Cole Foster, Maui Ahuna highlight Giants’ Day 2 and 3 draft picks

After three grueling days (and years of prep work leading into it), the Giants came away with a 21-player draft class that had scouting director Michael Holmes smiling from ear to ear. On Day 1, the Giants landed two of the more intriguing high school talents in the class — two-way player Bryce Eldridge and shortstop Walker Martin — before finishing the day with left-hander Joe Whitman of Kent State, a pitcher that some had pegged pre-draft as the top college left-hander in the class. On Tuesday, Holmes admitted the Giants were pleasantly surprised that Whitman was still available for them to take at that spot.

“I’ve been doing this for quite some time, and the one thing I’ve learned is you’re never surprised or stunned by anything when it comes to the amateur baseball draft,” Holmes told reporters on Tuesday. “But we were extremely excited to have a chance at Whitman at 69. We were not expecting to be talking about him there.”

It was a draft class that has received many early positive returns from pundits, though it will be years before the Giants know the true impact of the players they selected this week. Holmes said Tuesday he hopes to sign all 21 players; the Giants took only one high school player after the second round. Grant Brisbee broke down the Giants’ three Day 1 picks earlier this week. Let’s take a look at the 18 other soon-to-be Giants.

Round 3, pick 85: Cole Foster, SS, Auburn

Foster, a switch-hitter from Texas, was one of the top prep shortstops in the 2020 draft, but the pandemic impacted that entire draft and ultimately led to him going to college. Foster was a regular at Auburn the past two seasons, playing 53 games both years. He improved every year at the school, finishing this season with a .336/.429/.570 line with 13 homers.

A well-rounded player, Foster doesn’t have one standout tool but he’s a good athlete who has power potential from both sides of the plate and enough defensive chops that he will be able to contribute at a few positions in the infield. Holmes noted on Monday that Foster was relatively new to switch-hitting in high school, but that he had grown more comfortable swinging from both sides of the plate over the past three years. Foster has Power 5 conference experience and should be able to jump into a full-season league quickly.

Fun fact: Holmes said Foster was the last player he scouted in 2020 before he made the decision to pull his scouts off the road at the start of the pandemic.

Good God, Cole Foster!! He absolutely ANNIHILATES this baseball deep into the Hoover night to give Auburn a 7-4 lead! Just a beautiful lefthanded swing from Foster!
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) May 24, 2023

Round 4, pick 48: Maui Ahuna, SS, Tennessee

Ahuna was one of the most well-known names in the transfer portal last year, as he made the jump from Kansas to Tennessee after hitting .396/.479/.634 for the Jayhawks in 2022. His Tennessee tenure began under some controversy when the NCAA initially ruled he was ineligible to play for the Vols due to a recruiting violation. He served a three-game suspension and ultimately played 53 games for UT in 2023. Ahuna didn’t match his 2022 numbers with the Vols, but still had a strong season, batting .312/.425/.537 with eight homers.

The biggest knock on Ahuna coming into the draft was his contact rate, which plummeted in 2023 when he struck out 77 times in 247 plate appearances. Holmes said the Giants noticed a change in Ahuna’s approach at the plate this season. “I think at Tennessee maybe he was trying to do a few things that maybe led to a little bit more swing and miss and the stats reflected that. I think we feel really confident that we can get him in a good place at the plate,” Holmes said. Ultimately, though, it was Ahuna’s glove that drew the Giants’ interest, as Holmes stated he “easily could have been considered the best defensive shortstop in the entire draft.”

“We think he’s a quote-unquote impactful defender and we think we can help him out on the hitting side,” Holmes said. “He’s already a really good hitter. Get his approach back to maybe what it was the year before, control the zone a little bit more and we think we’ve got an everyday player.”

Fun fact: A native of Hilo, Maui Ahuna’s legal name is Walter Clyde Ahuna III.

Round 5, pick 153: Quinn McDaniel, 2B, Maine

McDaniel dominated during his final two seasons at Maine, finishing with a junior season that saw him hit .354/.513/.688 with 16 homers and 32 stolen bases in 53 games. A smaller framed infielder (5-11, 180 pounds), McDaniel has some pop in his bat and outstanding plate discipline. He’s played some shortstop in addition to second base but profiles best at second and as a top-of-the-order type hitter.

Fun fact: McDaniel’s 60 walks were an American East conference record.

Round 6, pick 180: Luke Shliger, C, Maryland

Shliger is an athletic, bat-first backstop who was among the country’s most disciplined collegiate hitters in 2023. The left-handed hitter walked 69 times in 328 plate appearances and posted a .523 OBP for Maryland. Last summer on the Cape, Shliger showed similar plate patience, walking 16 times in 27 games on his way to a .412 OBP.

The biggest question is whether Shliger will be able to hit for power with wood bats, something he wasn’t able to do on the Cape. Shliger has played some left field in addition to catching and could move around the field a bit as a pro. He isn’t as athletic as current Giants prospect Brett Auerbach, but has a similar build.

Fun fact: Shliger finished second behind Dylan Crews in runs scored in Division I this season with 93 in 63 games played.

