The draft is coming fast and hard, and we know the Royals farm is in desperate need of additions after being ranked near the bottom of pretty much all publications during the preseason. The outstanding start to the seasons for MJ Melendez and Seuly Matias show that the farm system wasn’t quite as barren as people at MLB Pipeline and Baseball America thought, but even still, additions need to be made to restart the process after trades and some misses in the draft.

The Current Farm System

Strengths – Catcher – The Royals catching ranks are very strong from top to bottom with MJ Melendez and Sebastian Rivero off to excellent starts in Lexington. While Seuly Matias’ power has been lauded by most prior to this season, Melendez is showing that his pre-draft exit velocities were for real. Meibrys Viloria gets rave reviews from the organization defensively, and potential longterm major league backup Cam Gallagher is waiting in the wings in Omaha for a Drew Butera departure. Organizational depth is also strong with Nick Dini at Double-A and Xavier Fernandez at High-A. Yes, I’ve omitted Chase Vallot from this list due to his lack of playing defense at the position this season. Knowing his weaknesses defensively, I doubt many teams would move him off the position if he was an actual longterm option there considering the needed reps to improve.

Middle Infield – Middle infield represents another strength organizationally considering the Royals have Whit Merrifield under team control should they not trade him. In addition to Merrifield, shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, while without prospect status, still represents upside. Nicky Lopez is showing that his on-base skills and hitting ability have transferred to Double-A after a slight dip following his promotion last season. The Royals addition of Erick Mejia gives them a possible second baseman for the future or utility option alongside Ramon Torres. Organizational depth lasts into the low minors with Jeison Guzman and Cristian Perez, while Humberto Arteaga has received good grades defensively by scouts inside and outside the organization for years and he’s hitting better than expected in the PCL this season.

Weakness – Starting Pitching – The Royals lack potential starting pitchers, especially on the high end, with only Carlos Hernandez giving the appearance of a possible front-line starter currently in the system. There are a few backend option development pieces spread throughout the ranks, but as Dayton Moore once said, it can take ten pitchers to get one starter; currently the Royals lack that number of pitchers to turn into one.

The Current Ranking (Previous Rank)
#1 Khalil Lee (1) – 19 years old, leading the Carolina league in walks, 2nd in OBP while playing CF
#2 MJ Melendez (2) – showing power while playing quality defense in a difficult position at a young age
#3 Seuly Matias (8) – leads the minors in home runs at 19 years of age
#4 Nicky Lopez (7) – hitting .319 with a .387 OBP while committing just one error up the middle
#5 Nick Pratto (3) – showing power earlier than thought, but not hitting at the clip originally thought he would
#6 Carlos Hernandez (UR) – throws and holds mid to upper 90s while flashing the makings of a pair of offspeed pitches
#7 Michael Gigliotti (6) – out for the year with a knee injury
#8 Richard Lovelady (9) – adjusting to better hitters in the PCL
#9 Glenn Sparkman (14) – plus command/control with a good fastball and usable offspeed stuff; has makings of possible 4/5 starter
#10 Emmanuel Rivera (10) – good defense, contact skill and plus raw power that needs to come out more often
#11 Josh Staumont (17) – shown improved control in his first two starts
#12 Dan Tillo (22) – good fastball/slider combination that generates a ton of groundballs
#13 Foster Griffin (4) – needs to get more on the fastball or find another go-to pitch outside of the curve
#14 Erick Mejia (UR) – shown a tad more power and speed, could be a possible major league utility option
#15 Rudy Martin (40) – plus speed, more power than 5’7 frame suggests; injury prone
#16 Meibrys Viloria (18) – solid defensive profile, has some pop in the bat if he can get to it more
#17 Donnie Dewees (15) – has improved his arm, patient approach but needs to get improve hit tool
#18 Sebastian Rivero (25) – good makeup, solid defensive profile with an uncomplicated swing that might hit enough to be a future backup
#19 Scott Blewett (19) – has a three-pitch mix, but needs to find a bat-misser and create more deception or velocity
#20 Ryan O’Hearn (27) – flashes raw power and patience, still just doesn’t exhibit the power enough for a 1b
#21 Gabe Cancel (16) – raw power and some hitting skill but lacks patience and doesn’t get to the power enough, probably has to move to 3b
#22 Elier Hernandez (24) – showing the hitting skill they thought when he signed, needs to create more leverage to get strength out of swing
#23 Samir Duenez (20) – showing power prior to injury but has sold some contact skill to get there
#24 Jake Newberry (60) – ready for Triple-A to prove whether his FB/slider combo is a major league worthy for the 7th inning
#25 Brewer Hicklen (41) – speed, raw power, and some hitting skill will get tested in Wilmington with pitch recognition

Graduated – Eric Skoglund, Scott Barlow and Hunter Dozier

The 2018 Draft – The strength of this draft is in its prep arms. From the #1 prep pitcher, Matt Liberatore, to guys you will continually see coming off in the later rounds, teams will have a large number of prep pitchers in the projectable variety to choose from. It’s a highly risky phylum historically, and with a large supply we will likely see a run on college targets early and perhaps another run of college bats in the second round with a mix of prep pitchers in the late first and sprinkled throughout the second and third rounds. Overall, the college position class is relatively weak with two of the better bats coming into the season, Griffin Conine and Jeremy Eierman, struggling early in the year to see their stock pushed down further than previously expected. With a likely lack of position talent available to them, the Royals can fill a needed area in terms of pitching with eight selections in the Top 152 picks in a draft that is built more on depth than high-end top talent.

Landmines – Beware the injured pitchers. The Royals have drafted quite a few pitchers showing pre-draft injuries thinking they could be minor things but then seeing significant problems later in their development. With plenty of pitchers to choose from in this draft without an injury history, Lonnie Goldberg would be smart to steer clear of these types given the Royals history.

