Top 2022 MLB Draft Prospects for the Royals at Pick No. 9
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At long last, it's draft day! On Sunday night, all 30 MLB teams will see their hard work over the past 12 months pay off. For the Kansas City Royals, the 2022 MLB Draft tasks the team with retooling a farm system that has lost some high-end talent to the big leagues recently. With picks Nos. 9 and 49 to work with on night one, general manager J.J. Picollo and company will have some decent ammo to work with.
Kansas City originally also had pick No. 35 — a Competitive Balance Round A selection — but ended up sending it to the Atlanta Braves in a trade for outfield prospect Drew Waters and a pair of others. Despite that, the Royals should still be able to snag a premier talent in the first round and then make a mini-splash in round two.
The Royals' bonus pool is no longer as plentiful as it was before the Waters trade, which could impact the club's plans between Sunday and Tuesday. A year ago, Kansas City drafted left-handed pitcher Frank Mozzicato with the No. 7 overall selection to an under-slot deal. Could another early under-slot be in the cards? Potentially, but even if not, there may be plenty of terrific options to choose from regardless. Who makes sense for the Royals at ninth overall? Let's take a look at five key top prospects.
Jace Jung — 3B, Texas Tech
Jace Jung will be 22 years old in October, but that shouldn't turn any teams off from selecting him. If he's on the board at pick No. 9, the Royals would be wise to invest in him. The Red Raiders standout can downright hit, slashing .335/.481/.612 (good for a 1.093 OPS) and clobbering 14 home runs in 61 games of action. Jung is a smooth-hitting prospect who also has a tremendous approach at the plate (59 walks to 42 strikeouts). There are no sure-fire prospects in any sort of draft, but Jung is a relatively safe bet to be a formidable player and rise through any club's minor league system quickly. He'd be a worthy pick early in the first round.
Elijah Green — OF, IMG Academy
There are serious questions about whether IMG Academy's Elijah Green will even be close to available by the time the Royals' pick rolls around but if he is, it would be hard to pass on him. The son of a former NFL player (a two-time Pro Bowler, at that), the younger Green is a built 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. For a high school baseball prospect, that's very rare. He also possesses terrific speed and projects as a long-term center fielder at the MLB level. Over the last year or so, Green has quieted some of the doubters who didn't buy into his hit tool and he seems like a much more secure prospect now than he did as a junior. With an elite athletic profile, tons of raw power and some newfound bat-to-ball ability, Green is oozing with potential. Again, if he's there at pick No. 9, the Royals should pounce.
Justin Crawford — OF, Bishop Gorman High School
The son of former MLB player Carl Crawford, Justin Crawford is one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft. Among major mock drafts, he's hands-down the player who's been projected to land in Kansas City the most often. The Bishop Gorman product makes consistent contact and has near-elite speed, which gives him at least some sort of floor as a soft-hitting on-base man as he progresses through the minor leagues. WIth that said, concerns about him growing into his frame and adding more power are legitimate. Crawford is rumored to be a potential under-slot candidate at pick No. 9 and if that's indeed the case, it could be the deciding factor for the Royals. He'd be a risky pick, but a fun one nonetheless.
Gavin Cross — OF, Virginia Tech
Gavin Cross is another college prospect who makes a ton of sense for the Royals. The former Virginia Tech outfielder slashed .328/.411/.660 (!!) in his final campaign with the Hokies, posting a 1.071 OPS and pouring in 17 home runs in just 57 games. He also doubled 14 times and recorded eight triples, showing off his combination of overall power and respectable speed. Respectable is a word that can be used for just about every element of Cross's game, as he doesn't wow anyone on the basepaths or on defense but is more than capable of holding his own in a corner outfield spot and has a slim chance of being a center fielder down the road. Cross has a mature approach at the plate and, like Jung, he'd be a worthy pick for Kansas City.
Brock Porter — RHP, St. Mary's Prep
There isn't much buzz surrounding the Royals taking any sort of arm with pick No. 9 — let alone a prep one — but this opportunity very well could come around nonetheless. It's widely believed that Kansas City could be perhaps the first team to go with a pitcher and if they do, under-slotting Brock Porter is something they could be inclined to do given the aforementioned Waters trade. The 19-year-old flashes a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a rock-solid changeup with a slider that is still developing and a curveball as well Porter is a projectable pitcher with a quality athletic profile. With that said, his delivery may not be quite as repeatable as mainstream media argues. That could be what makes or breaks his ceiling as a prospect, and he's admittedly a risky pick so high in the draft. This wouldn't be the first time Kansas City took a chance on a prep pitcher in round one, though.
Other key names to know
- Cam Collier (3B, Chipola College)
- Brooks Lee (SS, Cal Poly)
- Jackson Holliday (SS, Stillwater High School)
- Jacob Berry (1B, LSU)
- Zach Neto (SS, Campbell University)
- Drew Gilbert (OF, Tennessee)
All of the above prospects could be in play for the Royals on Sunday night, and for good reason. Collier likely won't be on the board at ninth overall, but his blend of a sturdy frame and an amazing profile at the plate make him a tantalizing prospect. Lee is a switch-hitting infielder who can get on base easily and has more raw power than the naked eye may suggest. Holliday, another player with big-league bloodlines, needs to keep adding to his frame but has immense upside.
Berry doesn't offer a ton on the bases or in the field, but he's a tremendous hitting prospect to bank on. Another under-slot candidate, Neto is a bit unorthodox and takes a lot of risks in the field of play but is still an intriguing option as a 21-year-old. Last but not least, Gilbert is a well-rounder middle outfield prospect who seems to boast not only a relatively high floor, but also the ability to be under-slotted by Kansas City if he's their guy at ninth overall.
