After selecting high school right-hander Ian Anderson with the number three pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves (at least in theory) had a bit of extra spending power when contemplating their choice with the number 40 overall selection. That additional flexibility could come in handy, as the team elected to pick high school left-hander Joey Wentz.
Wentz, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, played his high school baseball at Shawnee Mission East in Kansas, and the talented left-hander ranked highly on various draft boards. ESPN's Keith Law ranked Wentz as the number 22 overall prospect, while MLB Pipeline anointed him as the number 16 player available in this year's draft.
Because of potential signability issues, Wentz fell to the point where the Braves could select him with their second pick of the night, but given the bonus pool, Atlanta should have every opportunity to pony up the money necessary to secure his services for the future.
Braves fans will undoubtedly exercise some level of caution in yet another high school arm, but Joey Wentz presents talent that is not normally available with the number 40 pick in the MLB Draft. Now, the team's attention must shift toward signing Wentz, with the additional possibility of another elite talent coming into the organization with the number 44 overall pick.
Stay tuned.