The Rangers signed third-round pick Robbie Erlin for $425,000 on Wednesday. His bonus exceeds MLB’s recommendation for his slot–$369,000 at No. 93–by the highest percentage of any player signed out of the first four rounds of the 2009 draft.

Erlin’s bonus exceeded his slot by 15.2 percent. The previous high had been 11.1 percent by Cubs second-rounder D.J. LeMahieu.

A lefthander out of Scotts Valley (Calif.) High, Erlin might have been a first-rounder if he weren’t 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. He commands his lively 89-92 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, and backs it up with a sharp curveball that he easily throws for strikes. He had been committed to Cal Poly.