Round 7, pick 210: Scott Bandura, OF, Princeton

Bandura had a breakout 2023 season for the Tigers, setting a program record for total bases, hitting .363/.454/.665 with 12 homers, his first full season in the Ivy League (the league cancelled its baseball season in 2021 because of the pandemic and he played only eight games in 2022). Bandura can play all three outfield positions and has above-average speed, swiping 15 bases in 17 opportunities. He controls the strike zone well and Holmes said Princeton head coach Scott Bradley raved about Bandura’s make-up.

“He’s got the ability to hit for power, especially to the opposite way, which is a super intriguing thing for me from a left-handed bat,” Holmes said.

Fun fact: Bandura played on the Little League Taney Dragons as a kid, where he was the catcher in the 2014 Little League World Series for breakout star Mo’ne Davis. He is a cousin of one of the original The Athletic Bay Area staff writers, Julian McWilliams.

When Scott Bandura appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon:
— JT Snow's SF Giant Ten Year Tenure  (@GIDPMcGehee) July 10, 2023

Round 8, pick 240: Josh Bostick, RHP, Grayson Community College

The first junior college player taken by the Giants in this class is Bostick, a 6-4 right-hander who also played in the field in junior college. Holmes emphasized that Bostick would be developed solely as a pitcher. In that role, he had a 2.52 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings for Grayson this season. He’s currently pitching in the Cape Cod League, where he’s found a lot of success, striking out 21 in 18 innings.

Bostick has mostly pitched in relief or shorter starts in college but Holmes sees a potential starter there. “He’s got a fastball up to 98. He misses a lot of bats with his fastball. He’s got a breaking ball that’s got some swing-and-miss characteristics,” he said.

Fun fact: On the same day he was drafted, Bostick was named the Cape Cod League’s Pitcher of the Week.

Round 9, pick 270: Charlie Szykowny, 3B, Illinois-Chicago

Szykowny spent four seasons at Wisconsin-Stout before playing a grad transfer season at UIC. He had a strong season at UIC, batting .335/.426/.655 with 16 home runs. Szykowny performed well at a regional workout the Giants hosted, putting himself on the radar of area scout Tom Shafer. “He makes a lot of contact. He has power. We’ve seen him physically mature through the years,” Holmes said. “We really believe in the bat profile here. We think there’s a chance to hit.”

Fun fact: Szykowny finished his undergraduate degree at UW-Stout before starting a marketing master’s at UIC this season. He is just the second UW-Stout alum to be drafted, joining Joe Vavra (1982, Dodgers).

Round 10, pick 300: Ryan Vanderhei, RHP, TCU

The Giants have long loved tall right-handers and Vanderhei, at 6-6, is just that. Vanderhei will be a project for the vaunted Giants’ pitching development program. He finished college with a 5.79 ERA in 149 1/3 innings. He struck out more than a batter an inning (151) but struggled with walks (89) and he allowed 20 home runs. He’s a two-pitch pitcher — a sinking fastball that sits 93 but can get up to 97 and a breaking ball with good shape — and projects as a potential late-inning reliever. It will be interesting to see if the Giants can improve his strike throwing.

Fun fact: Vanderhei was a teammate of Ahuna’s at Kansas his first three years in college before transferring to TCU.

Round 11, pick 330: Jack Payton, C, Louisville

Payton played the understudy to two significant catching prospects early in his career at Louisville, 2021 top pick Henry Davis and Dodgers’ 2022 top pick Dalton Rushing. Finally given an opportunity to play every day behind the plate, Payton put up some of the best numbers for any catcher in the country (.374/.472/.643 with 12 homers in 214 plate appearances) this season. He’s still raw defensively, but he has defensive versatility, having spent time in left field when he was backing up Davis and Rushing. Holmes noted that Payton actually caught quite a few Friday night games even when Rushing was on the roster and the Giants believe he can stick behind the plate.

“We feel like he’s a guy who can handle it going forward, the way he receives, his hands and how he blocks,” Holmes said. “We think we can help some of his transfer and some of his throwing a little bit. It’s an experienced catcher from a Power 5 school who controls the zone and makes hard contact.”

Fun fact: Jack is the younger brother of Mark Payton, an outfielder with big-league time with the Reds and White Sox who is currently playing in Japan.

Round 12, pick 360: Timmy Manning, LHP, Arizona State

Manning, a 6-2 southpaw, began his collegiate career at Florida, where he pitched for two seasons. He transferred to Arizona State this season and struggled, posting a 7.26 ERA in 53 1/3 innings, though he struck out 66. Manning has done a mix of starting and relieving and has three pitches in his repertoire — a fastball that can touch 96, a curveball and a change-up. Command was the biggest issue for Manning this season. The curveball is his best pitch and pairing that with the tall frame and the present velocity leaves the Giants some upside to work with.

“He’s got a really good breaking ball with high spin and that he’s always had a tremendous feel with,” Holmes said. “He’s athletic, his delivery is good. He has pretty good fastball characteristics.”

Fun fact: Manning threw a no-hitter in his first start as a senior in high school, striking out 16, and then he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning in his next start.

