Sixth round nets Royals' third center fielder
Puerto Rico's Cancel becomes Kansas City's first infield selection
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals established an interest in outfielders when they took Cody Jones from Texas Christian University in the sixth round, their third center fielder of the 2015 Draft.
Jones, listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, was the 2015 Big 12 Player of the Year and led the conference in batting average (.371), hits (89), runs scored (58), stolen bases (31) and on-base percentage (.474)
Through seven rounds, the Royals drafted three center fielders as their only position players and took four pitchers.
Round 7: SS Gabriel Cancel, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (Arecibo, PR)
Though Cancel played mostly infield, he seems a more likely option behind the plate and provides significant power.
Scouts like Cancel's strong build and athleticism, but all remain curious about how he will do against increased velocity in the Majors. He is the first infielder taken by the Royals, and he has no college commitments.
Round 8: LHP Bryon Davis, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Davis is the biggest pitcher the Royals have taken at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds. He brings a fastball that touches 92-93 mph with a fringy slider as a second pitch.
Video: 2015 Draft: MLB.com looks at the Royals' picks
During his junior season, he went 2-1 with three saves and a 2.22 ERA in 24 1/3 innings and 15 games. He also hit .378 with six home runs and 35 RBIs.
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Round 9: LHP Joseph Markus, Indian River State College (Fla.)
The Royals took another big left-hander in Markus, who is listed at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds. He works with a mid-80s fastball, and he posted a 3-1 record with a 6.39 ERA and 21 strikeouts through 31 innings this spring.
Round 10: RHP Alex Luna, University of Alabama-Birmingham
Luna didn't have quite the senior season he hoped for, going 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 13 starts over 70 2/3 innings, but he was still much improved from his freshman campaign (9.15 ERA).
Luna's best season came in 2014, when he was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team with a 7-1 record and a 1.76 ERA.
The Royals took just four position players in the second day of the Draft, mostly stockpiling pitchers, which general manager Dayton Moore said was the approach Monday night.
The Draft concludes on Wednesday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 11 a.m. CT.