New York Yankees Sign Third Round Pick Nolan Martinez

New York Yankees have signed their third round pick in the 2016 amateur draft Nolan Martinez for an over-slot bonus reports Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

According to Mayo, the Yankees have signed 18-year-old high school pitcher Nolan Martinez to a $1.15 million bonus, which is considerably higher than his recommended slot value. The team may have gotten something of a steal, as they selected Martinez with the 98th overall pick, while Baseball America had him ranked as the 67th best available prospect in the draft.

Martinez has a fastball that sits 87-93, but has touched 95 on occasion. He’s listed at a wiry 6’3 165 lbs, so as the Yankees add muscle to that frame, they could conceivably improve his heater. They’ve had a lot of success adding velocity to recent draft picks like James Kaprielian and Chance Adams. Martinez also throws a slider in the upper-70’s and an occasional changeup. Both the fastball and breaking ball are seen as potential plus pitches. Martinez is an excellent athlete and had committed to San Diego State as a two-way player prior to being drafted.

The Yankees have now signed all of their top ten picks aside from first rounder Blake Rutherford. They are left with about $3.14 million to offer the high school outfielder according to the River Avenue Blues 2016 Draft Pool Tracker. Recent reports remain encouraging, and there’s no reason to think the two sides won’t reach an agreement before the July 15th deadline.

Related Story: New York Yankees Draft Recap: Rounds 1-10

In other draft news, New York Yankees 2016 second round pick Nick Solak made his professional debut for the Staten Island Yankees of the NY-Penn League in Thursday’s 10-4 win over West Virginia. Solak went 1-for-4 with three runs, a walk, and an RBI while playing second base for the Baby Bombers.