Who should the KC Royals select with pick No. 4 in June?

The 2020 MLB Amateur Draft is less than six months away. Who should the KC Royals bring aboard with the fourth overall pick?

Before we know it, the 2020 MLB season is going to be here. Within the next month or so, spring training will begin for all 30 clubs — with the KC Royals playing their first game on Feb. 21. After that, the regular season begins and everyone will be stuck to their couches for the entire spring, summer and into the fall. Within that same span, though, the MLB Amateur Draft takes place.

In this year’s draft, the good guys have the fourth overall pick. Last year, with pick No. 2, the team selected shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to become the (eventual) face of the franchise. The year before, they picked up polished college arm Brady Singer. The organization needs to nail another draft in order to set itself up for success in the future.

With that said, who should the Royals’ top pick be this year? Should general manager Dayton Moore continue following along the path of taking the best player available, or should he focus on future fit with the club? Would a high school prospect make sense, or is a more proven collegiate talent the way to go?

With the farm system the way it is (improved from where it was a couple of years ago) but the future of the major league roster still in doubt, the best player available approach seems right. Prospects aren’t guaranteed to pan out once they reach the MLB. Smaller-market teams like Kansas City often have a difficult time keeping their own talent once they hit the free agent market. Having a constant flow of guys waiting for their shot to replace them is a must.

Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson and Georgia’s Emerson Hancock are my two personal favorites in the top 10 of this year’s draft, but it’s unlikely either will be available come pick No. 4. Torkelson’s elite raw power makes him a must-draft for teams like Detroit, Baltimore or Miami and Hancock is a sure-fire stud pitcher coming out of college. Should either go undrafted in the top three, KC would be wise to make that choice.

Infielders Austin Martin and Nick Gonzales from Vanderbilt and New Mexico State are another two players that would be terrific picks. Martin, like the two mentioned in the previous paragraph, projects to go in that top trio. Gonzales is a terrific hitter that would complement Witt perfectly once both made the big-league team.

To round out my most intriguing five prospects, outfielder Garrett Mitchell piques my interest the most. He’s a very complete player and a good athlete overall, but injury/health concerns have caused him to fall a tad bit in the first-round projections. Type 1 diabetes should be a manageable condition for the star, though, so it shouldn’t be considered a reach if the Royals took him.

The staff here at Kings of Kauffman will be going more in-depth over the next several months in regards to this year’s draft. This overview should get you started, though. Do you have a favorite prospect at or near the top of your board? Let us know in the comments below!