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.

Elijah Green is another prepster the KC Royals might pick up in the draft.

Also standing at 6-feet-3, Elijah Green is thicker than Druw Jones at 225 pounds. But he’s still very fast with good exit velocity even at this young age, and an outfielder KC President of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore and General Manager J.J. Picollo should have on their radar.

While he has committed to the University of Miami for college, a chance to earn big money and play in the majors at an early age might be too hard for Green to pass up.

His follow-through on a home run this year may remind you of a certain outfielder who gave the Royals several years of solid production. Kansas City fans would love to have a player who can match Lorenzo Cain’s talent level in the OF.

Stanford’s Brock Jones is another outfielder the Royals should consider.

Although Brock Jones is off to a slow start this season, the Stanford junior left-hander has a ton of potential. He smacked 18 homers while showing great plate discipline with a .453 OBP last season.

Some accolades for him from 2021 include All-Pac-12 First Team, Baseball America All-America Second Team, and College World Series All-Tournament Team. Jones was athletic enough to also play on the Stanford football team in 2019.

His play earned him a spot on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Playing alongside the best in college baseball, Jones hit three homers and legged out a triple.

If his numbers rebound to where they were last season, Jones could be gone before the Royals have a chance to select him. He could also fall to them and be a steal to help fill a void in the team’s organization.