Staumont among 28 Royals picks signed
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals have signed second-round Draft pick Joshua Staumont for the slotted value of $964,600 with educational benefits, according to Staumont.
The Royals have not yet confirmed the figures in the deal with the 64th overall pick.
"I value school, and it took a bit for me to understand … it's a risk going with baseball and not finishing school," Staumont said. "I'm very confident that with some hard work, I can do well and make my mark on baseball."
Staumont, 21, is the 28th signee of the Royals' 41 drafted players and the only one of the team's top three picks.
Both first-round picks -- right-handers Ashe Russell and Nolan Watson -- remain unsigned.
"I value how they treat their players," Staumont said of his new club. "They make a huge emphasis to treat them with respect and give them the best opportunities and resources to make them better. You can't ask for anything better in this position.
"It's a long road, and they make it as easy as possible to hone your skills and eventually make that 40-man [roster]."
Coming from Azusa Pacific University, the right-hander throws a mid-90s fastball that touches 100 mph, while turning to a power breaking ball as a second pitch.
Scouts reported prior to the Draft that Staumont's biggest issue comes from inconsistent command, which showed in his team-leading 54 walks this spring.
"Everyone talks about command, but I would want to say that comes with maturity," Staumont said. "As you develop over the years and throw harder, there are just simply maturity and tweaks here and there that will change, and my game will change as well."
Staumont also struck out 109 on the season with 14.29 strikeouts per nine innings, second best in Division II baseball. He also posted a .155 batting average against.
"I believe that the most successful players are those that use their physical strength combined with their mental approach to it," Staumont said. "Everyone knows that there are plenty of mid-90s fastball players that never make it.
"The Draft is only a stepping-stone. I've got a lot of work to do, and I couldn't be with a better organization."
Here is a full list of the Royals' Draft picks who have signed:
RHP Josh Staumont, second round (64th overall) out of Azusa Pacific University
OF Anderson Miller, third round (98th overall) out of Western Kentucky University
OF Roman Collins, fifth round (159th overall) out of Florida Atlantic University
SS Gabriel Cancel, seventh round (219th overall) out of Padre Anibal Reyes Belen High School (P.R.)
LHP Byron Davis, eighth round (249th overall) out of University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff
LHP Joseph Markus, ninth (279th overall) round out of Indian River State College (Fla.)
RHP Alex Luna, 10th (309th overall) round out of University of Alabama-Birmingham
OF Ben Johnson, 11th round (339th overall) out of University of Texas
RHP Daniel Concepcion, 12th round (369th overall) out of Virginia Commonwealth University
C Nick Dini, 14th round (429th overall) out of Wagner College (N.Y.)
RHP Matt Ditman, 16th round (489th overall) out of Rice University
LHP Matt Portland, 17th round (519th overall) out of Northwestern University
RHP Brian Bayliss, 18th round (549th overall) out of Saint Joseph's College (Ind.)
SS Emmanuel Rivera, 19th round (579th overall) out of Universidad Interamericana (P.R.)
SS Austin Bailey, 21st round (639th overall) out of University of San Diego
LHP Stephen Milligan, 22nd round (669th overall) out of Delta State University (Miss.)
OF Colton Frabasilio, 23rd round (699th overall) out of Saint Louis University
2B Jonathan McCray, 24th round (729th overall) out of San Bernardino Valley College
RHP Tyler Carvalho, 25th round (759th overall) out of Mesa Community College (Ariz.)
C Alex Close, 26th round (789th overall) out of Liberty University (Va.)
RHP Jacob Bodner, 27th round (819th overall) out of Xavier University
LHP Mark McCoy, 29th round (879th overall) out of Rutgers University
OF Luke Willis, 30th round (909th overall) out of George Mason University
SS Brian Bien, 31st round (939th overall) out of Bowling Green State University
LHP Jake Kalish, 32nd round (969th overall) out of George Mason University
C Nate Esposito, 33rd round (999th overall) out of Concordia University (Ore.)
1B Taylor Ostrich, 34th round (1,029th overall) out of Old Dominion University
SS Trey Stover, 35th round (1,059th overall) out of University of Hartford