Royals Predicted To Acquire 'Standout' OF Compared To Corbin Carroll
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The Kansas City Royals' outfield has been a problem area since the heydays of Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon.
This season, the Royals are tied for last in Major League Baseball with -0.8 fWAR. They have both the fewest home runs (eight) and the fewest stolen bases (six) by outfielders in the sport. Any infusion of young talent at the position will be welcome in years to come.
Because top prospect Jac Caglianone seems likely to play a lot of corner outfield in the years to come, the Royals could hone in on center field as a position where they need to find a future starter. That has to weigh on their minds as they approach July's MLB Draft.
One baseball analyst has the Royals using their first-round pick on a possible starting center fielder with a comparison that's sure to grab fans' attention.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that the Royals would draft Slater de Brun, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound outfielder from Summit, Ore., with the 23rd overall selection.
"The success of guys like Corbin Carroll, Jett Williams and Slade Caldwell has paved the way for more undersized prep position players with strong hit tools to be considered in the first round, and de Brun is this year's version of that archetype," Reuter wrote.
"With a 55-grade hit tool, 60-grade speed and the tools to be a standout defender in center field, he could be the answer to what has been a revolving door in center field for the Royals since Lorenzo Cain was patrolling the position."
It's always tough to tell how impactful a high school player will be in the professional ranks, especially a position player. But speed and defense always play, and de Brun also seems to have a well-rounded offensive profile that should improve as he matures physically.
The Vanderbilt commit could be a major addition for Kansas City, though it would be a few years until he got his chance to make an impact at the big-league level.
More MLB: Royals' Jac Caglianone Gives Candid Assessment Of 0-for-5 MLB Debut
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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