Giants Baseball Insider

MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maryland C Luke Shliger with sixth-round pick

The SF Giants selected catcher Luke Shliger out of the University of Maryland with the 180th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Marc Delucchi

MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maryland C Luke Shliger with sixth-round pick
MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maryland C Luke Shliger with sixth-round pick /
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The SF Giants selected catcher Luke Shliger out of the University of Maryland with their sixth-round (180th overall) pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The slot value for the 180th selection is $314,800, but Shliger was considered by many to be a rounds 3-7 prospect, suggesting the Giants will likely sign him for full slot value.

Shliger projects as a potentially average defensive catcher across the board, but solidified his draft prospects over the past two seasons with incredible production at the plate. Despite his small 5'9'' frame, Shliger has hit .320/.480/.543 over his college career with 46 doubles and 23 home runs in the past two seasons (125 games).

A left-handed hitter, Shliger has the makings of a solid backup catcher with the potential for even more if his power translates to the professional ranks. He lacks big-time power potential but has still consistently generated extra-base hits with an excellent approach and a good ability to barrel up the ball. His game has featured a bit more swing-and-miss than would be ideal, which might have led to his slight draft slide.

Shliger's frame and position may draw some comparisons to Giants prospect Brett Auerbach. However, Shliger is a better hitter and catcher but an inferior overall athlete. While Auerbach has played all over the field, including at second base and center field, Shliger will likely be more limited defensively outside of catcher. With that said, he has looked comfortable in left field.

The Giants will have some time before their next selection, which will be the 210th overall pick (seventh round). We'll see who else joins the SF Giants 2023 MLB Draft class.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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