SF Giants prospect Hayden Jatczak's skill set likened to a former NL All-Star

Coming off a strong 2025 campaign at Kent State University, Hayden Jatczak hoped to hear his name called in last summer's MLB draft. 20 rounds came and went, and Jatczak's name was not called. As soon as the draft concluded, he got a call from his agent saying that he had an offer from the SF Giants. The power-hitting bat accepted the offer, and his pro career began.

Working through the minors as an undrafted free agent is not quite the same narrative it was a few years ago, when those players would struggle just to get a chance. Since the draft has consolidated to 20 rounds, there have been more undrafted success stories.

The Giants' organization has become a prime example of that. Bo Davidson, Trent Harris, and Parks Harber all began pro ball as undrafted free agents. Now, Harber and Davidson are considered some of the best prospects in the organization, and Harris could pitch his way onto the staff before the end of the year.

Jatczak hopes to be the next in line. He joined a Giants draft class that had plenty of familiarity among the players. Three players had been selected out of Northeastern University, headlined by seventh-round pick Cam Maldonado. Two more players were drafted out of Stetson University, including third-round pick Lorenzo Meola and 10th-round pick Isaiah Barkett.

Young SF Giants prospect has leaned on a former major league player in his first full season as a pro

Coming out of Kent State University, Jatczak did not quite have that sense of familiarity. He had a brief encounter with Giants pitching prospect Joe Whitman, who pitched for Kent State University in 2023. However, Jatczak and Whitman were not college teammates. Jatczak played at Saginaw Valley State University for three seasons before transferring to Kent State University for the 2025 college campaign.

Jatczak's one connection to his draft class was an interesting one. He played for the Morehead City Marlins in a summer league, the Coastal Plains League, in 2024. One year later, Giants 2025 13th-round pick Broedy Poppell played for the same team. While playing for the San Jose Giants earlier this year, Jatczak and Poppell realized that they shared the same host family.

Heading into the 2026 season, Jatczak had gotten to know his teammates through a welcome camp in Arizona last fall and during minor league spring training. By the time the season rolled around, he was ready to go. In his first pro game, the right-handed bat nearly hit for the cycle. He tallied three hits, including a triple and home run, with four RBI in a 12-8 win over the Stockton Ports.

San Jose never took their foot off the gas, and neither did Jatczak. With the Low-A affiliate, he posted an .895 OPS with nine home runs and 52 RBI in 310 plate appearances.

Jatczak put up the type of numbers in college that normally translate to success in Low-A. That said, he was quick to give credit to San Jose Giants hitting coach Mike Marjama, "He's [Mike Marjama] one of the hardest-working coaches I've ever had, honestly. His attention to detail is there on everything."

Marjama is in his first season with the Giants organization after serving as a hitting coach for three seasons with the Miami Marlins organization. He is overseeing an offense that has been one of the best in the California League.

Jatczak highlighted what has made Marjama such a helpful coach, "He was definitely the type of coach you wanted in your first year of pro ball. To show you the ropes, help you build your own routine, help you understand what to look for. And you know, just even on the mental side. He's played at the highest level, and knows what it takes."

While Jatczak has had a coach help him along the way, he has put in the work as well. Marjama raved about the young hitter's work ethic," Hayden [Jatczak] deserves tremendous credit for raising his daily training standards, the professionalism he brings to his preparation, his willingness and ability to make adjustments, and the attention to detail he invests in game planning. Those are the qualities that don't show up in a box score, but they're often the biggest separators between talented players and players who maximize their potential."

Marjama believes that Jatczak has the qualities that a lot of organizations value including, "quality swing decisions, strong contact ability, and quality contact at an impressive rate." Plus, he can play a few different positions. Jatczak's primary position is first base, but he has also appeared at third base in 2026.

Marjama likened the 24-year-old's skill set to former big leaguer Garrett Cooper, who appeared in eight major league seasons and earned one NL All-Star nod.

Jatczak's time in San Jose ended with a trip to the injured list. Before that, he got a chance to interact with several notable Giants alumni, including Joe Panik, Will Clark, and Pat Burrell. Jatczak was in the middle of a brief rehab assignment when he got the call that he was moving up to Eugene.

Jatczak has continued to hit well during his brief time with the Eugene Emeralds. He has registered a .807 OPS with one home run and seven RBI in 55 plate appearances. The Emeralds will be competing for a Northwest League title in September, and Jatczak could play a good role in that. The power bat also hopes to play at Oracle Park someday and aims to work as hard as he can to make that happen.

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