Prep star selected early in MLB Draft

A metro-area trio was selected in the early rounds of this week’s MLB Draft, headlined by Jackson Prep star Konnor Griffin, who was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Griffin was the first high school player selected in the draft, after leading Jackson Prep to their seventh straight MAIS 6A title and taking home Gatorade National Player of the Year honors.

“What a great feeling,” Griffin said in his Zoom press conference on draft night. “I have it all on video. It's going to be really cool to go back and watch. It's a super cool experience. What a great organization to be with.”

Griffin was called the prospect with “the highest ceiling in the draft” on MLB Network’s broadcast of the draft by MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. The Pirates obviously hold him in high regard as well, as the ninth overall pick has an approximate slot value of $7 million.

“He is a potential five-tool superstar at the highest level, with some of the biggest upside in the whole Draft,” Pirates amateur scouting director Justin Horowitz said in a press conference. “As talented of a kid that Konnor is on the baseball field, he’s an even more incredible human being. He’s someone we believe in as a leader and someone who’s going to impact the community as well. We’re really grateful to have the opportunity to draft Konnor.”

He had an outstanding stat line in his final season with Jackson Prep, finishing with a .559 batting average, along with nine home runs, 39 RBIs, and 87 stolen bases in only 43 games. 

The next highest player selected with ties to the Madison County area was Texas A&M star Braden Montgomery, who played at Madison Central.

After spending two seasons at Stanford and going to the College World Series final with the Aggies, he was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. 

“Just happiness,” Montgomery said when asked about what was going through his mind after being drafted. “It’s going to be awesome and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Montgomery was named an All-American this past season at Texas A&M, even after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the Aggie’s super regional matchup against Oregon. 

“I have learned how to be the person I want to be and how I want to treat people,” Montgomery said. “That’s ultimately the way that people will remember the way that people will remember you. They aren’t going to remember how many homers I hit or how many times I strike out, so that’s what I have learned, I want to be a good teammate and a good person.”

Montgomery led Madison Central to the 6A MHSAA state championship and a No. 1 national ranking in 2021, while also being named Mississippi Gatorade State Player of the Year. 

A third player selected with ties to the area was Mississippi State star Dakota Jordan, who attended Jackson Academy and is originally from Canton.

Jordan, who was also named an All-American this past season for the Bulldogs after leading them to a NCAA regional appearance, was selected in the fourth round by the San Francisco Giants. 

“He’s a guy that’s extremely talented,” Giants senior director of amateur scouting Michael Holmes said in an interview with MLB.com. “He has five tools. He can really run, throw, hit and hit for power. His athleticism alone, his physicality, kind of sets him apart. We’re really excited about the upside he has moving forward.”

He was named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022, following a historic senior season at Jackson Academy, where he hit for a .524 batting average, along with 57 RBIs, 16 home runs, and 11 stolen bases in 34 games.