The Braves have reached agreement with their second round draft pick Garrett Fulenchek, a hard-throwing 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher out of Howe, Texas.
Fulenchek celebrated his 18th birthday, his $1 million signing bonus from the Braves, and he graduated from high school on Saturday afternoon.
The Braves signed Fulenchek over his slot projection, which was $860,000 for the No. 66 overall pick, and added college tuition money as well. He had committed to Dallas Baptist.
Fulenchek is scheduled to fly to Orlando Wednesday and report to the Braves complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Thursday.
“We are extremely excited,” his father James Fulenchek said Saturday. “The Braves are one of his favorite teams.”
Fulenchek already has a fastball clocked at 90-94 mph, and the Braves like how he projects over the long haul as he grows into his 6-foot-4 frame.
“He’s got life to the fastball,” Braves scouting director Tony DeMacio said. “We really like that about him.”
