University of South Carolina was the Giants’ 16th round selection. Bosnic posted a record of 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA, four saves and 78 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched in 2021. He set a Carolina school record with nine consecutive strikeouts against Dayon on February 21.
RHP Brett Standlee, the Giants 17th round selection out of Oklahoma State University, posted a 4-1 record with a 3.09 ERA along with 44 strikeouts in 32.0 innings pitched in 2021.
The Giants used their 18th round selection to pick RHP Hunter Dula out of Wingate University. Dula went 7-2 with a 3.38 ERA while striking out 68 batters in 64.0 innings through 12 appearances (11 starts).
3B Irvin Murr out of Winter Springs High School in Florida was SF’s number 19 selection.
With their final pick of the draft, the Giants selected Salisbury High School SS Vance Honeycutt.