Likely players off the board prior to KC Pick – Joey Bart, Casey Mize, Nick Madrigal, Alec Bohm, Jonathan India, Matthew Liberatore, Cole Winn, Carter Stewart, Trevor Larnach, Brady Singer, Nolan Gorman, and Ethan Hankins

Links to Royals – We know Lonnie Goldberg was scouting players at Dave Evans’ pitching academy in Houston when Bryan Brickhouse showcased his stuff during the offseason. Two draft-eligible pitchers who work with Evans from that area are Grayson Rodriguez and Adam Kloffenstein, so don’t be surprised if the Royals select one or both pitchers during the draft.

Plays Up the Middle and Gets On-Base – The Royals have drafted a pair of up the middle players in the fourth and fifth rounds the past two years who play good defense and get on base in Nicky Lopez and Michael Gigliotti. This could be the start of a new pattern for Goldberg. A player who fits that mold would be Liberty’s D.J. Artis, a player with a career .495 OBP and plus speed that is more than enough to stick in center.

Previously drafted by the Royals
2015 Ford Proctor Rice PG #149
2017 Korry Howell Kirkwood CC PG #346

Schedule
Day 1 – Monday, June 4 Round 1 through Round 2 Comp Live on MLB Network and MLB.com
Day 2 – Tuesday, June 5 Rounds 3-10 MLB.com
Day 3 – Wednesday, June 6 Rounds 11-40 MLB.com

Royals Draft Pool

They did just that spending in the neighborhood of $14 million dollars, a franchise record, with the bulk of that money going to Bubba Starling and seven other players. While Starling was the sure-fire star, there was one pitcher among the four who they spent over $500k on that stood out in Bryan Brickhouse, the 3rd round selection and new $1.5m bonus baby. That bonus was equal to the largest that Dayton Moore had given 1st round pick Aaron Crow year prior, the highest a pitcher had been given by the GM if you choose to believe that Luke Hochevar wasn’t a Moore pick. It was Starling and Brickhouse as well as the younger players in the system that consisted of Cheslor Cuthbert and Jorge Bonifacio among a few others that were supposed to lead the second wave.

Bryan signing his first contract with Kansas City

The Royals at that time had a pretty specific plan with their newly drafted pitching prospects. With the one exception of Tyler Sample, the pitchers selected in the year’s previous draft would head out to full-season Low-A ball in Burlington, IA or their new home at the time in Kane County after the midwest weather would thaw. It was a plan that into 2012 looked as if it had worked quite well for Mike Montgomery, John Lamb and Danny Duffy with all three pitchers becoming big name prospects and appearing to be the proper plan for the newest prep pitcher Brickhouse. An assignment would come to Kane County in June after a tune-up start in Idaho Falls and while the results were less than spectacular, the hard-throwing prepster made 11 starts on the year while tossing 53 innings to get his feet wet in pro ball. The first step on a long road for what the Royals hoped would end in the big leagues.

Video of Bryan Brickhouse during 2011 Instructs

The road up until the draft had been paved by Bryan’s work ethic in his Texas home. Working alongside his friend Jameson Taillon, the two threw with their throwing coach Dave Evans, a pitching coach who had helped Taillon become the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft, sandwiched in between Bryce Harper and Manny Machado and build Bryan’s draft stock a year later. Brickhouse had followed a similar path as Taillon and earned a life-changing bonus before heading off with his new Royals family. As was the case with a lot of pitching coaches at that time, they helped the players build their talent and then lost contact when the new team took over.

Things have changed somewhat but it made some sense at the time that the high school pitching guru would yield to the professionals and their pocketbooks once players were established with their new teams. The newfound developments of pitching training were in their infancy and Brickhouse working with Evans wasn’t a disciple of the long-toss revolution that Trevor Bauer and Dylan Bundy had talked about so much prior to that year’s draft.

After a season in Kane County, Brickhouse headed back to Low-A, this time with the Royals new affiliate in Lexington. After a good start that saw Bryan yield more than two runs in just two of his first eleven starts, Brickhouse would tear his UCL, causing him to get Tommy John surgery in June of 2013. It would be at this point where the problems would really start for the Royals young pitcher. During that rehab process of his Tommy John surgery, Brickhouse would encounter an olecranon stress fracture, forcing a maintenance plan to be taken to help work through the tiny crack in his elbow, delaying his timeline back from the UCL tear. The recovery time from that fracture pushed him through August of 2015 before he saw the mound again in Arizona and Idaho Falls prior to what was supposed to be a stint in the Arizona Fall League. The intensity of the Fall League forced a blowout of the elbow which required a screw be placed in his elbow in November of ’15.

After surgery, rest and another rehab process, Brickhouse stepped back on a mound for the first time and immediately blew out the elbow again. This time it would cause a larger stress fracture that would again need a screw placed into the elbow and another stint on the DL and back into the Arizona rehab process. Over the course of three years, Brickhouse had torn his UCL, developed a tiny crack in the elbow which eventually led to multiple screw surgeries while pitching just 43 innings. After the second screw surgery, Brickhouse healed 100 percent, but the weakness of the bone in the elbow from multiple surgeries was causing extreme pain, making it difficult for him to get through a simple 25 pitch bullpen. After three years of trying to get healthy with rehab and the frustration and mental toll of the constant rehab process he felt it was time for him to take a step away after spring training of 2017.

“Mentally I was over it, the grind of throwing a 25 pitch pen and feeling like my elbow was going to snap in half was frustrated. I felt like I was stuck in a rut and walking away was a fresh breath of air.”

Away from the game, Bryan got his real estate license and prepared for life a new calling. After three years of doing mostly rehab and lower body work, he thought he’d work on getting in better physical shape since he no longer had to worry about the arm. Without that worry, he decided to start lifting, something he hadn’t done much at all during the rehab, as well as working on more stretching exercises including yoga. He still had the elbow pain, but he didn’t need to worry about it as much without the throwing routine. Slowly as he lifted more and more with different lifting techniques and stretching the pain started to lessen as he believes the lifting helped build that bone density and strengthen his elbow.

