Royals' early Draft picks have this in common

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals wrapped up the 2022 MLB Draft on Tuesday with Rounds 11-20.

Here are three takeaways from the early part of the Draft:

Bats, versatility were emphasis on Day 1

The similarities between the two players picked in the first two rounds were obvious. Virginia Tech outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 9 overall) and Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace (No. 49) are both college power bats who possess defensive versatility. That’s not a coincidence.

Midway through spring, scouting director Danny Ontiveros met with his group of scouts and cross-checkers to identify their strategy. There were more injured pitchers this year than any other year they’ve seen. There were a lot of hitters making names for themselves in the high school and collegiate seasons. Several scouts and cross-checkers were sent to get looks at those hitters.

“I’m not going to say it’s the complete strategy, but it was something we targeted because it was the strength of the Draft,” Ontiveros said. “And they were two players that we really liked a lot. So when it kind of falls in place, it’s a good feeling.”

“[Ontiveros] knew the strength of the Draft was going to be in the bats early on,” Royals vice president of player personnel Lonnie Goldberg added. “There was a major emphasis in our room to continue to weed through all the bats. There were a lot of arms that were injured. I think we looked at it as a group and with his guidance and leadership, that was the route we were going to take.”

Cross will begin his pro career in center field with the ability to play the corner spots, too. He’s a power lefty who can drive the ball consistently up the middle. Wallace played right field during his freshman year at Arkansas and moved to third base this year, with a chance to be average to above-average at both positions. Ontiveros even mentioned second base as an option. The 20-year-old hit .298 for the Razorbacks with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs. He has a compact and powerful right-handed swing.

“We just feel like we got really well-rounded players that fit with what we’re doing right now,” Ontiveros said.

That’s the other thing about these two players: Given the success seen by the Royals’ hitting development program over the past two years, Cross and Wallace could be unlocking more potential as they move quickly through the system. Hitting coordinator Alec Zumwalt texted Goldberg and Ontiveros on Sunday for contact information so he could welcome Cross and Wallace to the organization. So did several current players.

Fans saw the youth shine offensively in Toronto last weekend. It doesn’t take too much imagination to see Cross and Wallace fit into that future lineup.

“Wherever I’m playing defensively, try to impact the game,” Cross said Sunday when I asked him for his own scouting report on himself. “On the bases, in the field, at the plate, I’m going to do my best to prepare and go out and do everything I physically can to help the team win.”

Day 2 brings more college players -- and lots of pitching
As Rounds 3-10 rolled on Monday, a clear theme emerged: The Royals were focused on the collegiate ranks.

Kansas City took eight college players on Day 2 and entered the final day of the Draft with no prep selections. Monday featured six pitchers, including three in Rounds 3-5, and two position players.

Last year, the Royals had a high-risk, high-reward type of Draft when they took four high school players in their first five picks. This year, they opted for higher floors. It marks the second time in franchise history the Royals have selected college players with their first 10 picks, following 2018 (first 11 were college picks).

The Royals paid special attention to one Draft prospect as Sunday night unfolded: Robert Moore, the son of Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore. The Brewers selected the Arkansas infielder 72nd overall on Sunday night.

Kansas City’s front office has known Robert since he was a little kid, so seeing him start his pro career is special for the group. He was 12 when they won the American League pennant in 2014 and 13 when they won the World Series in ’15. There was even talk at one point of the Royals selecting him. But Dayton will send his son off to Milwaukee now with a slew of supporters behind him.

“I was on the phone with Dayton and ... we’d already made our picks and everything, and he was kind of updating me,” Goldberg said. “I said, ‘How’s Robert?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, he’s got some different options.’

“All of a sudden I could hear Robert in the background, screamed out, ‘I’m going to Milwaukee!’ I’ve known Robert for so long. I’m just happy for him."