Kansas City Royals: Draft Review

General Manager: Dayton Moore
Farm Director: Mike Arbuckle
Scouting Director: J.J. Picollo

2006-2009 Draft Results:
First three rounds included
x- over-draft signees ($200,000+)

2009 1st Round: Aaron Crow, RHP, Independent ball
2. No pick
3. Wil Myers, C, North Carolina HS
4x- Chris Dwyer, LHP, Clemson
14x- Crawford Simmons, LHP, Georgia HS

The Royals organization did not make as big of a splash as it did in ’08, but the club still grabbed some interesting players. Crow, 23, has yet to make his regular-season debut, but the right-hander has been throwing in the Arizona Fall League. He’s shown some rust with 16 hits allowed in 11.1 innings, but he’s walked just two batters. On the plus side, he’s producing a nice ground-ball ratio. Myers got off to a quick start in his career in rookie ball. The right-handed hitting catcher has shown plus power and a good eye at the plate.

Dwyer made just four starts in rookie ball at the end of the season and struggled with his control. He did, however, strike out 15 batters in 8.2 innings of work. Simmons has yet to throw a pitch for the organization. Louis Coleman was signed in the fifth round of the ’09 draft as a senior out of Louisiana State University. The 23-year-old hurler could move quickly as a reliever with a low-90s fastball and slider. He’s already reached high-A ball.

2008 1st Round: Eric Hosmer, 1B, Florida HS
1S. Mike Montgomery, LHP, California HS
2. Johnny Giavotella, 2B, New Orleans
3. Tyler Sample, RHP, Colorado HS
4x- Tim Melville, RHP, Missouri HS

The Royals spent a lot of money on the 2008 draft and the organization has received a solid return on its investment. Four of the above five players are on the club’s Top 10 prospects list. Fifth-round pick John Lamb is also on the list. Both Montgomery and Melville have a chance to be top-of-the-rotation starters, although they have a long way to go. Hosmer had a less-than-impressive ’09 season – his first full year – but he struggled with vision problems, which have been corrected via surgery. All in all, this was a stellar draft.

2007 1st Round: Mike Moustakas, 3B, California HS
2. Sam Runion, RHP, North Carolina HS
3. Danny Duffy, LHP, California HS
x-Keaton Hayenga, RHP, Washington HS

Moustakas has been a little slower to develop than many had hoped, and Runion’s career has been sidelined by injuries. Duffy looks to be a third-round steal. Outfielder David Lough (11th) and right-hander Matt Mitchell (14th) were good late-round picks. Lough jumps onto the Top 10 list this year, while Mitchell posted a 3.63 FIP in low-A ball in ’08. He then missed all of ’09 due to injury.

2006 1st Round: Luke Hochevar, RHP, Independent League
2. Jason Taylor, IF/OF, Virginia HS
3. Blake Wood, RHP, Georgia Tech
x- Derrick Robinson, Florida HS

Hochevar spent almost the entire season in the Royals’ starting rotation, but he allowed 167 hits in 143.0 innings and posted a 4.84 FIP. Already 26, Hochevar is going to have trouble living up to the hype as the first overall draft pick during the ’06 draft. Despite immense raw talent, Taylor just hasn’t been able to put everything together. He’s still just 21, though, and he hit .272/.357/.391 in 292 low-A at-bats.

Wood has a good fastball but he’s struggled in double-A the last two seasons and he was bitten by the injury bug in ’09. Despite blazing speed, Robinson has posted very low BABIPs in each of the past two seasons (.305, .281), which have significantly hurt his ability to get on base. The club drafted ’09 supplemental first round draft pick (Cincinnati) Brad Boxberger in the 20th round out of a California high school.

Tomorrow: The Royals Top 10 prospect list