The combination of better nutrition while cooking at home, eating smaller portions and doing a full range of body workouts helped him lose 35 lbs. All of this had him feeling better while his elbow felt at a level it hadn’t in over three years. With that feeling came a thought that it was a good time to reach out to his former throwing coach Dave Evans for one last shot at reaching for his dream. Despite all the obstacles that Bryan had encountered over the previous three years, the desire to make one last push of pitching in the big leagues was still there but he knew his old pitching coach would be the only one who could help him reach that goal.

Re-enter David Evans

By this time in his career, Dave was a full convert to the advanced throwing practices you see from so many pitchers in the current game, using Driveline practices with weighted balls, long-toss and mapping of the arm motions to help get the most out of his pitchers. Working from Houston, Evans hadn’t followed Brickhouse’s path or known what he was encountering. After driving to meet late one night and having recounted the story Dave asked the one question on everyone’s mind: “Why would you wait so long to contact me?” Now knowing what was at stake, and feeling Bryan’s determination to push all-in, Dave let him know he wasn’t going to let him fail and he was ready to help him if Bryan was willing to follow the plan and be as open and honest about his recovery as possible.

The first thing they did together was to play catch to try to determine the arm motion that Brickhouse was working with. Almost immediately, Evans noticed what he was taking the arm too far back in an effort to try to accelerate the arm too soon and then coming inside the ball with extra pronation or hyperextension at release to try to create an extra deceleration pattern almost as if he was trying to manipulate the ball from the inside of the grip to push it outwards. Bryan believed this pattern may have been created following his initial Tommy John surgery in a subconscious way to try to protect his elbow.

According to Evans, this movement was putting extra stress on the elbow as it was causing the joint to bang together and would likely result in reinjury if it wasn’t corrected immediately. This motion wasn’t new to Brickhouse as he had been told in playing catch previously that the ball had this type of action, a similar action and sink had occurred on his changeup in throwing sessions but Evans video and mapping made it evident how much damage it was doing.

A plan was devised using weighted balls in various weights from as low as 3.5 oz underload balls to balls as heavy as 2+ lbs was developed in addition to long-toss that would eventually grow to an accelerated long-toss of 300 feet or more, and daily throwing with remapping and reeducating the pitcher’s mind together with video among other things. With so many variables for an arm with multiple surgeries, previous pain and screws inside some may have been scared by this idea but Bryan never balked at the plan and never wavered or missed a day of throwing. Implementing the changes took a little over a month to get where he was able to use his muscle memory to enforce the changes and get the feeling for the motion using more of a supination movement in the throw.

This started in late September and within three weeks the mechanics were starting to take hold. An extremely hard worker, Evans said that trying to make him not overwork and overthrow was the only hiccup they would encounter in this process. The feel from the reworking and remapping though was taking place and in those instances, Bryan was able to catch it and self-correct. There was milepost along the way for the pitcher, first having no pain despite throwing daily something he hadn’t felt in years previous to his Arizona rehab stints, reaching that 300 feet long-toss point, getting on a mound for the first measuring point and throwing 93-95 mph with no pain that day or the day after.

One of the major milepost moments along Bryan’s path came in late November at the Houston area training facility. The Royals had an open invitation on the table for him to return to spring training, but on this day, Lonnie Goldberg and a few area scouts happened to be at the facility checking out draft prospects for the upcoming 2018 draft. In front of the man who pegged him with that 3rd round selection in 2011, Bryan was physically in the best shape he had been in over three years and hitting 95-97 mph in a bullpen session, showing it off and “letting it eat.” The milepost moments for Brickhouse kept coming, hitting 98 mph with many current major leaguers at a throwing session prior to leaving for Arizona, still healthy he was determining his future goals with the Royals again.

The two major goals for that spring training season were to hit 100 mph and land a spot with a full season club, something he hadn’t done since pitching with Lexington in 2013. The Royals knowing the work he had put in, made no changes to his routine just asking him to be cautious. He quickly blew them away during spring training, achieving both of his goal of landing a spot on the full season Wilmington roster, a level he had never previously reached, and hitting 100 mph a few days prior to heading out with his new team. All of this while still feeling no pain. His body is propelling the arm and his career all at once and it all seems to be in place with the results speaking for themselves thus far, striking out eight hitters over four one-inning relief appearances and no hits allowed.

For some, just getting back to this point would be an outstanding and a worthy accomplishment but for Bryan, this isn’t the end nor the goal he set out to achieve and considering the minefields he has already traveled one thinks he’ll be wearing Royals blue very soon.

David Evans has worked with some of the premier arms in the game including Aroldis Chapman, Jameson Taillon, 2017 draftee Shane Baz and others. Premier Baseball of Texas – David Evans

Dynamic Sports Training blog on Bryan’s Offseason training program

Featured Photo Copyright of Brad Glazier Photo

He does this with a swing that stays balanced, can hit the ball to all fields, and also shows the strength to explode on a ball to the pull side. The previously mentioned training and the upper-level competition he has faced will only help a player so much though, Kelenic’s above average hand speed is a born in trait that generates the type of barrel speed that can’t be taught, while his strength allows the bat path to stay in the zone, likely resulting in high averages in his future. Coming out of the left-handed hitter’s box Kelenic’s 6.57-second speed in the 60 allows him to steal some extra hits during a season while also allowing him to make an impact on the bases. That speed has already shown its ability to make an impact on defense in centerfield for Team USA and should he not lose much gives him a chance to stick in centerfield during his younger years. Along with that speed, his instincts, and paths to the ball should turn him into an above-average fielder in the future that alongside his rifle arm could help him have a chance to become a Gold Glove impact defender. That arm has registered fastballs in the low 90’s off the mound and as high as 96 mph from the outfield and comes with more accuracy than one generally sees from young outfielders when they’re letting it fly. From top to bottom this is a gifted athlete who has worked hard on his craft at a young age to push himself into becoming a possible Top 10 selection.

