The Minnesota Twins have officially signed first-round draft pick Walker Jenkins.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft earlier this month, Jenkins agreed to a deal worth $7,144,200.
Jenkins’ contract is worth a sliver more than his slot value of $7,139,700. The center fielder was the final first-round draft pick to agree to terms, as all 29 other players had already signed.
Jenkins, who didn’t expect Minnesota to call his name on draft night, said he’s excited to play for the Twins.
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“I didn’t think I was gonna go there because I had less communication with them than I had with some of the other teams, but oddly enough, things worked out the way they did, and I’m fortunate enough to go to a great organization,” he said on Draft night.
Jenkins became the third Wilmington-area baseball player selected in the first round of the MLB draft in the past five years, as New Hanover’s Blake Walston (2019) and Whiteville’s Mackenzie Gore (2017) were also Day 1 picks.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Walker Jenkins signs $7 million deal with Minnesota Twins