Six 2021 MLB Draft Prospects To Know For the Kansas City Royals
The 2021 MLB Draft will begin on July 11 with the Kansas City Royals holding the seventh overall pick as the event gets underway. Last season, the draft was shortened to five rounds worth of picks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous seasons, the draft had been 40 rounds. This season, the draft will be expanded to 20 rounds.
Let’s get this out of the way upfront, I’m not a high school or college baseball scout. I’m a writer who likes to do research for these articles. Initially, I was going to attempt to do a 20 round Royals mock draft. In all honesty, there are probably only a handful of people that could do a true mock draft of that caliber that would make sense and be realistic, and those people work high up the ladder for the Kansas City Royals.
Even a five-round mock draft in baseball is a shot-in-the-dark for an amateur like myself. So I’ll stick to featuring some of the top prospects that could be on the board when it’s time for the Royals to make that decision at pick No. 7 (or maybe even into the second round).
The Royals could go in a wide variety of ways with their first pick. At this point, “best player available” is probably the way to go. That will be what the Royals front office is working to figure out over the next few weeks leading up to the draft as they set up their board. No position should be off the table. Let’s dig into a few of the prospects who could be sitting there at seven for the Royals.
Kumar Rocker - RHP, Vanderbilt
Kumar Rocker would be an incredible get for the Royals if he falls to pick No. 7. He had been considered a potential number one overall pick last year but some inconsistencies in velocity this season have some people thinking he could slide. No expert thinks he would fall further than the Royals pick but think he could go as high as pick three to the Detroit Tigers. He has the “it” factor and, competitively speaking, looks like he has the fire of a Brady Singer.
The hype began when he was a freshman. He was college baseball’s Freshman of the Year and went on to be named the College World Series' most outstanding player after elevating his play to another level when it counted most. This season he leads the NCAA in wins and strikeouts. The Royals would be lucky to get another college-bred player who wouldn’t need a ton of seasoning in the minor leagues before making his way to Kansas City.
Brady House - SS, Winder-Barrow H.S. (Georgia)
Brady House would be a nice player to pair with Bobby Witt Jr. on the left side of the infield long-term in the organization. He has incredible tools with huge power bat ability. His contact rate could be called into question against higher-level opponents, but that can be worked out as he moves through the system. He may profile to be a third baseman, especially if Witt stays at shortstop at the next level. His arm strength is top-notch and he fits the mold of a Mike Moustakas type player, defensively. If Kansas City lands House, Royals fans would have plenty to be excited about, though he would take a little bit longer to land at the big league level since he is just coming out of high school.
Gunnar Hoglund - RHP, Ole Miss
If you’re looking for another college pitcher that will definitely be on the board that isn’t named Kumar Rocker, then Gunnar Hoglund is your man. His draft stock was rocketing through a solid spring while firing his fastball upwards of 96 MPH. Unfortunately for Hoglund, he was given the news no pitcher wants to hear. He underwent Tommy John surgery on May 18 and he will likely slide because of this. However, his quality of competition (playing in the talent-rich SEC) along with all four of his pitches that will play at the next level could keep him in the mix, but likely as a late first or early second-rounder. Some mock drafts had Hoglund to the Royals at pick No. 7 but due to the injury, Kansas City could potentially snag him in the second round. Hoglund has a lot of upsides, and the Royals would be fine if they choose him, just maybe not in the top-10. He wouldn't be able to fast-track like originally anticipated, but he could be a contributor by 2024 if rehab goes well and there are no setbacks.
Sal Frelick - CF, Boston College
Sal Frelick just seems like a Dayton Moore type of player. He’s fast and has been given a 70-grade speed, plays excellent defense and has a good all-around feel for the game. He is a leader of the clubhouse and his energy on and off the field would be an excellent addition to the Royals. His size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) has some people doubting if he can be a long-term solution at the next level, but he is a multi-sport athlete that seems like his ceiling could continue to climb into a consensus top-10 type player.
In his college career, he’s walked more times than he’s struck out and he’s never committed an error. His advanced approach at the plate and consistency in the field will play at the next level. He’s mainly played right field for Boston College, but center field may be a better fit. He’s also a natural second baseman. The more you dive into Frelick, the more he’ll remind you of a jack-of-all-trades type of player like Whit Merrifield. Not a lot of power, but speed and ability to get on base with an excellent glove. That’s something the Royals management can get behind.
Ty Madden - RHP, Texas
Another college pitcher that could match up well for the Royals. He’s a hard-throwing righty who can hit upwards of 98-99 with his fastball and he fits the profile of a solid starting pitcher at the next level. In his sophomore season, he threw 25 innings and recorded 26 strikeouts to only four walks. In his junior season thus far, he’s had 10 quality starts in 14 outings as he is hoping to lead the Longhorns to a College World Series bid. He’s thrown 103 strikeouts to 31 walks. His best game of the season was a complete game, 14 strikeout effort against Houston. Ty Madden profiles to be another quick riser through the farm system, and that’s something the Royals can get behind.
Matt McLain - 2B, UCLA
Matt McLain was one of the top recruits coming out of high school and didn’t live up to his hype initially. He has come around the past two seasons and could be a top-10 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. His eye at the plate continues to impress as he’s walked more times than he’s struck out, and he’s finally tapping into the power potential with nine home runs on the season. He’s also showcasing some speed and on-base awareness with nine stolen bases. There are a couple of high school positional players that could be drafted higher than McLain based solely on potential. However, if the Royals want to add a second baseman that could bring a return on investment sooner rather than later, McLain could be a guy that they target with their first pick.
Which direction would you like to see the Royals take with their first pick in this draft? College pitcher? High school hitter with upside? A college player that has speed and can play multiple positions? The scouts and front office will be working their way through these questions leading up to the draft in July. Though we may not ultimately know how this pick works out for a few years, we can hope they hit it out of the ballpark with their first pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