As a five-tool player, it’s not likely that Kelenic would be available to the Royals at the 18th pick in a normal year when they would need to wait for a player to fall to their position, but this year’s draft doesn’t represent a normal year for the Royals. As it stands currently the Royals based on last year’s numbers have around $12.4m to spend in the draft which would give them the largest pool allotment based on those same figures from last year. While that amount doesn’t have what it takes to shove around the top 2 teams in the draft it is significant enough to push their weight around against team’s after that because they will have anywhere from $2.15m to $5.76m more money available to them than the teams that select at picks 3 through 17. That will change slightly should Alex Cobb eclipse $50m but even then a Moustakas one year deal will mitigate that loss and keep the Royals well ahead of the field. Knowing that Dayton Moore and Lonnie Goldberg will have this kind of leverage means they have the opportunity to push the player they desire to their spot should they want to spend what it takes to make it happen.

How can they do this? By breaking the bank for one player ($7m+) the Royals can force the rest of the teams in front of them to either spend 70% or more of their draft allotment or choose someone else. The Braves last year were the only team that was pushed into that percentage with their selection of Kyle Wright and his $7m bonus demand. Is Kelenic a player who would be worthy of that kind of bonus? While that’s out for debate as I’ve written in the past it will likely take a prep player or draft-eligible sophomore with maximum leverage to push his way around in a draft.

Checkout previous Draft articles here

Featured Photo Credit Dan Napper 

In this article, we’ll review rounds 11-20 and will look at rounds 21-40 a little later today.

Quick Analysis
Best Pick: Nick Pratto
Favorite Pick: Michael Gigliotti
Most Physical Position Pick: Brewer Hicklen
Biggest Upside: M.J. Melendez
Might Surprise Top 10 Rd: Tyler Zuber
Might Surprise Rd 11-40: Bryar Johnson

Check out previous Royals draft pieces:

Rounds 1-4
Rounds 5-10
Interview with Lonnie Goldberg

11. Sal Biasi RHP 6′ 190 lbs Penn St. 9/30/95 Signed $125k 

In Biasi, the Royals are getting a stocky right-handed college starter who works his fastball in the low 90s while topping out at 95 mph. A durable and dependent starter at pitcher at Penn State, Biasi took the hill for 27 starts the last two years with consistency and an ability to keep the ball low in the zone. This attribute helped him limit the home runs he allowed while striking out more than a hitter per inning the last two seasons.

Biasi has a body similar to that of Jake Junis, so perhaps the Royals believe they can refine his three-pitch mix to help him become a back end starting pitcher. If  he’s unable to make that step, then Biasi’s fastball and curveball combination could play up in the pen.

Analysis – An innings eater body who you hope can refine the changeup to become an impact pitcher.

12. Collin Snider RHP 6’4 200lbs Vanderbilt University 10/10/95 Signed $125k

Inconsistency has been the name of Snider’s game in college during the Vanderbilt season and in summer league seasons. After two solid seasons from the Vanderbilt bullpen, Snider struggled this past season after an up and down summer in the Cape Cod League. Hopes of refining and tightening the slider along with the changeup could help him in the bullpen or even as a starter in the minor leagues.

d1baseball.com – Snider is high-waisted with a very strong lower half and long limbs, and his arm action looked very free and easy on Saturday. He generated good plane on his consistent 91-93 mph fastball and he showed easy life through the zone. He varies his breaking ball from a truer 82-84 mph short, above average two plane slider to a shorter 10-4 curveball at 80-81 mph. Snider also sprinkled in a big league average 85-86 mph changeup, a pitch he retained his arm speed and slot with consistently. He pounded away at the lower part of the zone in this one for most of the summer, throwing all three pitches for strikes.

Analysis – He looks like organizational depth with a lottery ticket as a bullpen piece.

13. Cason Sherrod RHP 6’4 215 lbs Texas A&M 6/25/96

Sherrod is a hard thrower who can run his fastball as high as 98 mph while working mostly in the mid 90s from his physical 6’4 215 lbs frame. The right-handed reliever is hearing impaired which lagged his on field development when he was younger, but it has shown no signs of holding him back in college. The control has wavered this season, walking 24 hitters in just 43 innings this season for the College World Series participant Aggies.

The arm action is long which likely leads to the difficulty in repeating the delivery. To go with his fastball that features armside run, Sherrod tosses a hard breaking curveball in the high 70s to low 80s that can be above average at times.

Analysis - You can’t go wrong adding a hard thrower. Clean up the delivery and the Royals could have a nice bullpen piece here.

14. Isaiah Henry CF 6’3 185 lbs North Shore H.S. Houston, TX 3/22/99

Henry has extreme athleticism with a short stroke but impactful bat speed that could present a solid gap to gap power if he can develop more strength and bat control down the road. Considering the bat speed, the arm strength at 95 mph off the mound, and the running speed, Henry has more than a few tools from which to build on in a development program.

Perfect Game – He is also a 70-grade runner with a long and angular build and plenty of bat speed and leverage in his right-handed swing to drive the ball into the gaps. Henry has also been a football standout at a football oriented high school, so his relative lack of repetitions and experience both as a hitter and on the mound is understandable. 

Analysis - Getting Henry away from Alvin Community College shouldn’t be that difficult, and this type of athlete isn’t falling off trees. Big time upside here in the 14th Round by the Royals.

15. Robert Garcia LHP 6’3 220 lbs UC Davis 6/14/96

Garica is a lefty who throws his fastball in the 88-92 mph range and as high as 94 mph from the left side. In addition to the fastball, he mixes in a low-80s slider and a changeup that also registers in the low 80s.

After a strong season in ’16, Garcia’s numbers backed up despite a decent Cape Cod season the summer prior.

Analysis – A good frame that needs a secondary pitch to come forward.

