SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- On July 12, Dalton Wentz was having a terrible time on the golf course with his dad.
It wasn’t so much the 9-iron or his putter that was bugging him but the fact that Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft had come and gone and his name hadn’t been called. As Day 2 dragged on, he headed to the links and accepted that he might be heading back to college, his professional dreams deferred for at least another year.
“My agent called me and he goes, ‘Congratulations,’” said Wentz. “I was like, ‘For what?’”
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The Giants nabbed Wentz in the 16th round, a veritable steal for a player who was ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 165 Draft prospect. He had met with the club during the Draft Combine in Phoenix in June and there was mutual interest, but as the rounds dragged on, the possibilities dwindled. Until the Giants rolled the dice.
A switch-hitter with considerable thump, Wentz was a third-team All-ACC selection this season for Wake Forest, posting a 1.043 OPS with 18 homers and 52 RBIs in 60 games. But being Draft-eligible as a sophomore, he had options. Negotiations went up until the signing deadline on July 27, but ultimately he put pen to paper, receiving a $584,955 signing bonus, roughly fourth- to fifth-round money to get his pro career underway.
Rather than shut things down and focus on 2027, the Giants – and Wentz – went full throttle.
COMPLETE GIANTS PROSPECT COVERAGE
After some time at the club’s complex in Scottsdale, Wentz made the trek to High-A Eugene for its Northwest League playoff run. He hit safely in 11 of his 13 regular-season contests and posted a .797 OPS, getting reps at second and third base. Once that came to an end, the Arizona Fall League was on the table. And Wentz didn’t hesitate.
“It's a whirlwind, but I mean, the coolest thing is you get the opportunity to play baseball every day, get to show up to the yard,” he said. “It's exactly what I want to do, so I can't complain.”
The scouting report on Wentz coming out of Wake Forest was that he did the majority of his damage in the box from the left-handed batter’s box. While it's an extremely limited sample size, his right-handed stroke has looked crisp in pro ball as well. He went 5-for-15 with two doubles during the regular season from that side, adding a 103 mph two-RBI double during the Scorpions' 4-3 win over Peoria at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday night.
“It takes a lot of work,” said Wentz of balancing his swing. “You just gotta bounce back and forth [on] a couple of different machines and then get out here and try to perform in the game. It's tough, but I don't have to face the same-side slider, so I'll take it.”
As one of just two 2026 draftees on hand in the Fall League -- sixth overall pick Zion Rose (KC No. 6) being the other -- Wentz is charting a unique path. While his Scottsdale teammates spent the early part of the year in pro ball, he was in the classroom earning All-ACC Academic Team honors.
While Wentz’s dad, Lenny, never made it to The Show, he did spend three seasons in the Minors between the Reds and Padres organizations. He has since been a high school and travel ball coach, and most importantly, Dalton’s biggest supporter.
“I call him every single day and he answers on the first ring,” said Wentz. “He's just the best mentor I could ever ask for to have him in my corner. So just to get to ring him up on the phone and be like, ‘Hey Dad, tough night last night. What you got?’
“To be able to call him on the phone and ask him any single question is an advantage in my [opinion].”
Wentz also has the added benefit of being around the Giants’ coaching and performance staff at their complex for an additional six weeks heading into next year. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.