Round 13, pick 390: Jose Ortiz, OF, Leadership Christian Academy (PR)

Ortiz — the only high school player selected by the Giants after their first two picks — is an excellent athlete with above-average speed who is still growing into his 5-10 frame. The Giants believe he will stick in center field and were drawn to the 18-year-old right-handed hitter’s run and throw tools. Holmes said the organization’s strength and conditioning program will help improve Ortiz’s offensive profile.

Fun fact: Ortiz attended the same academy in Puerto Rico as the Giants’ 2017 first-round pick, Heliot Ramos.

.@TheHAthletics 17U Gold’s Juan Estrada (@Juan_Estrada_5) rips a two-out single the other way to RCF but Puerto Rico CF Jose Ortiz makes a nice throw to catch him at second.
Dobie (TX) 2023 #uncommitted
Leadership Christian Academy (PR) 2023 #uncommitted #MattinglyWS
— ✭Five Tool Texas✭ (@FiveToolTexas) July 6, 2022

Round 14, pick 420: Cale Lansville, RHP, San Jacinto College North

Lansville began his collegiate career at LSU but was limited by a shoulder injury and transferred to San Jacinto (a junior college) after his freshman season. The 20-year-old right-hander had a 3.62 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings this season. An excellent athlete who also lettered in basketball in high school, Lansville has a starter’s repertoire with a fastball that sits low-90s, slider, changeup, curveball and cut-fastball. He is committed to Florida State next season.

Fun fact: Lansville comes from a big baseball family. His older brother, Reese, pitched two seasons at Arkansas before transferring to Metro State this season, and his younger brother, Brock, is a high school junior committed to pitch for Kansas starting in 2025.

Round 15, pick 450: Dylan Carmouche, LHP, Tulane

The 6-6 southpaw began his career at Mississippi State — where he won a National Championship — before pitching his last two seasons at Tulane. Carmouche threw 90 1/3 and 90 innings in each of his two seasons for the Green Wave, striking out 189 but walking 71. He throws from a deceptive arm slot and has a good feel for mixing his pitches.

Fun fact: Carmouche threw an eight-inning complete game in the AAC tournament against Memphis and then threw three innings in relief against East Carolina in the title game, as the Green Wave unexpectedly reached the Baton Rouge regionals.

Round 16, pick 480: Justin Wishkoski, 3B, Sam Houston State

Wishkoski put up huge numbers in two seasons at Sam Houston State after starting his career in junior college. In his two seasons at Sam Houston State, he batted .350 with a .434 OBP. His power took a big leap forward this season, as his home runs jumped from three to 11. He also stole 16 bases after swiping just three in 2022. Wishkoski is already 22 but has some room to fill out his 6-3 frame. He should be able to stick in the infield defensively.

Fun fact: Wishkoski hit a walk-off grand slam in the opening round of the WAC tournament in May. Sam Houston State would reach the Baton Rouge regionals, where they defeated Carmouche’s Tulane squad.

Round 17, pick 510: Drew Cavanaugh, C, Florida Southern

The third catcher selected in this year’s class by the Giants is Cavanaugh, who transferred to Florida Southern from junior college this year and earned all-conference honors. The left-handed hitter batted .316 with 12 home runs and 33 walks in 46 games. He’s a solid defensive backstop who should be able to stick behind the plate as a pro.

Fun fact: Florida Southern is the same college program that produced current Giants top-10 prospect Vaun Brown.

Round 18, pick 540: Michael Rodriguez, LHP, North Greenville

Rodriguez has a big frame, standing 6-6 and weighing in at a listed 245 pounds, with a strong lower half. Exclusively a reliever in 2023 for North Greenville, Rodriguez posted a 2.45 ERA and he struck out 67 in 40 1/3 innings. He’s pitched well this summer in the Cape Cod League, allowing a run in 7 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. He uses a three pitch-mix — a low-90s fastball, slider and changeup.

Fun fact: In his spare time, Rodriguez is a cross-fit trainer. His baseball nickname is “the Nightmare.”

Round 19, pick 570: Tommy Kane, LHP, Maryland

A junior college transfer for the Terps this season, Kane made 17 relief appearances, posting a 7.31 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 16 walks in 28 1/3 innings before a lat strain ended his season early. Kane is an upside play. The command isn’t there yet but he can touch the high 90s with his fastball and has a good breaking ball.

Fun fact: Kane and Shliger were two of seven Terps drafted this year, matching the school record for players drafted through 20 rounds.

Round 20, pick 600: Nadir Lewis, OF, Princeton

Lewis missed much of the season, but he showcased his skills in 2022 when he hit .329/.428/.613 with 10 homers in 40 games for the Tigers. A high baseball IQ player with above-average speed and strength from the left side of the plate, Lewis was successful on all 17 of his stolen base attempts at Princeton.

Fun fact: This is the first year since 2014 that Princeton has had more than one player drafted. The Giants are the first organization to take more than one Princeton player in a single draft.

(Photo of Ahuna: Dylan Widger / USA Today)