KC Royals draft check-in: 2017 edition

As the KC Royals move towards a rebuild it is vital that we keep in mind how we got to this point. Revisiting our recent drafts is a good place to start.

In the 2017 draft, the KC Royals went with two high school kids at the top of the draft. While those two have seen some struggles, the draft overall has provided some nice surprises.

The KC Royals picked two high school studs with their first two selections in the 2017 draft. They chose first-baseman Nick Pratto with the 14th pick and catcher M.J. Melendez with the 52nd pick. Both of these young men remain in almost every prospect list you can find for the KC Royals. And they both will continue to get every chance to prove themselves moving forward. The organization is heavily invested in them.

My concern is that neither one of them was able to hit last season. Nick Pratto struck out in almost 35 percent of his plate appearances. MJ Melendez? He struck out in nearly 40 percent of his plate appearances! Yes, that is a lot. And neither one of them was being pushed beyond high A ball.

We need to see these two young ballplayers make contact this season. Regular contact with the baseball. I do not even care which level it is at. Just hit the ball again. If not, I will not be surprised to see guys like Vinnie Pasquantino pass up Pratto on our prospects list. The same with guys like Sebastian Rivero when it comes to Melendez.

In fairness, both top picks are now only 21 years old. And they both have the physical gifts to turn it around. Melendez has a nice track record in a key defensive position that adds value to him. But it is very difficult for me to imagine an offensive cornerstone piece that failed to hit over .200 or to carry an OPS over .600 through more than 100 games of high A ball. You would certainly hope to see more from your top draft picks.

After throwing cold water on our top picks in 2017 it is probably important I point out what an excellent job the KC Royals did with the rest of the 2017 draft.

With the 73rd overall pick in 2017, we chose Evan Steele. Steele is a lefty that throws a mid 90s fastball with movement and a devastating slider for an out pitch. He needs to stay healthy. He missed 2018 and only made it through 49 innings in 2019. But, I ultimately think he winds up as a bullpen arm before he makes the big leagues. He strikes guys out and he does not issue walks.

Daniel Tillo was the 90th overall pick in 2017. Tillo is an excellent pitching prospect. He is a big man who throws a 96 MPH sinking fastball from an odd release point. His groundball rate last season was over 60 percent. He has not struck out a ton of guys thus far in his career, but he is a weak contact creating machine.

Tillo has been a starter thus far in his career, and I expect that to continue at least for the near future. But he worked as a reliever in both the Arizona Fall League and for Team USA this offseason. He appears to be suited for that role. Out of the pen, his fastball touches as high as 98 MPH. This seems to have increased the usefulness of his 88 MPH slider. I expect he will be in the big league bullpen at some point this season.

Michael Gigliotti was the fifth player chose by the KC Royals in 2017. I am not as high on Gigliotti as some, but the young man gets on base. His On Base Percentage through more than 150 minor league games is nearly .400. He is also 24 years old and has yet to see even AA ball. And he has almost no pop. This is a big season for him. He is reportedly an excellent defensive center fielder. If he can keep hitting and getting on base he can become a big leaguer.

The KC Royals made some excellent picks in the middle and later rounds in 2017. Which may just be what ultimately makes it a good draft.

Charlie Neuweiler was a high school pitcher from Queens and was not chosen until the 150th selection of the 2017 draft. In my opinion, he was an absolute steal for the KC Royals. There have been stints in his career when he struggles with his control. But, there have also been extended periods when he is almost unhittable.

Neuweiler’s curveball may ultimately be as good as any in the organization. He just turned 21 years old and has already pitched nearly 250 professional innings. He has also struck out a batter per inning over his career. Last season alone he threw over 148 innings and struck out 153. He has been grossly overlooked ever since the impressive draft class of 2018 came storming into the minor leagues. But, do not sleep on this kid. He may very well be a part of the big league rotation one day. And he was an excellent draft choice.

Thirty picks after Neuweiler the KC Royals chose Tyler Zuber with the 180th pick overall. Zuber has incredible command. And not just for a team that likes to issues walks like the KC Royals, for any organization. Through 55 innings in 2019 he struck out 68 and walked only 16. Through three years in the minors and more than 133 innings, he has issued only 39 walks. He has also struck out nearly a dozen for every 9 innings.

Zuber does not work with an overpowering fastball. Instead, he has an excellent breaking ball and incredible command. He was drafted to become a bullpen piece. I am not sure he ever becomes a lockdown closer, but he can certainly be a late-innings guy. He has only seen 26 innings of AA ball, but do not be surprised if he works his way into the big league bullpen this season.

Brewer Hicklen, an outfielder that also played football in college, was the KC Royals choice in the 2017 draft after Zuber. Hicklen has consistently gotten on base and consistently shown that he can hit with power. Through 1100 plate appearances in the minors he has on OPS over .840. He is now 24 years old and still strikes out too much. But he has absolutely destroyed left-handed pitching and it is time to see what he can in the higher levels of the minor leagues. He has the ability to become an excellent platoon in a corner outfield position.