2016 Draft in the Books for Giants
June 16, 2016 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes News Release
John Riley of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Applies a Tag
(Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Credit: Mason Shoultz)
(25) John Riley, 1B (Mason Shoultz)
With the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft starting on Thursday, June 9, more players enter the professional ranks of baseball. The San Francisco Giants organization selected a collection of talent they hope will assist them in capturing another championship in the near future. Giants' catcher Buster Posey and shortstop Brandon Crawford are just a couple of notable players the San Francisco organization drafted and developed through the minor league system. However, before these two players became World Series champions, they both played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a common first stop for newly drafted top picks of the Giants to begin their professional careers. The following are just a few of the newly drafted players who could bring their talents to Salem-Keizer this summer.
OF Bryan Reynolds, Round 2 pick 59
The San Francisco Giants organization used this year's first draft pick to select Bryan Reynolds, a talented outfielder from Vanderbilt University. Considered a draft steal, Reynolds led the 2014 National Championship team in hitting (.338) and slugging (.480) as just a freshman. This season, as a junior, Reynolds has continued his strong career offensive numbers, recording a .330 batting average and 13 home runs. Reynolds has the potential to hit for both average and power, and has shown strong abilities as a switch hitter. The Giants were lucky to pick up this top prospect in the second round: Reynolds was ranked by MLB.com as the No. 23 prospect going into the 2016 Draft.
RF Heath Quinn, Round 3 pick 95
Heath Quinn is a power-hitting outfielder coming out of Samford University. This is not the first time Quinn has been drafted; selected in the 12th round by the Cleveland Indians out of High School in 2013, Quinn decided to forgo his professional career and take his talents to the collegiate ranks instead. This season, he ranked second in Division I Baseball with 21 home runs, and was considered the top prospect to ever come out of Samford University. This second team All-American will make a great addition to the Giants organization in the future.
LHP Matt Krook, Round 4 pick 125
This big lefty out of the University of Oregon has shown outstanding flashes of talent. The 6-foot-4 pitcher is a product of the Bay Area, having played high school baseball at Saint Ignatius Prep (class of 2013) in San Francisco. However, questions over his health and consistency resulted in Krook dropping all the way to the fourth round despite having clear first round talent. Krook was actually drafted out of high school in the first round but failed to sign with the Miami Marlins, instead deciding to continue his amateur career with the Ducks. Krook has shown significant resiliency in his college career after having undergone Tommy John surgery his freshman year. Krook has since made a full recovery to show off his low 90's fastball and sharp breaking ball.
SS Ryan Howard, Round 5 pick 155
A shortstop out the University of Missouri, Ryan Howard was one of Missouri's top hitters. Howard was a preseason First Team All-SEC and was voted best infield arm in the SEC. The highly talented shortstop finished the season with a .295 batting average and recorded 19 extra base hits in his 2016 campaign. In the summer of 2015, Howard started at shortstop with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. Howard looks to take his talents to the professional ranks and continue his career in the San Francisco Giants organization.
LF Gio Brusa, Round 6 pick 185
Gio Brusa is another local product to come into the Giants organization, hailing from Lodi, Calif. While attending the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Brusa came off a very strong senior season as a Tiger, recording a .337 batting average and 14 home runs. To go along with a strong bat, Brusa has a powerful arm and a quality glove, recording a fielding percentage of .958 throughout his career. Previously drafted in the 2012 and 2015 Drafts, the streaky yet powerful hitter will bring much experience to the Giants organization.
LHP Garrett Williams, Round 7 pick 215
Coming out of Oklahoma State, Garrett Williams is a remarkably talented pitcher with electric stuff. He has been clocked at an upper 90's fastball to compliment his hard breaking curve ball; however, consistency has been an issue. In addition to his skills on the mound, Williams has shown the ability to swing the bat with authority, registering multiple home runs during his career as a Cowboy. This raw yet gifted athlete will be a great addition to the organization in multiple facets of the game.
Outfielder Jacob Heyward, Round 18 pick 545
The 6-foot-2, 210 pound 20-year-old from McDonough, Ga., is still playing for the University of Miami in this year's Super-Regionals. Brother to Chicago Cubs' All-Star outfielder Jason Heyward, the younger Heyward had a breakout sophomore season for the Hurricanes in 2015, batting .327 and earning a spot on the 2015 College World Series All-Tournament team. The Eagle's Landing Christian High School graduate was previously drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 38th round of the 2013 MLB draft.
Pitcher CJ Gettman, Round 34 pick 1025
The Central Washington University's closer for the 2016 season, CJ Gettman, brings a lively fastball sitting at 92-94 miles per hour to the Giants organization. The junior transfer from Wentachee Valley Community College, a product of Wentachee High School, earned a 2-2 record for the Wildcats, holding opposing batters to a .227 batting average on his way to eight saves - good for First Team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors. The 6-foot-5 219 pound righty struck out 40 hitters in 26 innings pitched in his only season playing for Central Washington.
Images from this story
 John Riley of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Applies a Tag (Mason Shoultz) |
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