16. Chris Hudgins C 6’1 190 lbs Cal State Fullerton 3/2/96

Teams always need quality catching depth, and that’s what Hudgins offers as a decent catch and throw backstop. The catcher features some decent power but hasn’t been able to get to it much in his career at Cal State.

Analysis – He’s an organizational catcher.

17. Julio Gonzalez SS 5’10 185 lbs Florida Gulf Coast 6/14/95 Signed $125k

After a couple seasons at Seminole State JUCO, Gonzalez got the bump to FGCU. Coach Tollet knew he was getting a solid defender at shortstop from the alma mater of Manny Machado’s high school, but likely got more than he bargained for at the plate.

A patient hitter with as many walks as strikeouts, Gonzalez shows off a gap to gap approach at the top of the order that allowed him to put up a nearly identical line in his first year of Division I ball despite the jump in competition.

Analysis – Adding a solid middle of the infield defender with a patient plate approach is a smart move for any organization.

18. Marlin Willis LHP 6’4 195 lbs McEachern HS Powder Springs, GA 6/5/98

A high school left-hander with a commitment to Georgia State, Willis features a tantalizing frame for a future starter and relatively clean mechanics. He features a fastball that currently works in the high 80s while topping out at 91 mph, and the lefty also works a curveball that needs refinement. The length of delivery, ability to repeat his mechanics and athleticism gives a team something to dream on here.

Analysis – If they’re able to sign him, then this is a nice developmental piece to add.

19. Korry Howell SS 6’2 175 lbs Kirkwood Community College 9/1/98

A 6.5 runner in the 60, Howell showed off his great speed at the JUCO ranks this season, setting a Kirkwood record with 43 stolen bases. Not just a speedster, Howell paced his team with a .394 average while also ranking second in home runs on the club with six this season out of the leadoff spot.

Perfect Game – Howell is a very athletic shortstop at present; though some feel that his likely future home is center field. He’s a plus runner with the instincts to be a base-stealing threat at the next level; along with some raw bat speed and projectable power potential. 

Analysis – Strong all-around tools to provide an impact in the middle of the diamond. Solid get with projection in this round.

20. Bryar Johnson RHP 6’3 200 lbs Carolina Forest HS Myrtle Beach, SC 8/17/99 Signed $125

This right-handed pitcher with a physical body features a fastball that he currently pumps into the high 80s to just into the low 90s while topping out at 91 mph at present from a high 3/4 delivery. Alongside the fastball, Johnson features a tight breaking curveball that he tosses in the high 70s. The righty is able to manipulate the breaking ball and turn it into a slurve offering featuring tight movement or making it a larger curve version with 12-6 movement.

It sounds like adding him to the organization is a real possibility, which could be a plus considering the age as he’s not yet 18. His ability to manipulate spin and short quick movement with arm speed makes him intriguing.

Analysis – Despite the round, I believe this is an upside play with a real chance to develop considering the acumen for spin next to the quick arm. If he gets a tick up in velocity the Royals could really have something here.

How about some bonus audio content? With the MLB Draft concluded, Clint Scoles tracked down Lonnie Goldberg, the Royals’ Director of Scouting, to talk about the 2017 draft, a few key players, some sleepers, and how these future Royals fit in within the rest of the farm system.

It’s interesting insight into a bit of the Royals’ process and the kinds of players they were looking for in this year’s draft pool.

You can find more of Clint Scoles’s minor league and draft work right here at Baseball Prospectus Kansas City, and by following him at @ClintScoles on Twitter.

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and BlogTalkRadio. You can also download this episode here (mp3).

Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com. Email us a question and if we answer it on the air, we’ll send you a gift certificate to our friends at Kelly’s Westport Inn.

For more information on rounds 5-10, click here with rounds 11-40 coming to you early next week.

1st Rd Pick #14 Overall
Nick Pratto 1b
6’1 195 lbs
DOB 10/6/98
Slot Value $3,727,600

On draft night I compared this pick to that of the 2008 Eric Hosmer pick. However, there are obvious differences with the two. Hosmer was the third overall pick and a consensus top-five talent, something Pratto wasn’t. There are other valid comparisons, though, as Pratto has a long history of teams scouting him as a high-profile player. He appears to be comfortable with a microphone in his face and seems to be the type of leader in the clubhouse that Hosmer has been since his draft day. Do those things matter if you can’t hit? No, but that Alpha Male personality in a locker room surrounded by other stud high school athletes stands out, and Pratto on the surface appears to have that same Hos swagger.

As a player, this first baseman has a sweet, smooth swing, a patient approach, and developing power. Going into this last year before the draft, Pratto worked his swing to left and left-center before realizing he needed to show off the power. Using a more pull-oriented approach, he did generate more pop this season. He is said to have a great feel for the strike zone, even to the point of questioning umpires that he didn’t feel had as good of knowledge of it as he.

Baseball Factory Scouting report

Analysis – Taking a prep first baseman can be risky, but if you’re going to take one, then take one who isn’t afraid of the lights, has knowledge of the game, studies it and can convert those qualities on the field. From all indications, Pratto is just that player. Physically, he’s not the big power hitting first baseman who is going to hit the ball to downtown Kansas City. His game is currently hit over power. The dream here is that the knowledge and approach helps the power play up with the plus hit tool while bringing to the field a great glove and a leadership mentality.

2nd Rd #52 Overall
M.J. Melendez C
6’1 175 lbs
DOB 11/29/98
Slot Value $1,295,700

Much like Pratto, Melendez has been a high profile player who scouts are quite familiar with as he’s been on the showcase circuit since 2012. The defensive grades are well ahead of that bat to this point for Melendez, but scouts saw recently that he was able to unlock some of the power in his wiry 6’1 frame. A coach’s son, M.J. does everything that a team would want from their backstop in terms of calling a game, controlling the running game, and receiving, which made him the best defensive catcher available by many publications.

