The Cleveland Indians today announced the signing of Nolan Jones, the club's Second Round selection (55th overall) from the June 9, 2016 First-Year Player Draft.
Jones, 18, is a 2016 graduate of Holy Ghost Prep (Bensalem, PA), where he posted a .636 average (28-for-44) with five home runs, 24 RBI and 26 runs scored in 19 games during his senior campaign, despite missing the start of the season due to a back injury. The left-handed hitter tallied 24 walks against just three strikeouts in 72 plate appearances for the Firebirds. Jones also doubled as right-handed reliever, working 8.0 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts over four appearances on the mound.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder led the Firebirds to back-to-back PIAA District 1 AAA postseason appearances, as Holy Ghost Prep won the title in 2015 & advanced to the semifinals in 2016. Jones was also named a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American. Jones was rated as the 20th-best amateur entering the 2016 MLB Draft by MLB.com and 19th-overall according to Baseball America.
The Indians have now signed 24 of their 41 selections from the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.