Local bat among group of 2024 SF Giants picks to sign over the weekend

The SF Giants signed a group of 2024 MLB draft picks over the weekend. This includes Robert Hipwell (sixth round), Niko Mazza (eighth round), and a handful of picks from the third day of the draft.

Local bat among group of 2024 SF Giants picks to sign over the weekend

Carlos Collazo of Baseball America confirmed the Hipwell and Mazza picks as well as the Day 3 picks from last week:

Teams can spend up to $150,000 on a signing bonus for picks after the 10th round. Any amount above that counts against the team's bonus pool. With the reported signings listed above, none of the six picks will receive a bonus that counts against the bonus pool.

Andy Polanco, Zander Darby, and Jeremiah Jenkins all received the maximum amount that they could while not being factored into the bonus pool. Both Darby and Jenkins were among some of the better players in this year's draft class, but slid for a few reasons.

Darby posted a .767 OPS with six home runs and 33 RBI in 223 plate appearances for UC Santa Barbara this spring. He did shift over to first base and if he continues to play there, his bat will need to provide much more offense.

On the other hand, Jenkins flashed above-average power with a 1.213 OPS and 22 home runs in 225 plate appearances for the University of Maine. He is limited to just first base and is a below-average runner.

The Robert Hipwell and Niko Mazza signings did not create much extra space for the remaining picks, but each one came in a bit below slot value. Hipwell agreed to a $345,700 signing bonus against a slot value of 348,200. Similarly, Mazza signed for a $202,500 against a slot value of $218,600.

Hipwell is coming off of a season in which he registered a .245/.385/.359 line with one home run, eight RBI, and eight runs in 65 plate appearances for Santa Clara University. He missed time at the end of last season and the start of this year due to a PED suspension. Hipwell was born in Los Gatos, so he gets to start his pro career in his own backyard.

Mazza posted a 3.99 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, and a 2.64 SO/W rate in 18 appearances for the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Giants have now signed five of their eight top picks. James Tibbs III (first round), Dakota Jordan (fourth round), and Jakob Christian (fifth round) are the remaining exceptions. We have scouting reports for each of the Giants' 18 picks as well.