Once Chase Davis came off the board in the first round Sunday, one mystery remained for Arizona on the first day of the MLB Draft:
When would UA signee Blake Wolters be picked, and would it be high enough for him to go straight to the pros?
The answer came early in the second round. The Kansas City Royals took Wolters, a right-hander from Illinois, with the 44th overall pick. That selection comes with an approximate signing bonus of $1.95 million — making it highly unlikely that Wolters will become a Wildcat.
Wolters ascended as a prospect during his prep career at Mahomet-Seymour High School. MLB.com lists him at 6-4, 210 pounds and rated him as the No. 41 overall player in the ’23 draft after he threw in the upper 90s this past spring.
Wolters played both ways in high school but was drafted as a pitcher.
“When you throw 98 and have a mid-80s slider, you’re going to get drafted as a pitcher,” draft analyst Jim Callis said during the MLB Network broadcast.
“He’s a very talented kid. Really made a decision this year. He was a basketball player. He gave up basketball to focus on baseball and to get stronger and just lit it up all spring. Best high school pitcher, best high school player overall in Illinois.”
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