Decatur High grad Jordan Walker didn’t get to complete his senior season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and he’s still disappointed about it.
“I’m really going to miss that season that never was,” Walker told the AJC on Tuesday. “I really felt good about our team.”
But, Walker does have the opportunity to continue his career, and it could be in the form of a red-carpet path into professional baseball. Walker, touted by Baseball America as “the best high school third baseman in the class,” could be a first-round selection in the Major League Baseball draft that begins Wednesday night.
Walker, the state of Georgia’s top high-school prospect, is rated the No. 34 draft prospect by Baseball America and No. 33 by MLB.com.
“Honestly, I thought I’d be a little more nervous,” Walker said. “Just seeing what my options are, and having my family support me, I’m not too nervous. I’m more excited than I am nervous.”
In May, Walker was named the state’s Gatorade player of the year after hitting .457 in with four home runs in Decatur’s 16 games. As a junior, he hit .519 with 17 home runs and 43 runs scored. Last summer, he participated in the Major League Baseball High School All-Star game at Cleveland’s Progressive Field.
If he were taken in the first round, Walker would extend a remarkable streak for the state’s high-school talent production. Starting in 2007, with the Braves’ selection of Jason Heyward out of Henry County High, a Georgia high-school prospect has been taken in the first round every year through 2019.
“I don’t have to go in the first round,” Walker said. “Honestly, just whatever’s best for me.”
The first 37 picks (29 first-round choices – the Houston Astros lost their pick as a penalty for their sign-stealing malfeasance – followed by eight compensation picks) will be made Wednesday, followed by the final four rounds on Thursday.
Walker signed a letter of intent with Duke in November and could still enroll if a signing-bonus offer is not to his liking. Were he selected 34th, the slotted signing bonus amount would be difficult to pass up: $2,148,100.
“If things don’t play out the way I want them to work out, I just feel like I have very good options both ways,” Walker said. “If the draft doesn’t work out, I’d be really excited about going to Duke.”
The draft will be limited to five rounds and 160 picks as a cost-saving measure after games were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The draft normally extends to 40 rounds, so removing the final 35 rounds will save teams a total of about $30 million in signing-bonus money, about $1 million per team.
The change means that many high-school (and college) prospects who typically would be selected will go undrafted. Players not selected can be offered a maximum of $20,000 as undrafted free agents.
As a result, many high-school players who in a typical year would have been drafted and signed for a bonus significantly larger than $20,000 instead likely will head to college.
Other state high-school players who could be selected include North Gwinnett High catcher Corey Collins, Rockmart High pitcher Ty Floyd and Counterpane School pitcher Marquis Grissom Jr., son of the former Braves center fielder.
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