Top draft pick Jackson Flora thrilled to join hometown SF Giants: ‘This is where I want to be’

SAN FRANCISCO – With the gargantuan Oracle Park video board emblazoned with a greeting for Jackson Flora, the face of the organization’s glorious past welcomed the young man expected to be a sizable part of its future.

President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey, the same man Flora grew up watching as a child growing up in the East Bay, waited at the top of the stairs as Flora emerged from the dugout an hour before the Giants faced the visiting Brewers.

Surrounded by Flora’s family, the team’s top draft pick accepted a cream-colored jersey and black-and-orange hat from Posey.

“It’s crazy. I grew up watching him play, and I’m a huge fan,” Flora said. “It’s still settling in a little bit, but it’s exciting.”

The No. 4 pick in the draft held earlier this month, Flora, 21, was no stranger to the ballpark. Though he had never stepped foot on the field, he quipped that he had sat in every other seat around the stadium as a kid who grew up going to games.

“The Giants have always been the team that I wanted to play for, and I’m really excited that worked out,” Flora said. “This is where I want to be, and this is the city I want to play in.”

His favorite memories as a fan? Watching Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, and having an opportunity to see Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and the rest of the San Francisco staff dominate en route to three World Series titles in five years.

But it’s another former Buster Posey teammate that Flora has been mentored by while getting work in Arizona.

“I’ve talked over the past couple of weeks to Vogelsong, and he’s been in Arizona helping us out, and he’s somebody I grew up watching all of his starts,” Flora said.

Flora’s journey has taken him from the Bay Area, to the southern part of the state, and then back to Northern California.

Flora was born in Walnut Creek and attended Foothill High in Pleasanton, the same school that produced Giants legend Brandon Crawford.

By his third season at UC-Santa Barbara, the 6-foot-5 right hander blossomed into the best pitcher in the nation.

“He’s got a good frame and the athleticism, I think, matches up with the guys that are on the field out there,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said.

He went 12-0, sported a 1.06 ERA and struck out 133 in just 102 innings while being awarded the College Baseball Hall of Fame and Perfect Game pitcher of the year awards.

“I faced a lot of good hitters in my time in college, and when it comes down to it, who is in the box doesn’t really matter,” Flora said. “It’s just about executing your pitch and the game plan and competing for the guys in the dugout. So I think that college has prepared me and got me ready.”

Flora’s addition bolsters a farm system that also has Jacob Bresnahan, Keyner Martinez, Argenis Cayama and Luis De La Torre all in Single-A, and fellow 2026 draftee Carson Bolemon.

Whether or not Flora will pitch again during the season is yet to be determined, but he made it known that he has a lot to work on even if his next pitch in an organized game does not happen until the Arizona Fall League begins.

Though he had not had a chance to meet the majority of his teammates during the pregame warmup period, Flora noted that he was able to connect with fellow franchise building block Bryce Eldridge.

“I’m excited to learn,” Flora said. “I think that professional baseball will have a lot more guys with experience who can teach me things, a lot more tools that we can use. I’m really excited to learn a lot more about myself and about the game, and see what can help me get better.”

A few minutes after finishing his first in-person interview with Bay Area media, Flora wasted not time ingratiating himself with the fans, signing baseballs and posing photos with the people who hope he will one day be a major piece of the Giants revival.

“I’m excited to be here,” Flora said. “To be able to wear this jersey means a lot to me, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in, and I’m ready to get to work.”