HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros announced today the signing of right-handed pitcher Forrest Whitley, who was selected with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. The official announcement was made by Astros Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Elias.

Whitley and Elias will be made available to the media in the press conference room at Minute Maid Park at 12 p.m. today.

In regular season action, Whitley, 18, posted a 9-1 record and a 0.31 ERA in his senior season at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas. He struck out 126 batters in his 68.0 innings of work. Whitley pitched Alamo Heights into the UIL Class 5A Final by tossing a dominant 6.2 innings pitched, with 11 strikeouts, vs. College Station HS in the Semifinal Game at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

In 2016, the 6-foot-7 righty was named to the Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-America and Texas All-Region 1st Team. In his junior year, he was named to the Perfect Game Underclass Second Team and played on the USA Baseball 18U National Team.

The last right-handed pitcher taken out of high school in the first round by the Astros was RHP Lance McCullers out of Jesuit HS in Tampa, Fla., who was taken 41st overall in 2012. The last time the Astros had the 17th overall selection was in 1998, when they took RHP Brad Lidge out of the University of Notre Dame.

In addition to Whitley, the Astros have also signed six more players taken in the 2016 MLB Draft: C Raymond Henderson-Lozano (22nd round), IF Troy Sieber (24th), LHP Nathan Thompson (27th), OF Chaz Pal (38th), IF Tyler Wolfe (39th) and RHP Lucas Williams (40th).

Houston has now signed 26 of its 40 selections from the 2016 draft, including nine of the club's top 10 selections.

Signed Draft Picks from the Astros 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft

Rnd (Pick) Player School Ht/Wt Date Signed

1 (17) RHP Forrest Whitley Alamo Heights HS (TX) 6-7/240 6/22

2 (61) OF Ronnie Dawson Ohio State 6-2/225 6/17

3 (97) C Jake Rogers Tulane 6-1/190 6/15

4 (127) LHP Brett Adcock Michigan 6-1/225 6/16

5 (157) IF Abraham Toro-Hernandez Seminole State 6-0/190 6/20

6 (187) OF Stephen Wrenn Georgia 6-1/185 6/16

8 (247) RHP Nick Hernandez Houston 6-2/215 6/16

9 (277) LHP Ryan Hartman Tennessee Wesleyan 6-3/200 6/16

10 (307) RHP Dustin Hunt Northeastern 6-4/185 6/16

11 (337) RHP Chad Donato West Virginia 6-0/195 6/20

12 (367) OF Carmen Benedetti Michigan 6-2/225 6/16

13 (397) IF Ryne Birk Texas A&M 5-9/185 6/20

15 (457) IF Alex Degoti Barry University 6-0/195 6/15

18 (547) RHP Colin McKee Mercyhurst College 6-3/225 6/15

19 (577) IF Taylor Jones Gonzaga 6-7/225 6/15

21 (637) C Chuckie Robinson Southern Mississippi 5-11/225 6/15

22 (667) C Raymond Henderson-Lozano Grayson County CC 5-9/190 6/22

24 (727) IF Troy Sieber St. Leo University 5-11/215 6/22

25 (757) RHP Kevin Hill South Alabama 6-0/205 6/20

27 (817) LHP Nathan Thompson Oklahoma Baptist 6-1/170 6/22

30 (907) IF Brody Westmoreland College of Southern Nevada 6-3/200 6/16

31 (937) LHP Howie Brey Rutgers 5-11/195 6/15

36 (1087) RHP Ian Hardman Seminole State 6-5/240 6/20

38 (1147) OF Chaz Pal South Carolina Aiken 6-0/200 6/22

39 (1177) IF Tyler Wolfe Kansas State 6-0/190 6/22

40 (1207) RHP Lucas Williams Central Missouri 6-3/195 6/22

-ASTROS-

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