Giants Will Need To Develop Hit Tool for This Early Draft Pick To Make MLB Impact

Despite the San Francisco Giants being under new leadership in the front office with Buster Posey as president of baseball operations, the 2025 MLB draft went similarly to how things have gone in recent years.

The Giants are a franchise that notoriously leans heavily into college positional players early on, and that was a trend continued once again.

With the No. 13 overall pick, San Francisco selected shortstop Gavin Kilen out of the University of Tennessee. 

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He is the seventh collegiate player selected out of their last eight first-round picks, with the only exception being their current top prospect, first baseman Bryce Eldridge, in 2023.

It was a strategy the team continued going with throughout the early part of the 2025 MLB draft, selecting their first prep player, pitcher Reid Worley out of Cherokee High School in Canton, Ga., in the ninth round, No. 266 overall.

Amongst those collegiate players selected was Stetson University standout Lorenzo Meola in the third round at No. 116 overall.

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The talented shortstop was highlighted by R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports as his favorite selection the Giants made outside of the first round, and it is easy to see why.

Meola is a stellar defender, providing himself with a great base to build upon. He is going to stick at a premium position long-term, providing value with his glove at the very least.

What will determine how impactful the Stetson product is as a professional is whether or not San Francisco can help him develop at the plate.

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His production in college was solid, producing a .303/.390/.484 slash line with 25 home runs, 32 doubles, four triples, 26 stolen bases and 133 RBI.

However, his performance over the summer in the Cape Cod League in 2024 left a lot to be desired.

He produced an underwhelming .162/.260/.279 slash line while striking out 37 times and drawing 14 walks in 129 plate appearances across 35 games.

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The Giants are hoping Meola lands somewhere closer to his Stetson production than what he did in the Cape Cod League, but it will be determined in some capacity by their developmental staff.

His defense gives him a strong floor, but he needs to improve at the plate to make any impact in the big leauges.

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