SF Giants 3rd-round pick from 2015 draft signs with Frontier League club

SF Giants third-round pick from the 2015 draft Jalen Miller has been searching for a home for the 2024 season. He recently found one after joining the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League according to the league's transaction page.

SF Giants 3rd-round pick from 2015 draft signs with Frontier League club

Independent ball is increasingly becoming a popular option for minor leaguers who are looking to continue their playing career. Last week, Giants legend Pablo Sandoval agreed to join the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League.

The Atlantic League has become a test environment for Major League Baseball when it is considering rule changes. However, the Frontier League is a competitive league as well and consists of many players who previously played in affiliated ball.

Miller is joining the Wild Things after spending the 2023 season in the Atlantic League with both the York Revolution and the Charleston Dirty Birds. Before that, he had appeared in parts of seven seasons with the Giants and Atlanta Braves organizations.

The Giants selected him out of Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. As a prep draftee, the the Giants knew that the development curve would be steep. They had also hoped that the infielder could add some outfield to his skill set.

Miller made one appearance in center field in the Arizona Rookie League in 2015, but that proved to be his first and only appearance in center field as a pro. For much of his pro career, the 27-year-old has been limited to second base.

The right-handed bat reached as high as Double-A in the Giants organization before being plucked away by the Braves in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft in 2020. He remained in Altanta's Double-A affiliate in the ensuing two seasons.

Miller's time with the Braves came to an end after the 2022 season as he reached six full years of minor league service time, enabling him to become a free agent. In seven minor league seasons, the former third-round pick tallied a .654 OPS. He did have better numbers in the Atlantic League last year, slashing .262/.308/.443 with 12 home runs in 430 plate appearances. Miller now joins a Wild Things club that posted a 47-49 record in 2023 while finishing in fourth place in the West Division.