The San Francisco used their fourth, fifth and sixth round picks in the 2011 MLB Draft to shore up their pitching depth as two left handed pitchers and a right handed pitcher. The Giants selected Arizona LHP Bryce Bandilla, Oklahoma State RHP Chris Marlowe, and Oregon State LHP Josh Osich. We'll be summarizing multiple rounds at a time now that the picks are flying fast and furious.
In the fourth round the Giants selected Arizona LHP Bryce Bandilla (which happens to be an AWESOME name). In 31 appearances for the Wildcats, Bandilla was 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA, striking out 48 batters in 46 2/3 innings. Bandilla is originally from Sacramento and brings some serious heat. He's worked exclusively in the bullpen at Arizona lately, but one source thinks he could eventually turn into a starting pitcher:
He hasn't been consistent this year, however, and while he has the most electric stuff in Arizona's bullpen, he has pitched mostly in the middle innings and hasn't been trusted to close. When his stuff is on, it's undeniable. His fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range, and his best secondary offering is an above-average changeup that he has a good feel for. He throws a slurvy breaking ball in the bullpen but rarely uses it in games.
The Giants used their fifth round pick to select Oklahoma State RHP Chris Marlowe. In 24 appearances over 41 innings, Marlowe struggled a bit with a 5.05 ERA. Of course, he also struck out 71 batters so he's got some electric stuff.
In the sixth round, the Giants drafted Oregon State LHP Josh Osich. Although Osich underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, the Angels actually drafted him in the seventh round of that draft. Osich has pitched in the starting rotation, but mlb.com views his long term potential as a high octane reliever. He owns a plus fastball and a solid changeup that could give him enough pitches to be an effective closer down the line.
We'll be here for the next three days covering the 2011 MLB Draft. For more in-depth discussion about the Giants head to McCovey Chronicles. For more general minor league and draft discussion, check out Minor League Ball and Baseball Nation.