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Giants land potential draft bargain with series of Day 2 picks Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
After taking Florida State Gardener James Tibbs III Selected 13th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday, the Giants followed up their top pick with even more young talent on Day 2.
Despite missing out on the second and third rounds after signing qualified free agents Matt Chapman and Blake Snell in the offseason, there was still plenty of work to be done once the Giants were on the clock in Round 4.
San Francisco made seven selections on Monday, starting with a high-ranked outfielder in the fourth round and ending with a right-handed pitcher in the 10th. While it may be a while before Giants fans see the team’s newest prospects at Oracle Park, here’s what to know about each one.
No. 116 (Round 4): Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
It’s not exactly clear why Jordan fell to No. 116 after being ranked as the No. 34 draft prospect by MLB.com, but Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is certainly glad he did.
The outfielder, previously considered a Day 1 prospect, became available to San Francisco much later than many expected, giving the team a chance to land the potential steal of the draft thanks to Jordan’s hitting abilities. The 21-year-old was a top baseball and football prospect coming out of high school but ultimately opted for the diamond and hit 30 home runs with a .336 batting average in two seasons at Mississippi State.
The best player still on the board going into day two has to be Dakota Jordan. Bat skill and overall hitting ability are the obvious flaws, but he’s a pure plus-plus with a 90% EV of 109 this year along with plus running ability, ingredients for a future COF with plenty of power. image.twitter.com/NUVyKUXtav
— Quinn Riley (@QuinnRileyBB) July 15, 2024
Jordan, known for his speed and strength with the bat, boasts raw power in all fields, but still needs to improve his ability to make contact consistently. Still, it appears the Giants might have gotten away with it in this case.
No. 149 (Round 5): Jakob Christian, OF, San Diego
The Giants went for power with their third straight pick, selecting a bat with the ninth-best wRC+ in the draft at 183.
Christian had a 1.288 OPS with 26 homers in 235 plate appearances this season in San Diego after transferring from Point Loma Nazarene University.
No. 178 (Round 6): Robert Hipwell, 3B, Santa Clara
Hipwell joins former Giants player Randy Winn as former Santa Clara University players who will be selected by San Francisco. The 6-foot-3 infielder has experience at both corners and fell in the draft after a suspension for drug use this season forced him to miss the first part of the Broncos’ campaign.
Still, Hipwell returned in mid-April for his junior season and hit .273 after posting a 1.206 OPS and .706 slugging percentage as a sophomore.
No. 208 (Round 7): Greg Farone, LHP, Alabama
Farone is the first pitcher selected by the Giants in 2024, and the 22-year-old compiled a 5.02 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 24 walks in 16 starts in 2024. In 2022, Farone earned 2022 NJCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year honors.
No. 238 (Round 8): Niko Mazza, RHP, Southern Mississippi
Mazza is an unranked prospect who can reach 90 mph with his fastball, and he is the 16th Golden Eagles pitcher to be selected since 2017. The 22-year-old made 16 starts in 2024 and posted a 3.99 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings.
No. 268 (Round 9): Zane Zielinski, SS, Illinois-Chicago
Until now, there has never been an MLB player with the initials ZZ (per MLB Pipeline). The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Chicago native was selected to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team last season after hitting .363 with 57 runs, 17 doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 55 games, all at shortstop.
No. 298 (Round 10): Cade Vernon, right-hander, Murray State
The Giants selected another pitcher in Vernon with their final Day 2 selection. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander went 8-3 with a 4.67 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 15 starts (90.2 innings) for Murray State in 2024.
