System overview
If you like pitching prospects, the Giants are the team for you. If you prefer youngsters who hit, look elsewhere. While San Francisco boasts possibly the best collection of near-major-league-ready arm talent in the game, there is a serious lack of potential regular players.

In Kurt Ainsworth, Jesse Foppert, and Jerome Williams, the Giants feature three outstanding pitching prospects. All three are ready or almost ready for the majors, and all three should be good, or better, pitchers if injuries don't get in the way. Coming up behind them are the lively and highly promising arms of Boof Bonser, Ryan Hannaman, and Francisco Liriano. Any of these guys would be considered the top pitching prospect in many organizations.

Hitting is another matter. Outfielder Todd Linden has a great deal of promise, but aside from him, there aren't any especially impressive offensive prospects. Outfielder Tony Torcato and first baseman Lance Niekro draw praise from some scouts, but neither has developed much power or patience. There are several guys with tools, but other than injury-plagued and erratic outfielder Carlos Valderrama, none of them have ever actually played well.

2002 amateur draft
Looking to add yet more pitching to the system, the Giants picked Tennessee high school right-hander Matt Cain in the first round. Most teams saw him as a second-round choice, but the Giants have a habit of zoning in on pitchers that other teams underrate. Cain throws in the low-to-mid-90s, and has a very good curve.

Position players were the next order of business. Southern University outfielder Freddie Lewis went in the second round. A leadoff man, he has great speed, good defensive ability, and hit .322 in short-season ball. His plate discipline is marginal for a leadoff guy though. Third-round pick Dan Ortmeier, an outfielder from the University of Texas-Arlington, hit .282 for Class A Salem-Keizer and has good power potential. But like Lewis, he doesn't draw that many walks.

Fourth-round pick Kevin Correia, a right-hander from Cal Poly, was rather unimpressive statistically in the Northwest League, but does feature a 92 mph fastball. Fifth-round choice Kevin Kelly, a shortstop from Duke, got just a handful of at-bats after signing, so it's hard to get a read on his immediate chances. Sixth-round selection Jesse English, a lefty out of high school in Vista, California, looks like a major sleeper to me. He posted a 2.68 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 47 rookie ball innings.

One additional bat to keep an eye on is 21st-round pick Travis Ishikawa, a first baseman out of high school in Washington state. Scouts love the way the ball jumps off his bat.

Overall, this looks like a good draft, with a mixture of pitching, hitting, high school, and college types, though the lack of plate discipline among the hitters is a bit worrisome.

Top prospects
Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see significant major league action in 2003. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '04 or later, though of course that can change. Players are listed alphabetically. No 2002 draftees are listed.

WILL HELP SOON
Kurt Ainsworth, RHP: 3.41 ERA, 119/43 K/BB ratio in 116 innings at Triple-A Fresno. Throws hard, has a good variety of breaking pitches, and throws strikes. Major league ready in '02, and should be in the rotation in '03. Should be a better pitcher than Ryan Jensen.

Jesse Foppert, RHP: 3.99 ERA in 14 starts after being promoted to Triple-A, with incredible 109 strikeouts in 79 innings. Possibly the best right-handed prospect in baseball, at least at the upper levels. Throws hard, has a nasty breaking ball, and improving his control.

Jerome Williams, RHP: Doesn't throw quite as hard as Foppert, and isn't quite as polished as Ainsworth, but very smooth on the mound. 3.59 ERA with 130/50 K/BB ratio in 161 innings of Triple-A, as one of the youngest pitchers in the PCL. Loose, projectable, a favorite of scouts, and his numbers are starting to back that up.

WILL HELP SOMEDAY
Boof Bonser, RHP: Raw stuff is equivalent to Foppert's, but his command isn't as good. Struggled after ill-advised move to Double-A at the start of the season, but regained his bearings after moving back down to Class A. Great fastball/curve combination.

Todd Linden, OF: Just about the only hitter in the Giants system with some measure of strike zone judgment. Hit .314 with 12 homers, 61 walks in Double-A, and held his own after being promoted to Triple-A late. A year away, but as a switch-hitter with decent power and good on-base ability, he should go far.

Francisco Liriano, LHP: Fanned 85 in 80 innings at Class A Hagerstown. Throws in the mid-90s. Missed half the season with elbow problems, so workload must be monitored.

KEY SLEEPER
Ryan Hannaman, LHP: Posted 2.80 ERA, 145/46 K/BB ratio in 132 innings at Hagerstown. Gets the least press of all the Giants pitching arms, but that should change in '03. Throws 90-92 with a strong curve.

Other names to know
Tony Torcato, OF; Lance Niekro, 1B-3B; Noah Lowry, LHP; Erik Threets, LHP; Carlos Valderrama, OF; Jeff Urban, LHP; Manuel Mateo, RHP.

John Sickels is the author of the 2002 Minor League Scouting Notebook, and is now working on the 2003 Baseball Prospect Book. His biography of Bob Feller will be published next spring. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at JohnSickels.com.