Dalton Wentz didn’t take long to make his mark after the Giants drafted him in the 16th round out of Wake Forest University. The switch-hitting infielder has carried that momentum straight into the Arizona Fall League, where he has emerged as the most productive performer among the SF Giants group.
That AFL assignment was a bit of a surprise. The Giants rarely send players there in their draft year, with Joe Panik in 2011 and Carson Whisenhunt in 2022 standing as the most recent examples.
Wentz’s path to pro ball started with some draft-day slide. He was expected to go earlier, but signability concerns as a draft-eligible sophomore pushed him to the 16th round.
Still, he had plenty of leverage because he could have gone back to college. Instead, the Giants worked out a deal just before the signing deadline and used the rest of their bonus pool to bring him in.
Wentz received a $584,955 signing bonus, the equivalent of a fourth-round pick.
The Giants then put him on a fairly aggressive track, sending him to the Northwest League to open his pro career and later to the AFL to face more advanced pitching. He answered the first challenge quickly.
With the Eugene Emeralds, Wentz posted a .797 OPS in 57 plate appearances, adding six extra-base hits, including one home run, and driving in 10 runs. He didn’t need much time to show he could handle High-A pitching and establish himself as a run producer.
The 21-year-old joined the AFL alongside other notable Giants prospects, including Randy Rodríguez, Dakota Jordan, and Kaeden Kent. Rodríguez is being used there as part of a rehab assignment, while Wentz’s presence appears to be more about measuring where he stands in his development.
So far, he has given the Giants plenty to like. Wentz has produced a .967 OPS with one home run and 13 RBI for the Scottsdale Scorpions, and he ranks second on the team in RBI despite having only 32 at-bats.
That matters even more this late in the AFL season, when many players have already piled up more than 50 plate appearances. In a short time, Wentz has already made a strong impression.
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