Mississippi State baseball's Dakota Jordan picked by San Francisco Giants in 2024 MLB Draft
Mississippi State baseball star outfielder Dakota Jordan was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round and No. 116 pick of the 2024 MLB Draft on Monday.
Jordan, a draft-eligible sophomore, received many national accolades in 2024, including a second team All-American selection and a Golden Spikes semifinalist. The draft pick holds a slot value of $624,800.
Jordan is the fourth Bulldog to be taken in this year's draft.
Here's what the Giants are getting in Jordan.
What Dakota Jordan brings to the San Francisco Giants
Jordan, a Canton native, was a heralded prospect from Jackson Academy but was not drafted in 2022 because he was also committed to playing on the Mississippi State football team.
MLB.com ranked him as the No. 34 prospect entering this year's draft and said he "may have more bat speed than anyone in the 2024 Draft, and his lightning-fast right-handed swing and strength produce huge exit velocities and at least plus power to all fields."
His power was one of his biggest improvements as a sophomore, mashing team-highs in home runs (20) and OPS (1.130).
One area where he does struggle is with strikeouts. Jordan struck out 84 times in 2024, the fourth most in the country. His MLB.com profile also said he isn't aggressive enough on the bases and has room for improvement defensively.
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Dakota Jordan's stats with Mississippi State baseball
In 240 at-bats in 63 games, Jordan recorded:
.354 batting average
1.130 OPS
44 walks
20 home runs
72 RBIs
57 runs
3 stolen bases
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Dakota Jordan of Mississippi State picked by Giants in MLB draft