First 5 rounds: Nick Pratto (1-14), M.J. Melendez (2-52), Evan Steele (CBB-73), Daniel Tillo (3-90), Michael Gigliotti (4-120), Charlie Neuweiler (5-150).
Also notable: Brewer Hicklen (7-210), Sal Biasi (11-330), Andrew Beckwith (32-960), Reed Rohlman (35-1050).
The Royals threw caution to the wind and went all upside in the early part of this draft, waiting until the fourth round (their fifth pick) to select a player from a four-year university, and even he (Michael Gigliotti) is much more of an upside play than a safety pick. Each of their first six picks has the potential to be a star, and any of them could fail in the low minors. It's an interesting strategy, but I do really like the players they got here. Let's take a look.
Side note: only two players in this draft were taken exactly where I ranked them: Nick Pratto and M.J. Melendez. Look up, and you'll see why that's ironic.
1-14: 1B Nick Pratto (my rank: 14)
Nick Pratto has a high floor for a high schooler, showing a very advanced approach at the plate to go along with emerging power. He has a clean swing with a tendency to barrel the ball up, though his power may have a hard time playing in Kauffman Stadium. He is similar to current Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, though he will have much better plate discipline, and could be closer to a Joey Votto-type when all is said and done. He's a solid defender at first base, but the bat is his calling card. Pratto has signed for $3.45 million, which is $277,600 under slot.
2-52: C M.J. Melendez (my rank: 52)
The Royals seemed to be looking at my rankings, selecting a second straight player right where I ranked him. Melendez is a high upside, high risk high school catcher from the same Westminster Christian School that produced Alex Rodriguez. Melendez, whose skinny build is uncommon for a catcher, is a solid defender with a great arm and good agility behind the plate. As a hitter, it's easy to dream on his power potential with his long arms and rotational swing, but the swing will need to be cleaned up significantly if he wants to hit at higher levels. It's long to the ball, short through it, and since he's the son of FIU head coach Mervyl Melendez, you'd expect him to be a bit less raw at the plate. Still, as a catcher with high potential with the bat, he's a solid pick in the second round. Melendez signed for just under $2.1 million, which is $801,800 over slot.
CBB-73: LHP Evan Steele (my rank: 103)
Evan Steele has a great baseball name, and he was the second of what would be eleven Chipola JC players drafted after slugging teammate Reynaldo Rivera (#57 to Tigers). He's a projectable 6'5" lefty, so that will catch teams' interest immediately, and he already throws in the low 90's with a slider that could be plus in time. Adding a good changeup, he's a classic mid to back end starter with the potential for more, and he'll play well in relief if the Royals go that route. He is still unsigned.
3-90: LHP Daniel Tillo (my rank: 66)
17 picks after taking Steele, the Royals drafted another big JuCo lefty, Iowa Western's Daniel Tillo. He's a riskier pick than Steele, but he already throws in the low to mid 90's despite being fairly new to pitching. As you would expect from someone who just began pitching, his sinking fastball is ahead of his other pitches, but his secondaries are coming along nicely and if he can continue to build on them, he has mid-rotation ceiling. He did run into durability issues this spring, but because of the low mileage on his arm, I don't expect that to be a problem going forward. Tillo signed for $557,500, which is $49,800 under slot.
4-120: CF Michael Gigliotti (my rank: 88)
Coming into the season, Gigliotti was seen as a first round pick. Lipscomb University's center fielder had slashed .301/.407/.461 with three home runs and 15 stolen bases as a sophomore, then cranked it up a notch by slashing .310/.404/.426 with two home runs over 42 games on the Cape, earning comparisons to Jacoby Ellsbury. However, he struggled mightily at the outset of his junior season as he looked "lost" at the plate, and it didn't help that pitchers were simply refusing to throw him strikes. He did heat up at the end of the season and finished with a .287/.451/.411 line, three home runs, and 31 stolen bases, walking in 18.9% of his plate appearances. I was less confident in him than most at the beginning of the season when I saw him as a future fourth outfielder due to a lack of power projection, but the slump was less of an issue for me than for others because I think it closely paralleled Bryce Harper's 2016 slump, which also stemmed from a lack of strikes to hit. Harper bounced back in 2017, and Gigliotti bounced back (somewhat) at the end of the season. I still see him as a fourth outfielder though due to continued questions about his power. He did sign for $397,500, which is $44,200 under slot. In his first game for Rookie level Burlington, he blasted two home runs.
Others: Fifth rounder Charlie Neuweiler was a teammate of Indians second rounder Quentin Holmes at McClancy High School in Queens, and he throws right around 90 with a solid curveball, projecting as a back-end starter. 7th rounder Brewer Hicklen has another good baseball name, coming from the University of Alabama-Birmingham with a .328/.422/.586 slash line, eight home runs, and 17 stolen bases this year. He's an excellent athlete, also starring as a wide receiver on the UAB football team, and he brings that football mentality to the baseball diamond. His 23.2% strikeout rate was a bit high this year, but he has high upside. Sensing a theme? 11th rounder Sal Biasi comes from Penn State, where he put up a solid, three year career by going 10-13 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP, striking out 185 batters over 174 innings. He's an undersized, stocky right hander with a low 90's fastball and mediocre offspeeds, so he's likely a reliever going forward. The last two players I'll discuss both have prominent names in the college baseball community. 32nd rounder Andrew Beckwith was a huge part of Coastal Carolina's run to the NCAA Championship in 2016, finishing the season 14-1 with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, but he returned for his senior season and wasn't quite the same. This year, he went 8-2 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP and will try to cut it as a reliever in pro ball. 35th rounder Reed Rohlman, out of Clemson, has been a force in the middle of the Tigers lineup for three years, and he had his best year yet in 2017, slashing .361/.448/.542 with six home runs as a redshirt junior. He's physically maxed-out at this point, but as a recognizable face from the ACC, he'll be fun to watch in pro ball.
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