KC Royals Draft: Great outfielders may be available

It is never too early to look at potential players the KC Royals might land with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. They have definite needs, especially in the outfield.

MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 KC organization prospects lacks outfielders in the top half. With over 75 big league plate appearances so far, No. 5 Kyle Isbel, who saw action in two stints with Kansas City last season, may graduate from the list soon leaving only Erick Pena (No.6) as a Top 15 outfielder.

And the outfield situation at the major league level is far from locked in with Andrew Benintendi the only Royal outfielder who had an OPS over .697. He is one year away from free agency and may not be wearing Royal Blue much longer.

As in the past, the Royals can try a patchwork of players in the outfield like Whit Merrifield or Hunter Dozier. There is also talk of moving Aldaberto Mondesi out of the infield. None of these options look like long-term solutions, though.

Here are some outfielders the Royals might consider for their first round pick.

The son of a former Atlanta star could be a great pick for the KC Royals.

If the spelling of Druw Jones’ first name looks familiar, there’s a reason—he’s the son of great Atlanta outfielder Andruw Jones. Chances are Jones will be taken long before the Royals pick unless a major downturn happens this spring or the Georgia high schooler elects to go to college.

Jones has a ton of talent to offer. He’s already had a game this year that saw him hit two home runs and strike out three in a mound appearance. At 6-feet-3 and 175 pounds, there is room for him to add even more strength.

His right-handed bat would play nicely in Kauffman Stadium and Jones has the range to cover its spacious outfield grounds. If he plays anywhere near his father’s statistics, Jones would be an excellent addition.