Drafting in baseball has long been an inexact science, but the Giants have had the good fortune of hitting on several players who developed into foundational pieces for some of the best teams in franchise history.
Here’s a look at San Francisco’s Top 5 homegrown Draft picks:
1) Buster Posey
First round, fifth overall, 2008
Catcher Buster Posey was a Freshman All-America shortstop in his first year at Florida State University, but he converted to catcher as a sophomore at the suggestion of one of his coaches. It proved to be a smart move. Despite having no previous catching experience, Posey demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for the position and quickly developed into a plus defender behind the plate. That skill, coupled with his offensive prowess, transformed him into one of the most coveted picks in the country leading up to the 2008 MLB Draft.
Posey, of course, landed with the Giants, a move that launched the most successful era in franchise history. Posey emerged as the cornerstone of the Giants’ three World Series-winning teams in 2010, '12 and '14, marking the club’s first championship titles since the organization moved west in 1958.
Over his first decade in San Francisco, Posey established himself as one of the most decorated players in Giants history, capturing the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2012 NL MVP Award. His credentials also include seven All-Star selections, five Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove Award and the 2012 NL batting title. Posey’s 1,063 starts behind the plate are the most in Giants history, and he ranks within the top 10 in several offensive categories in the San Francisco era, including batting average (.302), games played (1,371), hits (1,500), doubles (293) and RBIs (729).
2) Will Clark
First round, second overall, 1985
The Brewers opened the 1985 Draft -- one of the best in baseball history -- by selecting B.J. Surhoff. The Giants followed by drafting Will Clark, a sweet-swinging first baseman out of Mississippi State University who helped spark one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history. San Francisco lost 96 games in '84 and 100 in '85, but its fortunes began to change when Clark debuted in '86. In his first career at-bat in the Majors, Clark homered off Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan at the Astrodome, signaling the arrival of “The Thrill.”
Clark, who led the Giants to the NL West title in 1987 and a World Series appearance in '89, batted .299 with 176 home runs and 709 RBIs over eight seasons in San Francisco. He earned five of his six career All-Star selections with the Giants, along with two Silver Slugger Awards and one Gold Glove Award. Clark delivered one of his finest seasons in '89, when he hit .333 with 23 home runs and 111 RBIs and finished second in the NL MVP voting, behind only teammate Kevin Mitchell. Still, Clark captured MVP honors in the '89 NL Championship Series after batting .650 with two home runs and eight RBIs to help the Giants beat the Cubs in five games.
3) Matt Williams
First round, third overall, 1986
Third baseman Matt Williams debuted with the Giants in 1987 at age 21, only a year out of UNLV, but he struggled to establish himself over his first three years in the Majors. He finally broke through in '90, when he hit .277 with 33 home runs and an NL-high 122 RBIs in his first full season as a big leaguer.
Williams never looked back, earning four All-Star selections and three Gold Glove Awards over his 10-year tenure in San Francisco. He topped the 30-home run mark four times with the Giants, including a career-high 43 home runs in 1994. That season was cut short by a players strike, robbing him of the opportunity to chase Roger Maris’ single-season home run record (61). He finished second in NL MVP voting to the Astros’ Jeff Bagwell.
Williams spent two more seasons with the Giants before being dealt to the Indians in exchange for Jeff Kent, Julian Tavárez and José Vizcaíno in 1996. His 247 home runs with the Giants rank fourth in San Francisco history, behind only Barry Bonds (586), Willie McCovey (469) and Willie Mays (459).
4) Madison Bumgarner
First round, 10th overall, 2007
Pitcher Madison Bumgarner spent the first 11 years of his career with the Giants, going 119-92 with a 3.13 ERA while earning four All-Star nods and two Silver Slugger Awards. He reserved his best work for October, when he established himself as one of the greatest postseason pitchers in baseball history during the Giants’ run of three World Series championships in five seasons from 2010-14.
The fiery left-hander out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, N.C., carried his club over the finish line in 2014, logging a 0.43 ERA over 21 innings against the Royals and converting a five-inning save in Game 7 to close out the club’s third title in five years. Bumgarner’s historic performance made him the obvious choice for World Series MVP, marking the first time the prize had been awarded to a Giants pitcher.
5) Brandon Crawford
Fourth round, 117th overall, 2008
It doesn’t get more homegrown than Crawford, a Bay Area native who ended up developing into the best shortstop in Giants history. The slick-fielding infielder earned three All-Star selections and four Gold Glove Awards over his storybook 13-year run in San Francisco. He appeared in a franchise-record 1,617 regular-season games at shortstop, and he helped San Francisco capture World Series titles in 2012 and ‘14.
Crawford enjoyed his finest season in 2021, when he finished fourth in NL MVP voting after slashing .298/.373/.522 with a career-high 24 home runs and 90 RBIs for the 107-win Giants.
Honorable mentions
OF Jack Clark, 13th round, 1973
RHP Matt Cain, first round, 25th overall, 2002
1B Brandon Belt, fifth round, 2009
RHP Tim Lincecum, first round, 10th overall, 2006
2B Robby Thompson, first round, second overall, 1983