The San Francisco Giants selected Northeastern (MA) outfielder Cameron Maldonado with the 206th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Giants seventh-round selection continues the trend of collegiate hitters that have comprised the vast majority of picks thus far. A consensus mid-round prospect, Maldonado does not seem like a big candidate to accept a signing bonus significantly below the $289,900 recommended slot for the pick.

Maldonado burst onto the collegiate scene back in 2023 with an explosive freshman season. The right-handed slugger hit .353/.434/.642 with 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases. However, he also struck out 55 times in 249 plate appearances against Northeastern’s weaker competition. That proved to be a sign of things to come.

Maldonado was overmatched in the New England Collegiate Baseball League that summer, posting an abysmal .476 OPS with 20 strikeouts in 57 plate appearances. His production dipped as a sophomore, limited to a .265/.411/.469 line with an even higher strikeout rate than his freshman season.

He began to turn things around at the Cape Cod League last summer, where he kept his strikeouts in check enough to tap into his power potential that has been limited by his erratic hit tool. As a junior, in his third taste of Coastal Athletic Association competition, Maldonado hit .351/.467/.631 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, and 29 stolen bases alongside the best walk (15.4%) and strikeout (18.8%) rates of his career.

Brian Recca ranked Maldonado the best prospect in the Northeastern region heading into this draft. His complete report is worth a full read, but here’s an excerpt:

Maldonado is a plus runner with a plus arm. His home-to-first times were a bit inconsistent this spring, but that was caused by a hamstring injury. Maldonado earned the centerfield job for Northeastern this spring after the departure of Mike Sirota. While his reads and jumps in center field can be a bit awkward at times, he’s looked capable enough to project as an average defender there long-term. Given the tools and projection, Maldonado profiles as a power over hit type of bat who can provide value on the bases and on the defensive side of the ball.

The Giants have been leaning heavily on the Northeast in Day 2 of the draft. We’ll see if that trend continues going forward.