Giants Predicted To Select Speedy Shortstop in Latest Mock Draft

The latest mock draft has the San Francisco Giants selecting one of the fastest players in the draft.

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; Former Texas Rangers player Adrian Beltre starts the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants are having a great first season under new president of baseball operations, Buster Posey. They are 23-14 and very much in the race for the National League West division crown. This year is a huge turnaround after the team went 80-82 in 2024.

The one bright spot from the Giants disappointing 2024 season is they were able to secure a fairly high pick in the MLB draft. With that, the team has the 13th overall pick, which gives them a pretty tough decision who to take.

Does San Francisco go with a college player that can make impact soon, or do they take a high school player that needs development, but has a high upside.

Jim Callis of MLB.com released his first mock draft of the year, and he has the Giants taking the No. 13 overall draft prospect Steele Hall. Hall is a high school shortstop from Trussville, Alabama.

Who is Steele Hall?

Hall, as mentioned, is a high school shortstop from the state of Alabama. He comes into the draft at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds.

The biggest tool the University of Tennessee commit has to offer is his speed. Hall, according to his MLB Pipeline scouting report, enters the draft with 70-grade speed. Some people think he has 80-grade speed. No matter the grade, the kid can run.

Hall is also a great defender that profiles as a prospect that will stay at his primary position. He has the arm to match his glove, which is something teams love about him.

The one problem, per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, is his bat.

He has swing and miss in his game as he looks to hit for unnecessary power when in games. He is a player that is going to have to mature and understand that his speed is his biggest weapon. Sticking to a gap-to-gap approach, rather than trying to hit home runs, is going to turn him into a better hitter.

Is this the right move for the Giants?

When taking a high school skill player, teams are usually committing to at least three years of development. That means their top pick would not make it to the big leagues for quite some time.

In the Giants case, they could be looking at a little bit longer of a wait.

San Francisco signed Willy Adames to a seven-year contract this offseason, so the team is set at shortstop for the time being. Along with him, the Giants have Tyler Fitzgerald on the other side of second base.

With that in mind, the Giants have their middle infield for the foreseeable future. Additionally, they have five shortstops on their top prospect list.

With that many players of the same position, the competition would be cutthroat. However, it does give San Francisco plenty the chance to take their time on the development of Hall, if the high schooler were to be picked by the team.

If Hall is available at 13, though, it would not be a terrible move for the Giants to draft him.