Via MLBPipeline.com – He has all the tools to be a very good defender behind the plate, with outstanding catch and throw skills to go along athleticism that allows him to move well. He likes to throw from his knees, and while he can do so effectively, he can fall in love with it as well. Offensively, he has tremendous bat speed and he shows pull power now. A refined approach and continued added strength should help him become a better all-around hitter. 

Prep Baseball Report – Melendez would show his present pull side power with a home run over the right field wall. He has consistently shown the ability to pull the baseball with power and consistently hit the ball in the air hard. He has a strong lower half and a short quick swing with more power potential in it. He would also show the ability to go the other way, driving the ball off of the left-center field wall for a double and would finish 2-3 on the day. Melendez would also show what makes him one of the top catching prospects in the country, his defensive ability, and potential. He is noticeably in control of the game, with it appearing to be very slow for him. He showed off his arm strength, catching a runner stealing with a 1.87 pop time. He is one of very few catchers whose pop time is better from his knees as he has plus arm strength and the catch to release is a bit cleaner. He also showed off his athleticism with an impressive play on a bunt where he slid, picked up the ball and threw to first seemingly all in one motion. He showed off all of his tools and athleticism while also showing that even though he has a lot of present ability that the best is yet to come.

Analysis – I’m personally not a fan of prep catchers because of the amount of emphasis needed on the defensive part of the game leaves their offense lacking. From the sounds of reports, Melendez has that part of the game down, so maybe he can work on improving his offense.

2nd Rd Competitive Balance Pick #73 Overall
Evan Steele LHP
6’5 210 lbs 
Chipola JC
DOB 11/14/96
Slot Value $791,700

Steele is a left-handed starter who began his career at Vanderbilt before deciding to transfer to one of the elite Junior College programs to try to get eligible for the MLB Draft.

According to Chipola College Coach Jeff Johnson, Steele hasn’t yet scratched the surface of his talent. The big lefty works from a low 3/4 arm angle and throws four different pitches with his 89-93 mph fastball that peaks at 95 mph next to his curveball, slider/slurve and changeup. Coach Johnson believes his curveball is his best pro pitch going forward as Steele has the ability to command it and throw it in any count to hitters. Next to the curve, Steele offers a slider that operates more like a slurve but is a weapon with his deception against left-handed hitters.

Mechanically, a big part of Steele’s game is the deception that comes from his arm angle. The Chipola coach believes that he needs to continue working on his glove side control and staying closed, but any tweaks that are made might need to be tempered or you run the risk of losing that deception that he offers.

The lefty is a student of the game who surprised his coach with how much he studied. In addition to that love for the game, Steele is a fiery competitor whose determination kept him on the mound against San Jacinto to get his team to the National Championship final, working 143 pitches into the ninth inning while telling the coach he wasn’t coming out of the game earlier when it was discussed.

Despite being in front of the bright lights his entire career Steele is more concerned about the team and team success than his own.-Coach Johnson

Via Perfect Game – He’s got a pretty solid chance to start long-term in professional baseball, even given his somewhat unorthodox mechanical profile; though even if he’s moved to the bullpen, his profile is one of a pretty good bet to be a major leaguer. 

3rd Rd Pick #90 Overall
Daniel Tillo LHP
Iowa Western JC
6’5 215 lbs
DOB 6/13/96
Slot Value $607,300

The Royals doubled up their lefty, low 3/4 arm angle JUCO starters, with this pitcher who was a former Mr. Basketball in the state of Iowa. After just one season in which he pitched seven innings at Kentucky, Tillo decided to transfer to Iowa Western where he had a relationship with Coach Marc Rardin after being recruited by him in high school. The impact on Tillo by Rardin was felt almost immediately, as he was put into the pitching program and daily routine by the staff at another one of the best JUCO programs in the country.

These changes had Tillo impressing scouts almost immediately. With roughly a dozen scouts in attendance during the Iowa Western intrasquad game in November, Tillo worked six innings in the cold weather with 93-94 mph velocity on his fastball alongside his hard biting mid-80s slider.

That fastball works 90 to 93 while topping out around 95 mph with a solid control profile and repeatable mechanics presenting some armside run. The slider is a mid-80s hard biter from the same slot that he was able to back foot righties when I saw him. The combination of the two pitches work well together and Tillo’s control allows them to play well while he repeats mechanics. The change is lagging far behind, having used it just four times per game on average, according to Coach Rardin.

Rardin believes that if a team wants to work Tillo from the bullpen, the combination of fastball/slider along with his control could have him in the majors within three years. He’s become a student of the game and blew away teams in his interviews.

If the pitcher in him catches up to the person he is, then he’ll be a big leaguer.  -Coach Rardin

Analysis – Based on projection, this is a nice lump of clay for the Royals to mold, in hopes that he can refine the secondary offerings. Personally, I like drafting talented basketball players that are adept shooters as the idea of touch could be a transferring tool from sport to sport as the former Royals pitcher Zack Greinke has said.

4th Rd Pick #120 Overall
Michael Gigliotti CF
Lipscomb Univ.
6’1 180 lbs 
DOB 12/14/96
Slot Value $441,700

The speedy Gigliotti went into this season as a possible top-30 overall pick after a Cape Cod season that showed he could hit capably with a wood bat against upper-level competition. A slow start to his season knocked those possibilities down, but as Coach Jeff Forehand mentioned, it played no factor into what he brought to the team every day.

Some think Gigliotti could be a 70 defender in center, with the only tool that lags somewhat behind there is his average but still accurate arm. With speed, long strides and ability to read the ball off the bat with off the charts instincts, the potential clearly exists.

Offensively, Gigliotti has an advanced feel for the strike zone according to his coach, and is a possible table setter with his speed on the bases and ability to bunt well. If there is something that Gigliotti needs to work on still, it is his ability to hit the ball the other way.

