A complete SF Giants guide to the 2022 Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to poach minor league players from opposing organizations. The player selected must remain on the MLB roster for the entire season. If they are ever optioned or designated for assignment, they must be offered back to their original team.
Marc and Wrenzie have their five favorite players for the Rule 5 Draft.
Jake Mangum is one of the best defensive outfielders in the minors. He hit .306/.363/.441 last season between Double-A and Triple-a. Mangu lacks power and has never walked at an above-average rate.
Cam Devanney was drafted in the 15th round in 2019. He hit .264/.342/.492 with 23 homer with Double-A and Triple-a last season. Devenney is an excellent defender on the left side of the infield.
Malcolm Nunez is an excellent pure hitter, but he's limited defensively at third base. He hit .262/.367/.466 last season between Double-A and Triple-a.
Ryan Noda was drafted in the 15th round of the 2017 draft. He hit 25 home runs with a .259/.396/.474 triple-slash in his first season at Triple-A last year. Nodas is a solid defender at first base and stole a career-high 20 bases.
Kameron Misner was drafted by the Giants in 2019 but he was traded to the Marlins. He's been solid but unexceptional as a pro and was left unprotected by Tampa Bay. The Giants will probably see too much redundancy between Miser and Mike Yastrzemski to make this pick, but they could bet on Misener's upside.
Blake Sabol is a left-handed hitter who hit .284/.363/.497 between Double-A and Triple-a. Sabols is also a natural outfielder who can play in left field.
Pedro Pages is a good defensive catcher with a high strikeout rate and a .693 OPS. Pages had a 99.4% fielding percentage and 30. 4% caught-stealing rate between Double-A and Triple-a last season.
Devin Mann was a fifth-round pick in 2019. He played every defensive position except pitcher, catcher, and center field in 2022. Mann hit 264/.380/.464 with 16 home runs between Double-A and Triple-a.
Corey Julks can't play center field, but he has experience at third and second base. He hit 31 home runs at the Pacific Coast League last season.
Adolfo Ramirez is a high strikeout rate, low walk rate and strong groundball rate pitcher. He is not ready for the big leagues yet, but he is good for long-term relief.
Kyle Brnovich is coming off UCL surgery and could start the season on the injured list and then spend 30 days in the minors on a rehab stint. Brnnovich racked up 123 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched with just 23 walks in 2021 between High-A and Double-a. He started 2022 at Triple- A and might be a back-end starter down the line.
Antoine Kelly has a 15% walk rate, but he has an arsenal that is worth considering. Kelly's release point is below 5 feet.
Dominic Canzone is a left-handed hitter capable of playing all three outfield positions. He hit .300/.367/.541 with 22 home runs between Double-A and Triple-a last season.
Ethan Hankins is a right-handed pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and a solid array of secondary offerings. He missed almost three years of in-game action due to the pandemic and undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Noah Song was drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft but fell to the fourth round because of his time spent in Navy. He has barely pitched and is now a Naval officer. The Giants could place him on the restricted list and free up a 40-man roster spot as soon as the season starts.
The Giants protected some prospects at risk of being picked in the Rule 5 Draft, but they did not protect everyone.
Nick Avila was left off the Giants 40-man roster. He has a unique arsenal for a reliever, flashing several big-league pitches.
Joey Marciano was excellent at Double-A in 2021 and good in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season. His fastball reached the mid-90s and he has an above-average breaking ball. Marcianos is on the older side (turns 28 in January) but he held lefties to a .223/.336/.277 triple-slash at Triple-a last year.
Tyler Fitzgerald had a 20-20 season despite his strikeout rate approaching 50%. He has a .229 batting average and a 32.9% strike out rate. He is one of the most dynamic prospects in the organization.
Will Wilson is the less athletic counterpart to Fitzgerald. He was a more productive hitter in 2022, reaching Triple-A. Wilson can play second and third base at a big-league quality.
Ryan Walker, 27, was drafted in 2018. He has deceptive delivery and good stuff. Walker walked 4.6 per nine innings last season.
Michael Stryffeler, a right-handed pitcher, was acquired from the Mariners at the trade deadline. He walked 17 batters in 16 Triple-A innings with the Giants, but struck out 25.
Ismael Munguia was set to be a minor-league free agent this offseason, but he never hit the open market. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing wrist surgery. Mnguio hit .336/.366/.502 last year at High-A Eugene in his age-22 season.
Kai-Wei Teng's numbers this year are disappointing. His strikeout rate is still above-average but his walk rate has crept up to 13.7%. He has a 5.22 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He's a plus pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and slider.
Matt Frisbee has been a mediocre upper-minors starter but has some quality breaking pitches and a fastball.
Jake Wong was a third-round pick in 2013. He was playing at High-A this season. Wong has a fastball that has reached the mid-90s and a slider that flashes plus.
Jairo Pomares is a third-ranked prospect in 2022 Rule 5 draft. Pomare's hitting is still good, but he has a high chasing rate and mediocre contact rates.
