Kansas City Royals: Reviewing debut seasons for top 2017 draft picks

The 2017 draft class for the Kansas City Royals has the feel of being one of the best in recent memory. Here’s how the top picks performed in their first professional seasons.

It often takes years before proper judgement can be passed on an entire draft class, especially one which includes as many players as the MLB draft. That being said, early projections would suggest the 2017 class for the Kansas City Royals could be among the best the franchise has ever seen.

The class has great potential with each of the team’s first five selections currently in the organization’s top 25 prospects, according to MLB.com’s rankings. Not all of those players will likely pan out with the club. However, it’s a sign the front office has a vision. Granted, it also points to a farm system devoid of high-end talent.

As beneficial as collecting prospects can be, they often prove more valuable as trade chips than future franchise cornerstones. For every Eric Hosmer, there is a Sean Manaea. Both helped the Kansas City Royals win a World Series, but in very different ways. Hosmer lived up to the hype that comes with being a top-five draft pick with important hits throughout the playoffs. Manaea, also a first-round pick, helped land Ben Zobrist who proved key to ending a 30-year drought.

It’s too early to know the ultimate fate of the members of the 2017 class. But it’s the perfect time to look back on how they performed in their debut seasons. We’ll examine each of the players the Kansas City Royals selected in the first 10 rounds. We’ll start with a pitcher who joins the organization from nearby Kansas State.