Dakota Jordan Slump Against Arizona Fall League Pitching Could Be Good Thing

For the past two seasons San Francisco Giants outfielder Dakota Johnson has shown an impressive bat. But he has slowed down in the Arizona Fall League.

The 23-year-old from Canton, Miss., is slashing .208/.333/.313 with one home runs and eight RBI. His slash is nowhere near his career minor league slash of .293/.357/.494 since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State. He’s also struggled with strikeouts this month as he leads the Scottsdale Scorpions in strikeouts with 19.

Is it cause for concern? Maybe not. In fact, it might be the best thing for Jordan going into 2027.

Setbacks Can Be Good

All Jordan has done is rake since he started playing for Class-A San Jose in 2025. In 88 games that season he slashed .311/.377/.497 with 14 home runs and 82 RBI. That was enough for him to earn California League postseason All-Star honors.

He kept rolling in 2026. He started the season at High-A Eugene and then moved up to Double-A Richmond. Combined he slashed .283/.343/.500 with 19 home runs and 74 RBI. With Eugene he was selected to the MLB Futures Game and earned Northwest League postseason All-Star honors. It’s enough to make one think that Jordan has 20/20 or even 30/30 potential at the Major League level.

His performance in the AFL is his first true hiccup. What will he do to bounce back from it? That’s the next step for Jordan and what San Francisco will want to see next season.

When you have that much success a little humility isn't a bad thing. Jordan played 102 games in 2026 so fatigue could be a factor. He's played 12 games in the AFL for a total of 114 games this season. He was also a part of Richmond’s playoff team which added to his workload.

The strikeout-to-walk ratio has also been an issue. In 2026 he had 124 strikeouts to 37 walks. The Giants would like to see him narrow that gap.

There is still plenty to like in his game even with the slump in Arizona. For one thing, he's a good base stealer. In the past two seasons he has swiped 48 bases and has only been caught six times. That’s something the Giants want more of in their lineup.

According to MLB Pipeline, Jordan is the Giants’ top-rated outfield prospect at No. 7. Directly behind him is Bo Davidson, who made his Major League debut in 2026. Because of his speed on the basepaths and in the field, he projects as a center fielder in the Majors.

San Francisco moved Jung Hoo Lee to right field and only have center fielder Harrison Bader under contract for one more season. Jordan also needs one more season to develop, so reaching the Majors in 2028 and patrolling center field at Oracle Park would be a natural progression.

The Arizona Fall League is giving him a dose of humility. It’s not a bad thing, especially if he channels it into a terrific 2027.