Ma'Kale Holden Signs with Milwaukee Brewers: Just a Minute

Former Thompson High School star and Alabama baseball signee Ma'Kale Holden was almost not selected in the MLB Draft earlier this month, but got picked at No. 605 overall in round 20 by the Milwaukee Brewers. Holden is turning professional rather than coming to campus.

MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis reported on Monday, the deadline for unsigned draft picks to ink deals, that Holden received a bonus of $410,000 to join the Brewers' organization. The right-hander, who throws well into the 90s at age 18, put up a 2.45 ERA across 40 innings as a senior this year.

The primary reason that Holden's signing bonus is so high is that he had the option to go to college. Many of Alabama's class of 2025 signees decided to head to school, a pathway Holden could have taken. Not many final-round picks will get signed for a six-figure sum.

The amount counts $260,000 against Milwaukee's bonus pool. Players drafted between rounds 11-20 are able to be signed by a club for a maximum value of $150,000 before the pool is impacted. In cases like Holden's where the number skews higher, the difference applies when calculating how the bonus pool is affected.

It's a hit for the Crimson Tide's 2026 roster and pitching staff, which is aided by the returns of 2025 weekend starters Tyler Fay and Zane Adams. Holden played high-school ball for Thompson High School in Alabama, a short distance from Tuscaloosa.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral lead baseball writer Will Miller analyzes Ma'Kale Holden's decision to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers and not play college baseball, along with sharing details about Holden's signing bonus.