Perfect Game –  Lipscomb outfielder Michael Gigliotti is using the big stage of the Cape League to his advantage and everybody, scouts included, have taken notice. The looseness and athleticism are evident as he strides to the plate or tracks down a routine fly ball in center field with balance, coordinated footwork looking as though he’s merely drifting underneath to make a catch. He’s also moved atop the Falmouth Commodores lineup which is where he profiles nicely at the next level. The hands in his lefthanded swing are incredibly easy and the barrel feel is natural and over my few looks at the 6-foot-2 Gigliotti he’s shown nothing but comfort working to all fields. While there are some slap and ability to work the 5-6 hole to which his speed plays, he’s also capable of spinning on the inner half pitch like he did the other night for a hard two base hit to the pull side gap, turning around first at 4.58 seconds.

Analysis – This pick reminds me of last year’s fifth round pick of Nicky Lopez. An elite defender at a premium position who lacks pop but makes up for it with an advanced feel at the dish. That ’16 pick of Lopez looks like a gem now, and if Gigliotti’s feel for the zone is accurate then he could make this one a diamond.

Click here for analysis of rounds 5-10.

As a player this is what a few publications said of Pratto:

Baseball America: He’s a lefthanded hitter with strike zone awareness and plate discipline well beyond his years. Pratto stands close to the plate and covers it well. He has exceptionally loose wrists and creates separation in his swing, giving himself time to adjust to pitches late and keep himself alive in counts. Pratto has advanced pitch recognition and timing. The biggest development of Pratto’s draft year was the growth of his raw power; it’s become a plus tool for him and he’s capable of hitting the ball out to the opposite field or pulling it 400-plus feet. He’s still learning how to get to all of that power, but the ball consistently comes off his bat with authority in games and he should develop more game power as it becomes a bigger part of his approach. Pratto is a near-average runner and has enough arm strength to play the outfield, but he’s a very advanced defender at first base at present. He is committed to Southern California, where he’d likely begin his collegiate career pitching on the weekend and hitting in the middle of the lineup, but he is expected to be drafted in the first round as a position player. Scouts compare him to Joey Votto because of his offensive skillset and competitive spirit.

Perfect Game: The driving factor behind Pratto’s rise has been his showing significantly more left handed power, obviously a key factor if one is a primary first baseman. Pratto’s approach and swing mechanics through most of his high school career were contact oriented with a heavy emphasis towards left centerfield. While this worked well for him, it isn’t what pro scouts are looking for at the position. But starting last summer, Pratto has changed his approach and barrel path to turn on the ball more and has shown strong plus power to mid field and the pull side. There has been some sacrifice in his contact consistency and overall Hit tool, but that is not something that scouts are concerned with.

The Royals have the 14th selection in the draft after the Rockies lost their 11th pick with the signing of Ian Desmond. The Royals have had the 14th pick two other times in franchise history, 1996 when they chose Dee Brown and 2004 when they picked Billy Butler.

With an allotment of $8,076,900 plus an additional 5 percent cushion, the Royals have the 15th most pool money allotted to them among MLB teams.

The assigned values of the Royals selections are as follows:

Anyone selected after the 10th round is allotted $100,000 towards bonus values.

Since Dayton Moore has taken over the draft in 2007, the Royals have given 21 players a bonus of $1,000,000 or greater. Outfielder Bubba Starling has the highest bonus in that time – $7.5 million while Wil Myers, who received $2 million in the 3rd round (91st pick overall), of the 2009 draft is the highest bonus the Royals have paid after the 1st round.

The 2015 World Series Champion Royals had 12 different players play during the season who were drafted in the GMDM era.

Since the adoption of MLB’s new draft rules, the largest bonus given to a Royals draft pick was the $3.55m given to Sean Manaea with the 35th selection of the 2013 draft.

The last time the Royals had four selections in the top 90 picks was 2014 when they had five in the top 92. They selected Brandon Finnegan, Foster Griffin, Scott Blewett, Chase Vallot and Eric Skoglund with their picks that year.

In the Lonnie Goldberg era, the Royals have selected two position players with their first selection. In 2011, Bubba Starling was selected with the fifth overall pick and in 2013 Hunter Dozier was chosen with the eighth overall pick prior to selecting Manaea 27 picks later.

Bubba Starling (5) and Ashe Russell (21) represent the highest selections of high school players in the Goldberg time period.

The quickest player to the majors in the Goldberg era was Brandon Finnegan, who made it to the majors in September of his draft year in 2014.

Sean Manaea is currently the most successful drafted player by the Royals staff since ’11, amassing 3.6 rWAR to date, with Finnegan not far behind at 3.2. Lefty Danny Duffy is the greatest success story of the GMDM era, registering 12 rWAR since being drafted in 2007, compared to Eric Hosmer’s 10.9 and Mike Moustakas’ 10.6.

The draft begins at 6 pm CST Monday and can be followed on MLB Network or MLB.com. Day 1 will feature the first two rounds of the draft plus the compensatory rounds. Day 2 and Day 3 can be followed on MLB.com with Day 2 featuring rounds 3-10 and Day 3 the final 11-40 rounds.

To find out more about the players the Royals select follow me on Twitter @ClintScoles and look for my recap of all 40 rounds soon after the draft.

If you’re interested in following along as the top names of the draft move off the board, here’s a handy list of the top prospective picks and where they average out in four of the most respected mock drafts.

With a rebuild likely in the making, will GMDM, Goldberg, and staff look to go back to their roots to find a prep position players to eventually send the Royals back to the playoffs?

In a previous draft article, I highlighted one player in Jordon Adell as that type of player that could be available to the Royals while also returning them to their roots of a high ceiling prep position player. If I was to guess which of these two in Adell or Austin Beck is likely to fall to the 14th pick for Kansas City I would definitely lay the money on Adell. Considering college players typically see their stock rise ahead of the draft, it’s good to take a look at another prep player like Beck just in case.

