SF Giants agree to massive overslot deal with power-hitting college bat

The SF Giants locked up one of their remaining unsigned picks on Monday. According to Jim Callis of MLB.Com, fourth-round pick Dakota Jordan agreed to a $1.9 million signing bonus.

SF Giants agree to massive overslot deal with power-hitting college bat

The slot value for the pick was $624,800, so Jordan signed for nearly $1.4 million above slot value. The sophomore-eligible outfielder was considered one of the better outfielders available with MLB Pipeline ranking him as the No. 34 prospect in this year's class.

Jordan slid due in part to signability concerns. Given that he was a draft-eligible sophomore, he had the opportunity to return to college if a good enough offer did not materialize. Plus, while he displayed impressive power with Mississippi State University, there were concerns about how his bat would adjust to pro ball, especially in terms of making contact.

In 2024, the right-handed bat slashed .354/.459/.671 with 20 home runs, 72 RBI, and 57 runs in 290 plate appearances. This includes a 15.2 percent walk rate against a 28.9 percent strikeout rate. That strikeout rate will be a number to watch as he begins his pro career.

Jordan is an excellent athlete and was recruited in college to play both baseball and football. He did eventually focus exclusively on baseball, but Mississippi State University wanted to turn the running back into a wide receiver if he did pursue football as well.

Not surprisingly, Jordan is an above-average runner with a strong 6-foot-0, 220-pound frame. That strength does translate to above-average raw power, bat speed, and arm in the outfield. The Giants feel like these traits will produce a player who plays solid defense and hits for good power. Of course, there is a long time before that comes to fruition as is often the case with draft picks in baseball.

In addition to this, the Giants rounded out the rest of their top-10 picks by signing outfielder Jakob Christian. Christian was a fifth-round pick out of the University of San Diego. The slot value for that pick was $453,300, but he agreed to a $397,500 signing bonus. The Giants saved $55,800 in bonus pool money that they reallocated to Jordan.

Christian posted a 1.288 OPS with 26 home runs and 67 RBI in 235 plate appearances. Similar to Jordan, Christian has above-average raw power but there are questions about how his bat will adjust to pro pitching.

The Giants spent all of their $7.5 million bonus pool and flirted with the five-percent overage threshold without crossing it. You can find the Giants details for all of their top-10 picks here.