Shen Star Anderson Taken 3rd Overall by Atlanta Braves

Congratulations to Shenendehowa star pitcher Ian Anderson, who was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 MLB Draft last night.

It marks the third straight year that the Capital Region has had a first-round pick as Shaker grad Jeff Hoffman was taken by the Blue Jays ninth overall in 2014 and Niskayuna grad Garrett Whitley was taken No. 13 by the Rays a year ago.

Anderson will have to wait until the end of June to figure out if he's going to sign a pro contract or attend Vanderbilt on a baseball scholarship. He will have to wait until his graduation from Shenendehowa, but after being drafted this high, it seems like a no-brainer.

We heard it was possible for the Braves to take Anderson around late morning on Thursday. Rumor has it that Anderson is looking for around $3 million in order to sign and the No. 3 pick has a slot value of over $6 million. So drafting Anderson and giving him $3 million would allow the Braves to have more money to spend on other picks.

You can hear here what the Braves are saying about Anderson:

It is a good time to head to Atlanta for Anderson as well.... the new stadium doesn't hurt and the Braves have done a good job stockpiling talent at the prospect level. If they develop then Anderson could be joining a good team in the future.

He will pitch one more game for the Plainsmen, who will play in the State Final Four this weekend in Binghamton. He had 16 strikeouts last weekend against Cicero-North Syracuse in the Class AA Regional Final and was throwing in the mid-90s.

Next up for Capital Region fans will be to see if UAlbany stars Stephen Woods and Ryan Stinar will be taken, as well as Union prospect Jake Fishman.