D-backs emulating Giants’ championship blueprint

With two World Series wins in the past three years, you would figure teams would want to emulate the San Francisco Giants.

And no team is closer to the Giants’ brand of baseball than the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When you look at the Giants roster it is littered with homegrown pitchers. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Madison Bumgarner are all homegrown, all drafted by San Francisico. Closer Sergio Romo is also homegrown. The only starting pitcher on the Giants’ playoff roster not drafted by San Francisco was Barry Zito, who signed as a free agent in December of 2006.

Now look at the Diamondbacks’ potential starters going forward — Wade Miley, Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley were all drafted by Arizona in the first round. Tyler Skaggs was a first-round selection of the Angels and Patrick Corbin was a second-round pick by Anaheim, but both of those players are being developed in Arizona after being traded to the Diamondbacks when they were minor leaguers. Ian Kennedy was also a first-round pick, by the New York Yankees, but traded to Arizona after just a few years in the Yankees system. Daniel Hudson also got his feet wet with another organization, the Chicago White Sox, which drafted him in the fifth round. But like Kennedy, he is a true Diamondback, getting his shot with Arizona after being traded.

There are other similarities between San Francisco and Arizona. The heart and soul of the Giants and one of their leaders is catcher Buster Posey, who was a first-round draft pick of the Giants (fifth overall) in 2008. The Diamondbacks counter with Justin Upton, the top overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Both teams have star homegrown players who went undrafted — the Giants’ Pablo Sandoval and the D-backs’ Miguel Montero.

So while many teams will look at the Giants blueprint and try to copy it, Arizona is already there.

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