The Dodgers have agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Maddux Bruns, reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The high school southpaw will receive a $2.2 million signing bonus that lands a bit shy of the $2.4246 million slot value that accompanies the 29th overall pick. Bruns had been committed to Mississippi State University. He’ll forego an opportunity to join the reigning college national champions and instead sign on with the defending World Series winners.
Most public evaluators pegged Bruns as an early-mid second round talent, so it’s not a huge surprise he landed a bit underslot despite being part of a demographic (prep pitching) that often demands above-slot bonuses. Each of Baseball America, Keith Law of the Athletic, and Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein of FanGraphs placed Bruns between 45th and 60th on their pre-draft rankings.
The Alabama native has among the best raw stuff in the class, with a mid-high 90s fastball and a high-spin power curveball. But his delivery has a bit of violence that concerns some evaluators, with his control less consistent than that of many of the class’s other top arms. Los Angeles will now get an opportunity to add a high-upside pitcher to the system while saving a bit of bonus-pool space to distribute to its Day Two selections.
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