NEW YORK -- A few themes emerged on the second day of the 2019 MLB Draft. The Giants took seven position players, giving them nine through 10 rounds, which hasn't been done by the organization in 50 years.
They also loaded up on shortstops, potentially giving the organization the first succession plan to Brandon Crawford. Finally, there was a late emphasis on brainpower, as the Giants took Simon Whiteman out of Yale and Armani Smith out of UC Santa Barbara, the Yale of the West Coast.
With their first selection Tuesday, No. 87 overall, the Giants took Florida high school outfielder Grant McCray, an athletic left-handed hitter. He is the son of former big leaguer Rodney McCray. Shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald was next, giving the Giants their second Louisville player in four rounds. In the fifth round, the Giants selected first baseman Garrett Frechette out of Orange Lutheran High in Southern California. That was followed by Puerto Rican prep shortstop Dilan Rosario and Smith.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Giants selected position players with their first seven picks for the first time since 1969, when they took 10 straight position players to kick off the draft. This was the first time since 2008 -- the Buster Posey/Conor Gillaspie/Crawford class -- that the organization even took position players with the first four picks. There's very little hitting talent at the upper levels of the minors, and the Giants seem to have taken a clear shot at bolstering an organization-wide weak point.
The first pitcher selected was eighth-rounder Caleb Kilian, a righty from Texas Tech. The final two selections on Day 2 were Whiteman and UC San Diego's Jeff Houghtby, both shortstops.
The Giants do not have much shortstop depth in the system and have never had a plan in place in case they need someone other than Crawford, who is 32. While some of the shortstops will likely move off the position, it appears there was a plan to attack the hole in the depth chart.
[RELATED: What does Giants' draft strategy say about Triples Alley?]
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The eight players selected Tuesday join Hunter Bishop and Logan Wyatt, chosen Monday in the first and second rounds. Bruce Bochy said he has watched some video of Bishop, the 10th overall pick, and heard good reports from Brian Sabean, who went to Arizona State quite often to get a firsthand look.
"He's a kid that's put up some big numbers and it looks like he really, really improved as a player and is on a fast pace," Bochy said. "Obviously we're excited to have him with his potential."
