KC Royals: Who will be the next Hosmer and Moustakas?

The KC Royals had one of the more iconic duos in the MLB with Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas earlier in the decade. Is another pairing already in the organization?

A little over 10 years ago, the KC Royals made back-to-back huge draft selections. In taking Mike Moustakas with the No. 2 pick in the 2007 MLB Draft and following up with Eric Hosmer at No. 3 the next year, the club added a pair of impact infielders. The foundation was laid for the next core of Kansas City Royals.

The duo made their MLB debuts a little over a month apart, with Hosmer starting his career off with a bang and Moustakas struggling a bit. Over time, Hosmer would turn out to be a hot-and-cold player, and Moustakas’ immense power potential finally turned into good production at the plate. After winning consecutive American League pennants in 2014 and 2015 and a World Series together, the band was broken up.

Hosmer went on to sign a lucrative deal with the San Diego Padres, and Moustakas was shipped off to Milwaukee before signing with the Cincinnati Reds earlier this offseason. The two prized members of the once-heralded Royals farm system have found work elsewhere as a rebuild is underway in Kansas City.

With that said, is there another Hosmer/Moustakas duo already in Kansas City? 2019 draft choice Bobby Witt Jr. is a logical option, but he doesn’t have a running mate (yet). Could that change once June rolls around? Sure, but we’re not there yet.

Personally, Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar combine for a solid pair. The right-handers played together at the University of Florida and were both first-round picks by the Royals in 2018. They’ve performed well at the minor league level to this point and could make their MLB debuts during the 2020 season.

Outside of that, there isn’t as much promise for a packaged success story. Singer could be coupled with lefty Daniel Lynch, but the comparisons aren’t quite as fun. He simply doesn’t have as much in common with Lynch as he does with Kowar.

Perhaps the Royals’ top pick in the 2020 MLB Draft will befriend Witt down the line and possibly form the next-gen “Hoz” and “Moose” duo. Many players currently in the minor league system will succeed at the MLB level, but carrying a narrative like that with them will be a tall task.

Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas were two of the greatest KC Royals of the 2010s. Taken one year apart in the draft, they ended up becoming great friends during their time with the organization and played some good baseball along the way. Only time will tell if we’ll see another pair like them soon.