An outfielder from North Carolina, Beck features average to better tools in all facets of the game with his power and speed standing out as his best current and future tools. At the plate, Beck features slightly above average bat speed as evidenced by his numbers in the Zep Metrics recorded by Perfect Game. Along with that bat speed, Beck features some waggle in his plate approach that likely will need to be lessened as he moves into minor league ball. On top of the waggle, he tends to get his head and body movement out in front some which could leave him vulnerable to breaking and offspeed stuff until he adjusts. During his younger years, he featured a more balanced approach with less movement to the front. This could be the adjustment he makes back to that form once he enters pro ball and is facing higher quality arms every day. That Beck is a less dynamic hitter but a more balanced, average approach hitter, a mix of the two is likely what pro teams will be looking for from the prep outfielder.

Beck certainly plays with an intensity which is reminiscent of what the younger versions of Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer brought to the Royals system. Perhaps the franchise could use that type of intensity back in their minor league system, or maybe they just need more talent to win and that intensity comes with high profile games and wins.

The other skills Beck features are solid, but I wonder if he slows down and ends up in a corner rather than as a center fielder. That possible move combined with a limited ceiling in his tools and some tweaks that I think need to be made with the hitting approach give me enough caution that I would lay off him in the Top 14 picks in favor of a number other college and prep players.

Prep Position Players Drafted in the GMDM era
*Traded for James Shields, Wade Davis

Main Photo Credit – Austin Beck via Austin Dye Journalnow.com

Let’s take a quick look at the draft picks in the 1st round of the Lonnie Goldberg era compared to the next college positional prospect taken.

*MLB Player

One can easily say that had the Royals taken these four players instead of the ones they selected, it would have resulted in three better picks in Springer, Naquin and up to this point, Stewart. In the case of Springer vs Starling, they ended up looking for tools and ended up missing out on a player with tools and an ability to access those tools. So what college positional prospects could be a fit this year in the draft?

Jeren Kendall – At the start of the amateur season, Kendall was in talks by the prognosticators to be a Top 1 or 2 pick, but contact issues this season have lowered his stock to the back of the Top 10 if not into the teens according to BA and MLB Pipeline. Should he drop to the 14 spot, I would think the organization would be very interested in Kendall as a player with plus-plus speed, above average power and a defensive acumen that should be able to keep him in center field. The profile is very similar to that of Springer when he was coming out of UCONN with the only difference the level of competition Kendall played against at Vandy compared to the Big East for Springer.

What is there to like? The speed and defense stand out. This is a player who should have no problems playing the outfield at The K as a speedy center fielder who can go get the ball and then influence the game when he’s on the bases. Along with an average or better arm, Kendall could step into The K and handle everything that is needed at a plus level. That athleticism is carried over into the power with Kendall having average or slightly better pop. A team that drafts Kendall could iron out some swing mechanics and have a 20/20 type hitter.

What don’t I like? The strikeouts are very concerning. While I’ve drawn a comparison to Springer here, it should be noted that Springer cut his strikeout percentage significantly during his junior season. That is not the case for Kendall who has actually seen his number climb. Is this someone trying to access more power? His home run numbers are up so that could be the case but one would hope he would’ve improved enough while in college that his power production would climb on its own without having to sell out for them in a draft year. One would want to see a more professional approach out of a college junior with the pedigree of a Team USA player. The Royals in the past have struggled to help players make adjustments which would scare me for a player like Kendall who needs to make some adjustments in recognition and swing mechanics.

Swing breakdown via Baseball Rebellion

Adam Haseley – College position players tend to climb up draft boards this time of year as players perform during the college season and outplay what they think going into the year. That’s what makes Kendall’s drop so interesting. Following the usual path of climbing is Virginia outfielder/pitcher Adam Haseley who has improved his stock from that of a 2nd rounder type to talks inside the Top 10.

The two players’ programs and games clash quite a bit. While Kendall and the Vandy program in general swing big and miss often, Virginia prefers a patient, more contact oriented approach. This game fits Haseley quite well, as evidenced in the lefty swinger’s ability to walk (32-17) more than he strikes out. This approach combined with his speed and defense should fit ideally at the top of a major league order and in center field, or if the speed isn’t quite what a team wants, perhaps as a plus-corner along the lines of an Adam Eaton type.

The tools for Haseley are closer to average across the board with a slightly better than average arm and defense grades and a hit tool to me that is closer to a plus 60/65 grade. Some see the bat as average or a tick above average, but I see it as better when adding in his approach and intelligence of his game. A possible .300 BA with a .375 OBP in the future is what I think you’ll see quite often in his career. Add that to his defensive profile and you have an Eaton defender with a better arm in my opinion and less speed on the bases.

The one tool that is lacking in Haseley’s profile currently is his power which ticks as slightly below average. We have seen him improve that this year and he has shown better power than Kendall to this point when using wood bats at the Cape. While I don’t see a 20 home run power profile like you may get out of Kendall, I think his advanced approach, the ability to spray the ball, and barrel skills should still lead to 30-40 doubles pop and a 10 home run range. This is more than enough for a player with his on-base and defensive skills along with a workman like attitude that he brings to the field.

To me, Haseley would be an ideal fit for Kauffman Stadium and at the top of a major league order and while he doesn’t have the ceiling Kendall projects, I believe he to be the better player at the next level.

There is plenty of smoke that the Royals are going high school pitching in the draft with Trevor Rodgers the latest pitcher being linked to them via Perfect Game. There have been eight or nine mock drafts at reputable sites that I’ve seen with all but one of them linking the Royals to a high school pitcher. While this may be the case I think it could be similar to the ’13 draft with the Royals linking to a prep pitcher, but then waiting for a profile arm to fall to them with their second pick while they nab the best college position player on their board. Only time will tell.

Here’s a list of all college position players selected by the Royals in the top 10 rounds of the draft in the Dayton Moore era:

Discuss the Draft Articles
David Peterson 
Shane Baz
Jordon Adell, Daniel Tillo 
Garrett Mitchell
Brendon Little
Jacob Heatherly
Michael Gigliotti 
Alex Lange, Calvin Mitchell