The San Francisco Giants have used the MLB draft to land some of the most important players in franchise history.
Some of those players have led the franchise to greatness, including World Series championships. Others have gone on to become fan favorites. The traditional MLB draft, the one fans have come to know, didn’t hit the calendar until 1965. Not every player has made it to the Majors. But many have.
Here, we rank the five best first-round draft picks in Giants history based on bWAR, or wins above replacement, at baseball-reference.com. For the purposes of this exercise, only first-round picks taken in the traditional summer amateur draft were considered. They must have also played in the Majors.
Madison Bumgarner (2007, 37.2 bWAR)
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“Mad Bum” was selected No. 10 overall out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, NC. The left-hander developed quickly, making his MLB debut two years later. By the time his 11 years in the Bay Area were done, he was a legend.
He was the anchor of three different World Series championship teams, made the NL All-Star team four times, won two Silver Sluggers and was both a World Series and NLCS MVP. He never won a NL Cy Young, but in a six-year period he finished in the Top 11 in Cy Young voting five times.
Including four seasons in Arizona, He wrapped up his career 134-124 with a 3.47 ERA, including 2,070 strikeouts and 544 walks.
Zack Wheeler (2009, 40.2 BWAR)
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Wheeler was the Giants’ No. 6 overall pick that year, but he never played for the Giants. In 2011, the Giants traded him to the New York Mets for Carlos Beltran and cash. Long-term, it was a mistake.
He became a Cy Young level pitcher for the Phillies. Through the 2025 season he made three NL All-Star appearances for the Phils, won a Gold Glove and finished in the Top 10 of NL Cy Young voting four times, including second place twice. Entering the 2026 season he was 113-75 with a 3.28 ERA, including 1,820 strikeouts and 490 walks.
Buster Posey (2008, 45.0 bWAR)
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He was the No. 5 overall pick that year and made his MLB debut the following season. He played 12 years but opted out of 2020 season due to COVID-19. Still, there may be no better catcher for the Giants’ 2010s dynasty than Posey. He was behind the plate for all three championships and is a potential future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also became the Giants president of baseball operations in 2024.
He finished with a career slash of .302/.372/.460 with 158 home runs and 729 RBI. He was named an NL MVP, the NL rookie of the year, a seven-time NL All-Star, an NL Gold Glove winner and a five-time NL Silver Slugger at catcher. He also won the 2012 NL batting title.
Matt Williams (1986, 46.6 bWAR)
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Williams was selected No. 3 overall and reached the Majors the next season. He played his first 10 years with the Giants and was one of their best players, earning NL All-Star berths four times, three NL Gold Gloves at third base and three NL Silver Sluggers. He was in the Top 6 in NL MVP voting three times and led the Majors in home runs in 1994 with 43. As a Giant he batted .264 and slammed 247 home runs.
The Giants traded him to Cleveland in 1997 in a deal that netted the franchise future Hall of Fame second baseman Jeff Kent. Williams continued to produce up to his final MLB season in 2003 with Arizona. He batted a lifetime .268 with 378 home runs and 1,218 RBI. He won a World Series ring with the Diamondbacks in 2001. He managed the Washington Nationals from 2014-15 and was named the NL manager of the year in his first season as the Nats won 96 games. He returned to the Giants as a third-base coach later in his coaching career.
Will Clark (1985, 56.5 bWAR)
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“Will the Thrill” was the No. 2 overall pick that season and the first baseman made his MLB debut in 1986. He played his first eight season in San Francisco and was part of the 1989 NL pennant winners, along with Williams. With San Francisco, he slashed .299/.373/.499 with 176 home runs and 709 RBI. With the Giants he was a five-time NL All-Star, an NL Gold Glove winner, a two-time NL Silver Slugger and finished in the Top 5 of NL MVP voting four times.
He joined the Texas Rangers as a free agent in 1994, and injuries took their toll on him late in his career. In 15 seasons he slashed .303/.384/.497 with 284 home runs and 1,205 RBI. The Giants got the best years of Clark’s career, without question.
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