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MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maine 2B Quinn McDaniel with fifth-round pick

The SF Giants selected second baseman Quinn McDaniel out of Maine with the 153rd overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Marc Delucchi

MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maine 2B Quinn McDaniel with fifth-round pick
MLB Draft: SF Giants select Maine 2B Quinn McDaniel with fifth-round pick /
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The SF Giants selected second baseman Quinn McDaniel with their fifth-round (153rd overall) pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Maine. The slot value for the 153rd selection is $400,600, but given where McDaniel was ranked by most outlets, he seem like a candidate to sign for a below-slot deal to allow the Giants to spend more on other picks in the class.

McDaniel is an absolute darling to statistical models. Young for the class, he will not turn 21 until September, McDaniel hit .354/.513/.688 with significantly more walks (60) than strikeouts (44) in 261 plate appearances this spring with Maine. A three-year starter, McDaniel posted an 1.011 OPS over his collegiate career and took significant strides forward each year.

Despite facing weaker competition in the American East, McDaniel has performed well in wood-bat summer leagues like the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He also held his own in a small sample at the Cape Cod League this summer.

McDaniel has an unorthodox swing that could lead to some problems against professional pitching, but his excellent approach, which showcases tremendous pitch recognition, could allow him to outperform expectations. McDaniel also has plus speed, stealing 32 bases this spring, but that athleticism has not played defensively, where he currently projects as a second baseman who could be viable in left field.

The Giants will have some time before their next selection, which will be the 180th overall pick (sixth 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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