SF Giants first-round picks highlight six prospects headed to AFL

The SF Giants are slated to send six prospects, including a pair of recent first-round selections, to the Arizona Fall League.

The SF Giants will be sending six prospects to the Arizona Fall League this season, including a pair of recent first-round draft picks. In the first public release of rosters, the Giants will be sending two-way player Reggie Crawford, right-handed pitcher Will Bednar, left-handed pitcher Jack Choate, right-handed pitcher Marques Johnson, catcher Zack Morgan, and left-handed pitcher Hayden Wynja. All six players will be on the Scottsdale Scorpions' roster.

SF Giants prospect Reggie Crawford pitches for the San Jose Giants on June 1, 2023 / Shelly Valenzuela

“There might not be a more fascinating prospect in the AFL this year than Crawford, the Giants' first-round pick in 2022,” wrote Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. “He missed his last year of college because of Tommy John surgery but came back this year to pitch 19 innings and show off premium stuff. He's also a two-way guy who picked up 17 at-bats this past summer and will be hitter-only -- likely as a DH -- this fall. A stress reaction in his back has severely limited Bednar since the Giants took him in Round 1 in 2021, but he's hoping a return trip to the AFL can help him head in the right direction.”

As a pitcher, Crawford’s fastball returned to sitting 95-97 mph, topping out at 98 mph. His secondaries include a slider and a changeup. However, he will be resting his arm at the Arizona Fall League and will solely focus on his offensive game. As a hitter, Crawford had 19 plate appearances between Single-A San Jose and High-A Eugene. In those plate appearances, he got four hits, including two doubles and a home run, and had one RBI. He will look to continue working toward his limitless potential.

Bednar, the Giants 2021 first-round pick, only made four appearances this season as he dealt with several stints on the injured list. He will look to rebound his stock at the Arizona Fall League. Bednar has yet to stand out since transitioning to professional ball, but was considered one of the best college pitching prospects in the 2021 draft class.

Choate is a player who improved his stock in his first professional season. His fastball tops out at 93 mph, though long levers and the extension he creates coupled with his arm slot results in the pitch looking a few ticks faster. His secondaries include a slider that has good sweep and a changeup that has good depth.

Johnson was an 11th-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and was sent to the Giants in a trade for Mauricio Llovera. He made his pro debut this season, where his numbers improved with Single-A San Jose after struggling at Single-A Salem in the Red Sox organization. In fact, he did not allow an earned run once he joined the Giants. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with sharp cut and extremely high spin rates, according to SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall.

RHP Marques Johnson season line is rough, but he‘s been much better recently. Since 6/22: 9.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 13 K:2 BB. Fastball sits 94-95 w/massive cut & has one of the highest spin rates in the system. Command is a work in progress, but I can see why the Giants were interested

— Ian Cundall (@IanCundall) July 27, 2023

Wynja was a 2022 NDFA with potential to be a fastball-slider reliever despite being 24 years old in the lower minors. He has a low 90s fastball that he throws from a 3/4 release point and his best pitch is the slider that is above-average to plus. He also struck out 115 in 97.1 innings pitched between Single-A San Jose and High-A Eugene this season.

Morgan was drafted by the Giants in the seventh-round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Fresno State. A Stockton, California native, Morgan hit .265/.363/.396 this season between Single-A San Jose and High-A Eugene with 26 extra-base hits, 48 walks, and just 65 strikeouts in 353 plate appearances.

The Arizona Fall League begins Oct. 2 and ends Nov. 9, with the AFL Home Run Derby taking place on Nov. 4 and the Fall Stars Game on Nov. 5. The Scottsdale Scorpions play at Scottsdale Stadium, the SF Giants’ spring training home.