Examining how the SF Giants actually got really good value in 2024 MLB Draft

Examining how the SF Giants actually got really good value in 2024 MLB Draft

Round 4: Dakota Jordan

With the Giants hamstrung in terms of options, one could only think that they are praying for one of the top remaining prospects to be available when they make their first pick of the second day in the fourth round. And yet, they did, scooping up the Mississippi State outfielder. Value-wise, this is considered a "steal" by folks aplenty. Most publications have Jordan as a back-end of the first-round talent so getting him about three rounds later is damn money.

Of course, there is a reason why a player like Jordan fell. However, let's talk about the tools for now because boy, there are plenty. If we are talking about just pure raw power, Jordan rivals anyone in the class, Charlie Condon included. It is not because Jordan has a large frame like Condon but because Jordan has as much physicality and explosive ability as anyone. He is built like a physical wideout a la Deebo Samuel. Jordan entered Mississippi State as both a baseball and football player but only chose to play the former.

In the batter's box, Jordan might only be six-foot but he can launch balls with an estimated distance north of 470 feet because of his lightning-quick wrists. The wrist speed greatly reminds me of Javier Báez and Gary Sheffield and there is also a good amount of hip mobility for maximum energy transfer. In the Tibbs write-up, I have mentioned the inflated home run numbers in general this year. It seems like there should be no problems at all with Jordan in that department.

Aside from gargantuan raw power, Jordan also has crazy raw speed. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs noted that Jordan could run in the 4.1-4.2 seconds range from home to first at 220 pounds which is pretty insane. That gives him enough range to patrol the outfield with relative ease.

With everything mentioned, it is now time to talk about the reasons why Jordan likely fell to the Giants' lap. At the forefront are the strikeouts. Typically, if a hitter already strikes out a lot in college, he will also strike out a lot in pro ball. That is the concern that surrounds Jordan. The reports also mentioned how he tends to chase pitches out of the zone and completely misses breaking balls. The reports have also added how badly he needs to fix his swing to generate more contact. On the other side of the ball, he has yet to translate his insane raw speed to base-stealing production. Also, while he has a relatively average arm strength, he has yet to turn into a decent defender which is a bit disappointing considering his fleet of foot.

It seems, at least to me, that Jordan is a relatively raw prospect due to his splitting time between football and baseball. Granted that he has not enjoyed a quantum leap immediately after he dropped the pads for the bat, but it feels that Jordan is far from a finished product. There is a world where he would shatter the relatively low bar that people have set on his hit tool. It might take him two or three years to fully understand, but it looks like the raw tools won't go away. There is also a possibility that he is more of an athlete disguised as a baseball player, lacking the instincts necessary to play the game. That's where several people stand.

Overall, Jordan has a higher ceiling than Tibbs because of his raw tools but has a much lower floor due to the extremely volatile hit tool projection. Expect Jordan to sign over-slot given that he is a draft-eligible sophomore and someone who was ranked quite highly which gives him plenty of leverage.