The SF Giants came out of the 2026 MLB draft with a clear theme: pitching first, then more pitching, and only after that a handful of infielders.
What they did not come away with was a catcher.
That stands out a little more because the Giants also passed on a shortstop, though that is a fuzzier call. Plenty of players get drafted as shortstops or center fielders and wind up moving somewhere else once pro ball starts sorting them out.
Catcher is different. That’s a harder omission to miss.
Eight of the Giants’ first 11 picks were pitchers, including Jackson Flora and a pair of top prep arms in Carson Bolemon and Kaden Waechter. Overall, they took 12 pitchers, and several of those arms are already relievers or project to head to the bullpen once they get into pro ball. That’s a familiar draft pattern across baseball: teams grab starters, then later decide the stuff, durability, or command points them toward relief.
The Giants also stood alone in one notable way at the top of the draft. They were the only team to take a pitcher within the first 15 picks, a sign they were willing to buck the position-player-heavy flow of this class.
The catcher omission is the more unusual part. It was the first time since 2021 that the Giants did not draft a backstop.
That 2021 class was also pitching-heavy, and the club followed it by taking three catchers in three straight drafts. So maybe this is just a pause before they swing back the other way next year.
A lot of the catchers the Giants have drafted in recent years have since moved off the position as they climbed the minor league ladder. Drew Cavanaugh is the exception worth noting. Selected in the 17th round of the 2023 draft, he made his major league debut earlier this season.
The organization’s catching depth is not especially strong, particularly in the lower minors. Teams do not draft strictly for need, but when two players carry the same grade late in the draft, organizational fit can still matter.
And the draft is only one way to add depth. The Giants have already reportedly signed Scott Gell out of Stony Brook University as an undrafted free agent. He posted an .824 OPS in 156 plate appearances this season.
All told, this was a strong draft for the Giants. The missing catcher is more of a small footnote than a headline. Still, it is the kind of detail that sticks with you if you like tracking how a front office builds out its system.
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