Ankeny native Joey Oakie signs with MLB’s Cleveland Guardians

Oakie, a player selected by the Guardians in the third round of July’s Major League Baseball Draft, officially signed with the Guardians on Saturday.

The former Centennial High School star received a $2 million signing bonus from the Guardians, well above the $906,800 assigned slot value of the pick.

Oakie was selected with the 84th overall pick in the draft. The money was enough to lure Oakie away from Iowa to play for the Hawkeyes.

The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, who has a fastball in the 90s, is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the state. During his senior year in high school, Oakie went 4-2 with a 1.26 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. He struck out 76 batters in just 39 innings.