© Steven Branscombe | 2021 Jun 30
The Giants just added a college star with some big league connections.
San Francisco selected right-handed pitcher Will Bednar with the 14th overall pick in Sunday’s MLB Draft. Bednar was recently named as the most outstanding player in this year’s College World Series for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. His brother, David, a 35th round pick in 2016, is currently pitching for the San Diego Padres.
This is the first pitcher the Giants have taken in the first round since 2015. In 2012, the Giants drafted another Bulldog pitcher, Chris Stratton, in the first round.
Bednar, 21, is a Pennsylvania native who was incredible in the clinching game of the CWS, pitching six innings in which he allowed three walks and zero hits while striking out four. For the entire CWS, Bednar posted a 1.47 ERA over 18 1/3 innings.
There is disagreement among scouts as to whether Bednar projects as a starter or reliever at the Major League level. There is no disagreement about the quality of his slider, however, which is considered one of the best in the draft class.
The Giants currently only have two pitchers (Seth Corry, Kyle Harrison) among their top 10 prospects according to MLB.com.