Draft Reviews: Kansas City Royals

by
May 8, 2009

2008 Draft Slot: Third overall
Top Pick: Eric Hosmer, 1B, Florida high school
Best Pick: Eric Hosmer
Keep an Eye On: Tim Melville, RHP, Missouri high school (Fourth round)
Notes: Tim Melville has yet to appear in a pro game but the fourth-round pick from last year had first-round talent and teams were scared off by his murky signability. The Royals organization spent a lot of money on this draft and it could end up with a lot to show for it, as supplemental first round pick Mike Montgomery had a dazzling debut in 2008 but the team is being cautious with the prep pick and he will open 2009 in short-season ball. First baseman Eric Hosmer has had a bit of a slow start this season but he should be an absolute offensive beast.

2007 Draft Slot: Second overall
Top Pick: Mike Moustakas, SS/3B, California high school
Best Pick: Mike Moustakas
Worst Pick: Sam Runion, RHP, North Carolina high school (Second round)
Notes: Sam Runion, now in his third season, has a career 5.38 ERA, and his FIP is not much better. Fellow prep pick Dan Duffy, selected in the third round, has a chance to make up for that pick, though. Mike Moustakas looks like a solid choice with the second overall pick, although Matt Wieters (Fifth overall, Baltimore) and Madison Bumgarner (10th, San Francisco) look pretty good too, in retrospect.

2006 Draft Slot: First overall
Top Pick: Luke Hochevar, RHP, Independent baseball
Best Pick: Luke Hochevar
Worst Pick: Jason Taylor, IF, Virginia high school (second round)
Notes: Jason Taylor has been a frustrating pick. Even though he has flashed some real talent, the former second-round pick missed all of 2007 for disciplinary reasons and he has yet to appear in a game this season. Luke Hochevar has made it to the Majors, but he certainly hasn’t been the staff ace that you would be hoping for from a No. 1 overall selection.

* * *

2009 Draft Slot: 12th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best overall player, and the club has invested heavily in prep players the last two years.
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Shortstop, Third base, Catcher
Organizational Need: Corner outfield, Shortstop, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitching, Center field, First base
Notes: For the first time in quite a few years, the Royals organization will not have one of the top five picks, so it will be interesting to see what approach is taken – and how good of a pick the club can make.

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Marc Hulet has been writing at FanGraphs since 2008. His work focuses on prospects and fantasy. Follow him on Twitter @marchulet.

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KingKirkpatrick
16 years ago

Why is 3B an MLB club need? Yeah, Gordon is hurt, but he did have a 110 OPS+ last year, including a dramatic increase in walk rake/plate discipline..and he clearly has good power potential and is still only 25 years old. Not that he’s going to live up to the ridiculous “next George Brett” hype, but I see no reason why he can’t be an above average hitter for a long time.

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