This is a baseball town.
The 2016 Major League draft has concluded, and as expected it was a banner year for Kansas City-area high school kids. Only five Kansas City-area high school players have ever been selected in the first round of the MLB draft:
Rick Sutcliffe, Van Horn (Independence, MO), 21st overall, 1974 (Dodgers)
Lee Stevens, Lawrence (Lawrence, KS), 22nd overall, 1986 (Angels)
Damian Rolls, Schlagle (Kansas City, KS), 23rd overall, 1996 (Dodgers)
John Mayberry Jr., Rockhurst (Kansas City, MO), 28th overall, 2002 (Mariners)
Bubba Starling, Gardner-Edgerton (Gardner, KS), 5th overall, 2011 (Royals)
This year, St. Thomas Aquinas pitcher Riley Pint added to that list after being selected fourth overall by the Colorado Rockies. The Lenexa native with a fastball that hits triple digits, becomes the highest selection ever from the area, as well as the highest selection ever from the state of Kansas. According to some reports, Pint may already be in agreement with the Rockies on a contract with a bonus just under $5 million.
But it was not just Pint that made this Kansas City-area high school class special. Left-handed pitcher Joey Wentz of Shawnee Mission East in Prairie Village, Kansas was selected in the supplementary round, 30th overall, by the Atlanta Braves. Wentz, who has committed to the University of Virginia, did not allow an earned run all year, and did not give up a hit over his first 23 innings to start the season. A pair of local high schoolers will be headed to the Angels organization - shortstop Nonie Williams of Kansas City, Kansas, and pitcher Cole Duesning of Blue Valley Northwest in Overland Park, Kansas.
Dayton Moore has shown a preference in grabbing local kids later in the draft, and he continued that tradition this season. In the 13th round, the Royals selected Leawood, Kansas native Logan Gray, out of Austin Peay University. The second baseman graduated from Rockhurst High School and showed good power for his position in college and may well be a steal at his round. The Royals also grabbed Junction City, Kansas native Nick Heath in the 16th round. Heath’s mother is a former track star at Kansas State, and he appears to have inherited some of her speed as a centerfielder for Northwestern State University.
The Royals looked to the Missouri side late in the draft, picking University of Central Missouri reliever Gavin Grant in the 29th round, a Parkville native that graduated from St. Pius X. They also grabbed outfielder Kameron Misner out of Poplar Bluff, in the 33rd round. In the very next round they selected Lee’s Summit North grad Nathan Webb, a right-handed pitcher.
Below is a list of players selected that attended Kansas City-area high schools or local colleges.
Player
Round
Team
High School
College
RHP Riley Pint
1
Rockies
St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Overland Park, KS)
None
LHP Joey Wentz
1L
Braves
Shawnee Mission East HS (Prairie Village, KS)
None
SS Nonie Williams
3
Angels
Turner HS (Kansas City, KS)
None
RHP Sam Perez
5
Marlins
Branson HS (Branson, MO)
Missouri State
SS Ryan Howard
5
Giants
Francis Howell Central (St. Charles, MO)
Missouri
RHP Cole Duensing
6
Angels
Blue Valley Northwest HS (Overland Park, KS)
None
C Michael Tinsley
7
Indians
Junipero Serra HS (San Mateo, CA)
Kansas
RHP Sam Tewes
8
Cardinals
Waverly HS (Waverly, NE)
Wichita State
RHP Lucas Benenati
10
Reds
Santa Barbara HS (Santa Barbara, CA)
Kansas State
RHP Tyler Benninghoff
11
Twins
Rockhurst HS (Kansas City, MO)
None
2B Logan Gray
13
Royals
Rockhurst HS (Kansas City, MO)
Austin Peay
RHP Reggie McClain
13
Mariners
Northview HS (Johns Creek, GA)
Missouri
LHP Dalton Moats
15
Rays
Park Hill HS (Kansas City, MO)
Delta State
SS Keith Grieshaber
16
Angels
Marquette HS (Chesterfield, MO)
Jefferson College
LF Spencer Johnson
16
Astros
Springfield Parkview HS (Springfield, MO)
Missouri State
LHP Ben Krauth
16
Indians
Northgate HS (Walnut Creek, CA)
Kansas
RHP Scott Engler
16
Rangers
Bishop Carroll HS (Wichita, KS)
Cowley County CC
CF Nick Heath
16
Royals
Junction City HS (Junction City, KS)
Northwestern State
C David Gauntt
18
Marlins
Shawnee Heights (Topeka, KS)
Washburn
RHP Sam Gilbert
19
Athletics
St. Mary's-Colgan (Pittsburg, KS)
Kansas
RHP Matt Eckelman
21
Pirates
St. James Academy (Lenexa, KS)
St. Louis
LHP Zach Matson
24
Orioles
Sherwood HS (Garden City, MO)
Crowder College
LHP Blake Lillis
25
Brewers
St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Overland Park, KS)
None
RHP John Hayes
25
Tigers
Pottsboro HS (Pottsboro, TX)
Wichita State
2B Colby Wright
25
Reds
Castro Valley HS (Castro Valley, CA)
Kansas
OF Aaron Schnurbusch
28
White Sox
Eureka HS (Eureka, MO)
JCCC/U. of Pittsburgh
RHP Gavin Grant
29
Royals
St. Pius X HS (Parkville, MO)
Central Missouri
2B Jonathan Murders
31
Cardinals
Bolivar HS (Bolivar, MO)
None
OF Jake Ring
31
Orioles
Grant HS (Fox Lake, IL)
Missouri
OF Kameron Misner
33
Royals
Poplar Bluff HS (Poplar Bluff, MO)
None
SS Ryan Wetzel
33
Nationals
Heritage Christian Academy (Overland Park, KS)
None
RHP Anthony Herron
34
Mets
Affton HS (St. Louis, MO)
Jefferson College
RHP Nathan Webb
34
Royals
Lee's Summit North HS (Lee's Summit, MO)
None
2B Tanner Kirk
35
Orioles
Lincoln Southeast HS (Lincoln, NE)
Wichita State
RHP Chase Williams
35
Brewers
Broken Arrow HS (Broken Arrow, OK)
Wichita State
LHP Austin Tribby
36
Twins
Springfield Catholic HS (Springfield, MO)
Missouri
RHP Ryan Zeferjahn
37
Rays
Topeka Seaman HS (Topeka, KS)
None
RHP Robert Calvano
38
Cardinals
Bishop Miege HS (Roeland Park, KS)
JCCC/U. Neb.-Omaha
SS Tyler Wolfe
39
Astros
Delano HS (Delano, MN)
Kansas State
CF Pedro Alfonseca
39
Indians
North Kansas City HS (North Kansas City, MO)
None
RHP Lucas Williams
40
Astros
Grain Valley HS (Grain Valley, MO)
Central Missouri