Royals' fifth-round pick nets Aggies lefty Ray

The Royals continued their commitment to bolstering their young pitching by drafting right-hander Corey Ray in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB Draft on Friday.

Kansas City selected Ray, a junior at Texas A&M, 153rd overall. He was the fifth pitcher -- and the third college product -- of the Royals' first seven selections.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound righty produced a 1.91 ERA over 17 appearances and four starts for the Aggies this season. Striking out 25 batters in 37 2/3 innings.

Ray's ERA decreased to 1.23 in his four starts.

Royals director of scouting Lonnie Goldberg described Ray as "a kid we feel like is just starting to hit his stride.

"Our scout had been on him a long time, I believe he had a plus fastball with a slider," Goldberg said. "Not a lot of track record with him in the industry, but we're excited about his upside."

The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at noon CT.