Giants add more pitching depth, pick lefty Bolemon 29th overall

With the 29th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and their second of the day after taking righty Jackson Flora fourth overall, the Giants selected southpaw Carson Bolemon out of Southside Christian High School (S.C.).

Bolemon, MLB Pipeline’s No. 24 Draft prospect, became the first player drafted out of South Carolina’s Southside Christian School. The hulking lefty -- 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds -- dazzled through his prep years to turn himself into one of the best arms in the 2026 Draft pool. There’s belief, too, that he can continue adding to his frame.

Bolemon runs his 55-grade fastball between 91-94 mph and will touch 96 mph. The real prize, however, is a 78-82 mph curveball that earns a 60 grade. He also gets a plus grade (60) on his low-80s sweeper, though evaluators slightly prefer the curve. The arsenal rounds out with a kick changeup that effectively kills spin in the mid-80s.

More on the Giants' 2026 Draft:

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All that turned into a junior season in which he did not allow a single run, culminating in a 19-strikeout no-hitter to help deliver his squad a 3-A State Championship. Bolemon was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for the performance, striking out 135 batters in 55 1/3 innings.

Entering 2026 as the consensus best pitching prospect in this year’s Draft pool, Bolemon’s number took a slight step back, at least compared to the standard he set in 2025. He finished the year 7-0 with an 0.17 ERA, striking out 91 batters in 41 1/3 innings. That earned him his second consecutive Gatorade Player of the Year nod for his home state.

Bolemon, who holds a college commitment to Wake Forest, has pitched in big spots. He served as the ace of the U18 U.S. national team that topped Japan for a 2025 World Cup win, with 17 strikeouts in 11 scoreless innings. He also helped Southside Christian win another state title in 2026, the school’s fifth consecutive championship.

If there’s a knock on Bolemon, it’s that he already turned 19 three months before the Draft and that he had internal brace surgery to repair a partial tear in his elbow back in eighth grade. According to MLB Pipeline, however, neither represents a major concern.