ATLANTA -- A little more than two weeks after taking Ian Anderson with the third selection in the MLB Draft, the Braves welcomed the highly-touted left-hander to Turner Field to mingle with the Major Leaguers and sign his first professional contract.
According to MLB.com's Jim Callis, Anderson agreed to a $4 million signing bonus. The young southpaw's willingness to sign for $2.5 million less than the figure slotted for the third overall selection helped give the Braves the financial flexibility they needed to also select two other highly-regarded high school pitchers -- Joey Wentz and Kyle Muller -- while staying within the boundaries of their salary bonus pool.
Anderson developed a relationship with the Braves this past winter, when general manager John Coppolella and scouting director Brian Bridges traveled to New York to meet with the 6-foot-3, 170-pound pitcher and his family. Five days before the Draft, he recorded 16 strikeouts in a high school playoff game with both Coppolella and Bridges in attendance.
While Wentz and Muller signed last week, Anderson was not permitted to sign before he graduated from Shenendehowa (N.Y.) High School on Thursday.
Bridges used Mike Mussina as a comp for Anderson, who has a fastball that rests between 91-95 mph and good command of both his changeup and curveball. He has shown and advanced approach through his ability to move his fastball and consistently keep it down in the zone.
"I think pitching is a lost art," Bridges said. "A lot of kids throw for the radar gun, and they don't learn the art of pitching. If you do learn the art and you have stuff, the road can be a lot shorter to the Major Leagues. There are humps in the road and things they have to go through. But this kid does have a head start with his ability to throw strikes."
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June 25th, 2016