29th Overall: San Francisco Giants Select SS Joe Panik

The San Francisco Giants selected Joe Panik with the 29th pick in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The 20-year-old, left-handed batter attended St. Johns University last season. He stands 6’1″ tall and weighs 193 pounds. Panik was not featured as a first round selection by Wally Fish in the S2S Mock Draft.

NUMBERS & TOOLS:

Scouts love his smooth contact swing and strike zone discipline.

Panik features solid gap power but lacks any raw power that would suggest many home runs are in his future. He hit .374 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI for St. Johns last season. Panik also hit .297 in the Cape Cod League proving that he can handle a wooden bat.

The slick fielding shortstop was a 2011 Golden Spikes Award finalist. Although, he has soft hands and solid footwork, scouts believe his range and arm strength might be better suited for second base. He had labrum surgery after his freshman year, and is said to have a hard time with throws deep in the hole. Hence all the hinting that he won’t last very long at short.

Despite lacking a tremendous amount of speed, Panik posses the instincts and aggression to potentially be a pest on the base-paths.

WHAT THEY SAY:

John Sickels — MinorLeagueBall

"He should have at least gap power in the pros, and his combination of plate discipline and ability on the bases will make him an asset at the top of the order. Although some scouts believe he’ll have to move to second base due to his arm strength, but others believe his positioning and instincts are good enough to keep him at shortstop."

MLBBonusBaby

"Panik has solid contact ability and has gap power. He has solid speed and should be able to stay at SS. He doesn’t have the bat for 3rd, so he’ll have to move to 2B if he has to move off the position."

Aaron Fit — BaseballAmerica

"I think he showed people this summer that he is one of the top shortstops in the college draft class for next year. I love his mature approach at the plate, his easy lefthanded swing, and I think he’s got a chance to stick at shortstop in pro ball."

THOUGHTS:

This draft was just the first time since 1988 that the San Francisco Giants selected a middle infielder in the first round. It was also the first time in long time that the Giants botched there first round pick. Panik is a safe low risk, low ceiling, medium floor selection. The pick isn’t sexy and the Giants likely reached. It’s easy to sympathize with their fan-base when you consider that the majority of mock drafts had Panik twenty plus spots lower.

Bottom line, I’m not really a fan of the pick. His numbers are impressive on the surface but the tools are pedestrian. Unfortunately for him stats usually don’t matter as much as tools. Much like ESPNs Keith Law suggests, I can’t help but wonder if Panik’s MLB career will be spent as a utility infielder.

For more on the Giants, check out Frisco Fastball

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