Atlanta Braves select Bearcats first baseman Griffin Benson in 23rd round of MLB draft

Aledo Bearcats all-district first baseman Griffin Benson was drafted by the Atlanta Braves this afternoon during the Major League Baseball draft.

Benson was selected in the 23rd round and is the 679th player selected in the 2016 MLB draft.

Benson said he was actually being pulled over by a Willow Park police officer when he found out the Braves had drafted him.

"My Dad was following the draft on his phone, and when the officer was talking to me my Dad said 'you were drafted by the Braves,'" Benson said. "This has been a dream of mine since I was young. This is awesome, and I really do not have any words right now to describe how I feel."

Benson said the Braves offered him a signing bonus of $100,000 and informed him that after signing a contract early next week he would be headed to the Braves spring training facility in Orlando. He has not been assigned to a team in the Braves' organization as of today.

"I will know more about where I will play next week," he said.