SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants promised they would take the best player available with the fourth pick in the draft. That player also happened to fill a huge need for the organization. The Giants selected UCSB right-hander Jackson Flora No. 4 overall on Saturday, adding a potential ace to a farm system that is in desperate need of pitching talent. Flora was the best pitcher available in this year’s draft and is considered the type who could reach the big leagues as soon as late 2027.
Among the top 10 prospects in the draft, Flora was the best fit for the Giants, and it wasn’t particularly close.
Their farm system has at least four top 100 position player prospects, with others who might get there in the next year or two, but it is short on impact pitching. The big league rotation has no obvious future No. 2 behind Logan Webb, and there’s a chance Flora moves fast enough to join the core Buster Posey has put together.
Kade Anderson, taken third last year, currently is dominating Double-A and could debut for the Seattle Mariners this year. Chase Burns was the first pitcher taken in 2024 and reached the big leagues the...