MLB Draft: 3 who should be on the KC Royals’ short list

The Major League amateur draft starts Sunday, and many fans are wondering who each team, including the KC Royals, will take. The Royals hold the seventh overall pick in the first round of the draft, which will be televised on MLB Network and ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

In most recent years, the team has addressed its need for starting pitching, starting with Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubic, who were all taken with the Royals’ first four picks in 2018. In 2020, Asa Lacy fell to KC in the fourth spot. All were pitchers selected out of college.

Due to baseball talent being more difficult to assess with its immense pool of prospects, most teams’ draft strategy is to take the best player available in Round 1, and Kansas City should do the same this year. And there are three prospects who should be on the Kansas City’s short list as the best available should they fall to the seventh spot.

Brady House is a shortstop who would be a great asset for the KC Royals.

Yes, the KC Royals have Bobby Witt Jr., a shortstop who’s been tearing it up at Double-A Northwest Arkansas this year, and several other good shortstop prospects. But we’re talking best available  players here, and if Brady House falls to the seventh slot in the first round, KC would be crazy to pass on him.

The No. 8 prospect in the draft according to MLB Pipeline, the University of Tennessee commit stands 6-feet-4 and weighs 215 pounds, a stature and build for pop comparable to Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, both of whom Royals fans have seen first-hand.

The righthanded hitter slashed .524/.629/.868 with a 1.497 OPS and 131 hits, 117 runs, 61 RBIs, and 17 home runs during his three years at Winder-Barrow High School in Georgia.

He seems patient at the plate—he had 48 walks and only 17 strikeouts during his high school tenure. House hasn’t been a prolific base stealer, swiping only 34 bases at Winder-Barrow, but did steal 21 of those during his senior year.

Many believe shortstops are often the best all-around baseball athletes, capable of being moved around the field, so Kansas City may be able to think about House as suitable for other positions besides shortstop. That could be a good thing considering the organization’s many fine shortstops.

Kumar Rocker, a righty from Vanderbilt, could be a steal for the KC Royals.

Kumar Rocker of Vanderbilt has been mocked to Kansas City in most drafts, and is a logical choice if he falls to the seventh slot. 

The Royals have focused on college pitchers the last few years, and they could continue that trend by selecting Rocker. (His name may sound familiar—he’s the son of Tracy Rocker, who played for the NFL’s Washington Redskins in 1989 and is now the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles).

Rocker began his career at Vanderbilt in 2019. In his three years there, he’s 28-10 with a 2.89 ERA, 321 strikeouts, and a 1.001 WHIP.

In 2019, Rocker pitched the first no-hitter in NCAA Super Regional History and recorded 19 strikeouts in Vanderbilt’s 3-0 victory over Duke. He was also named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player in 2019, when his Commodores defeated Michigan for their second national title in history.

In 2021, Rocker posted a 14-4 record with a 2.73 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 122 innings. He started the season well, but ended poorly, losing the final game of the College World Series to Mississippi State when he allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings.

According to MLB Pipeline, Rocker’s fastball has been recorded between 93-96 mph and can reach 99 on occasion, but he has average command.

He’s the No. 6-ranked Pipeline prospect, and with the Royals needing to build up their pitching, Rocker could be an easy fit in the rotation with his potential.

With the 2021 MLB Draft coming up Sunday, Brady House, Jackson Jobe, and Kumar Rocker are three prospects Kansas City must seriously consider if they’re available when the Royals pick.