The MLB draft is about two months away but mock draft season has been here for some time now. MLB.Com published its latest mock draft earlier this week with the SF Giants using the No. 13 pick to take young lefty Cam Caminiti.
MLB.Com’s latest mock draft has SF Giants taking relative of 1996 NL MVP
Caminiti, who was a cousin to 1996 NL MVP Ken Caminiti, attends Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Given that the Giants’ spring training complex is in Scottsdale, there is a good chance that the organization has received a long look at the prep arm.
The Giants hold the 13th overall pick after posting a 78-81 record last season. And, they really need to make this one count. They forfeited their second-round pick when they signed Matt Chapman and their third-round pick when they inked Blake Snell. Both players had rejected a qualifying offer at the start of the winter, so they had draft pick compensation tied to their names in doing so.
Of course, the Giants also lost an additional $500,000 apiece in international bonus pool money with each signing. That could be an important detail given that they are considered the favorites to sign middle infield prospect Josuar Gonzalez. Gonzalez is regarded as one of the best prospects in next year’s class. That said, players and teams normally have handshake agreements well in advance of the cycle. The Giants likely have an idea of what it will take to land the young shortstop.
The Giants will draft in the first round and then again after the third round. As a result of the lost picks, they will also have one of the lowest bonus pools available. The No. 13 pick carries a slot value of $5.2 million, which is most of their bonus pool amount.
Jim Callis of MLB.Com predicts that Cam Caminiti could go as high as No. 9, but he is unlikely to slide beyond the 15th pick in the draft. Caminti has committed to Louisiana State University and that will be used as leverage in talks to net as big of a signing bonus as possible.
On the mound, Caminiti flashes a low-to-mid 90’s fastball that gets good armside run. He pairs this with a curveball, slider, and a changeup. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a delivery that is easy and repeatable. The lefty pitcher is, not surprisingly, an advanced pitcher for his age and will only be 17-years-old at the time of the draft.
The prep arm is one of the best pitching prospects and could be a realistic option for the Giants when they are on the clock. They focused more on position players in last year’s draft, but a pick like this would give the farm system a high-upside arm in an organization that has a lot of pitching depth in the upper minors.
