Giants Receive Great Grade For Strong Selection in First Round of MLB Draft

After a surprisingly successful first half of the season for the San Francisco Giants, the team is going to need to be ready for some stiff competition in the National League after the All-Star break.

Not too many likely expected to see the Giants in the playoff hunt at this stage of the year, but the team is over .500 and trying to win. A recent blockbuster trade to acquire Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox is a strong indication that Buster Posey is looking to be aggressive.

While Devers will help improve the lineup, there is still some work to be done if San Francisco is going to be able to keep pace.

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Even though Posey and the front office are likely busy figuring out a plan of attack for the trade deadline, they also have to prepare for the MLB draft. The Giants had the 13th overall pick and used their selection on an infielder who might be able to help them soon.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the strong first-round pick for the Giants and gave them an excellent grade of an ‘A’ for the selection.

“I think he winds up at second base, which puts more pressure on his bat, but there is no question he can hit. Don't be surprised if he's playing second base at Oracle Park very shortly.”

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Gavin Kilen was the first-round pick by San Francisco and he will be continuing a philosophy of trying to improve their offense.

While Kilen has primarily been a shortstop, the move appears to be to have him heading to second base where he is a better defender.

After starting this career with the Louisville Cardinals, Kilen saw his career take off with the Tennessee Volunteers. In 2025, he slashed .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI.

Even though he showed some good power with the Volunteers, he doesn’t project to be an electric power hitter. However, at second base, being a top-notch slugger isn’t needed.

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When looking at the potential future of the infield for the Giants, things are starting to shape up. The left side should have Matt Chapman and Willy Adames for years to come, with the right side being a bit younger with the potential for Kilen and Bryce Eldridge to be the future there.

While offense has been an issue for the Giants for many years, Posey is seemingly making it a priority to add good hitters to their organization to help change that.

For more Giants news, head over to Giants On SI.