Royals select Farrell's son in sixth round

With their sixth-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft on Friday, the Royals went with a familiar name, selecting Luke Farrell, the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell.

Luke has learned a lot about pitching not only from his father, but also from the players John has coached, including Curt Schilling.

The young Farrell, who pitched at Northwestern University, attacks hitters with a four-pitch arsenal. His fastball sits around 90 mph and has been clocked up to 93 mph this spring. His changeup and curveball both have the potential to develop into Major League-average offerings.

"Pretty good bloodlines there," Royals director of scouting Lonnie Goldberg said. "We feel like we may be getting a guy that's a little bit older, but a little bit on the uprise. When you watch his video and the way his can pitch, and his bloodlines, he's advanced."

Listed at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, Farrell has good size and earns high marks for pitchability and makeup. He had a benign tumor removed from his brain in 2009 and again in '11, but he's healthy now. Farrell is out of eligibility and will make for a solid senior sign.