Draft Theme: The BA Draft Board.

San Francisco got a ton of great value in the draft this year, at least if you are basing your analysis off of the BA Draft board. The Giants took Walker Martin at pick 52 (No. 24 on the BA 500), got the top-ranked college lefty in the class in Joe Whitman (35) at pick 69, took a shot on Maui Ahuna’s (72) defensive chops at pick 117, and then took two of the better college catchers in the class with Luke Shliger (88) at pick 180 and perhaps the biggest steal of all: Jack Payton (116) in the 11th round with the 330th pick of the draft. 

Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: SS Maui Ahuna, 4th round

Ahuna is a Hawaii native who comes from a strong baseball tradition and was part of a banner year for Hawaiin prep prospects in 2020. He earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention after his 2021 freshman season with Kansas and then broke out massively in 2022 by hitting .396/.479/.634 with eight home runs and 16 doubles as a sophomore. Ahuna transferred to Tennessee for his 2023 junior season, and didn’t fully replicate his offensive showing in the SEC. He hit .312/.425/.537 with eight home runs, but his strikeout rate jumped from 20.8% in 2022 to 31.2% in 2023. Contact is the biggest question mark for the 6-foot-1, 175-pound lefty hitter. He had an overall miss rate of 38%, and looked confounded on off-speed stuff with lots of chases out of the strike zone. Ahuna does have whippy bat speed, but a big leg kick, steep bat path and questionable pitch recognition have created more concerns about his hit tool. He hits the ball hard and has decent power for his size, but will need to figure out a way to make more contact in pro ball. Scouting directors voted Ahuna the best defensive infielder in college entering the year and he excels at shortstop thanks to above-average speed and quickness, impressive actions, good body control as well as plus arm strength.

Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: C Jack Payton, 11th round

Louisville produced back-to-back high-end catching prospects in 2021 and 2022, with Henry Davis selected No. 1 overall in 2021 and Dalton Rushing selected No. 40 overall in 2022. Payton is next in line at the Louisville catching factory, and like the two players preceding him has an impressive offensive resume. He led Louisville with a .350 average, 89 hits and 23 doubles in 2022, then played with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League during the summer. He had another strong offensive season in 2023, when he slashed .374/.472/.642 with 12 home runs and 10 doubles. Payton has lots of strength in a filled-out, 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame, with the ability to drive the ball out to the pull side and the opposite field, though he’s done most of his damage middle-in, with a tendency to leak out and open up on his front side after a toe tap—which can hurt his ability to cover the outer third. Payton did well against 92-plus mph velocity in 2022, but struggled against that pitch type in 2023. He’s an aggressive hitter who will expand the zone and also has a high miss rate against breaking stuff and offspeed offerings, leading to more fringe-average hitting projections. Payton needs to work on his actions and receiving to stick behind the plate in pro ball. He has fringy arm strength and has a long exchange times, and could also clean up the direction with his footwork. He moves well for a catcher and could potentially play an outfield corner if he has to move from behind the plate.