3 prep players KC Royals could take in 2023 MLB Draft

MLB Draft season is always a special time. Anything is possible for the nation's top baseball prospects ahead of the July 9 draft and several lives will be changed. The KC Royals sit at eight overall in the draft, with a litany of several routes. Could the team take an under slot approach? That route during the 2021 MLB Draft netted the team Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna, two top-five prospects in the Royals system. Could they take the best player available approach? After all, a player tumbling out of the top five would be a welcomed gift for the Royals, who have one of the worst farm systems in all of baseball. Royals fans will have to wait and see.

Questions surround the KC Royals ahead of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Something that we need to remember though: this will be Royals general manager J.J. Picollo's first draft leading the organization. He is a different person than Dayton Moore, making his approach all the more important to follow. Just some food for thought.

I am not on board with the Royals taking a prep player at eighth overall. Picollo keeps talking about getting trade assets that help the team now or are close to MLB-ready. Drafting most prep players flies in the face of that, with even the best high schoolers being three to four years away from The Show. That is not to say that drafting high school players fits the Royals' mold well. After all, some have more upside, are more malleable than college players, and most importantly, are usually cheaper to sign. Many mock drafts tie the Royals to college players, but a risky prep addition is not out of the question.

The Royals could very well draft a high schooler for those reasons and more in July. if they have their mind set on a prep player, who are the three I think they would focus on?

C Blake Mitchell

There are only two first-round catching prospects in this year's draft. The Royals could well be interested in one, namely catcher Blake Mitchell. The Texas native plays a position with notorious volatility in the first round, but wow the tools are evident.

Mitchell's left-handed swing features a nice combination of bat-to-ball skills and potential power. Because his hands are quick, he has elite bat speed for a prep hitter, which should enable him to develop a good deal of pull-side power as he matures as a hitter. He recorded exit velocities in the high 90s, reaching 102 mph, and he possesses obvious raw power to go along with an approach at the plate that should only help him further.

He won the award for best player in the state of Texas in both his junior and senior years, solidifying his position as one of the top high school players in the United States. He has a strong floor in every aspect of his game, including the ability to potentially transition back to pitching if he is unable to continue his career as a catcher, even though the risk is obvious for all catchers at the prep level.

Mitchell's athleticism translates well behind the plate, sporting a pop time of 1.86 seconds last summer. Scouts say that time has only improved since then too. His lightning-fast reaction time should equip help him stick behind the dish for years to come. The Athletic's Keith Law also helps this projection (subscription required), linking Mitchell to Kansas City in his most recent mock draft.

3B Aidan Miller

Hear me out here. The Royals just drafted Cayden Wallace, a third baseman holding his own in High-A Quad Cities. But, if the Royals want to go under slot, Aidan Miller is the way to go.

Miller would likely be a top-10 prospect if not for a broken hamate bone that kept him out of most of his senior season. But, the Florida native already racked up accolades around the country. They include an All-American Game MVP award and a Home Run Derby title during the 2022 All-Star break. His bat from the right side has elite power, with an easy swing that makes good contact. Miller's calling card is his bat, make no mistake about it.

He already has a polished swing, an uncommon trait among high school position players. His bat head comes across the plate on a nice level pane, something that even Gavin Cross struggles to do in 2023. Fans can watch some of his game films and hear the ball explode off the bat, ensuring that Miller is much more than a slap hitter.

Miller has an average profile as a defensive third baseman, transitioning from shortstop to the hot corner in his high school career. The arm leaves little to be desired and his feet are quick and active, in both a good and a bad way. Miller is still growing, standing at 6'2" and weighing north of 200 lbs. If Miller continues to grow at this rate, he may project best as a first baseman in the coming years. But, his size or defense isn't the reason an MLB team will draft Miller, it is that bat.

Miller could make sense to the Royals if Miller is facing a freefall down draft boards. Law mocked Miller to the Atlanta Braves at 24th overall last week (subscription required). Would the Arkansas committee move on to professional baseball falling that far down? I do not believe so. If the Royals feel like they have more leverage and negotiation strength over Miller drafting him earlier, I think it would be an underrated move for the team.