[KChiefs1]

https://theathletic.com/1725640/2020...-in-the-draft/


Even without college or high school seasons, the Royals won’t be selecting blindly. The following are players scouts such as Farr have keyed in on for years, players who, like Lynch, have the potential to make a serious future impact.

College position players

Austin Martin, IF/OF (21) — Vanderbilt

The Cleveland Indians selected Martin in the 37th round in 2017, but instead of signing, the Jacksonville, Fla., native attended Vanderbilt.

Martin, 6-feet and 170 pounds, earned Freshman All-American honors and led the SEC with a .392 average as a sophomore. At the time this season ended, Martin, a junior, was batting .377/.507/.660.

What might the Royals love about Martin? For one, he’s a winner. Vanderbilt won the College World Series last season; Martin was a leader on that powerhouse. He also provides versatility, having played in the infield and outfield.

Spencer Torkelson, 1B (20) — Arizona State

A few weeks ago, when The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked the top 30 draft prospects, Torkelson was No. 1. No college first baseman has ever gone first overall in the draft, though, so there is a chance he slides.

If he does, the Royals could be there at No. 4 to snag him.

Torkelson is an absolute hitting machine. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound right-handed power hitter did not slug below .707 in his three years in college. He hit 54 home runs in 129 games. Whether the Royals would roll the dice on a college first baseman is uncertain, but some bats are much more secure than others. Torkelson’s could be one of them.

Nick Gonzales, IF (21) — New Mexico State

Gonzales led all Division I players with a .432 average in 2019, hit .351 in the Cape Cod League last summer and hit five home runs in a doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne on Feb. 29.

Gonzales hails from an athletic family. His brother, Daniel, was a star linebacker at Navy. Nick grew up in Arizona and was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2018. When the season was canceled, he had 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 16 games.

A question as it relates to Gonzales: What position will he play? He played shortstop at New Mexico State, but as Law wrote, there’s a “potential move to second down the road.” Regardless, even though the Royals have middle infield prospects such as Bobby Witt Jr., Jeison Guzman and others rising through the ranks, Gonzales’ makeup could be too much to pass up. Especially if he slides to No. 4.

College pitchers

Emerson Hancock, RHP (21) — Georgia

It’s likely tempting for the Royals to want to take a college pitcher given the success they had doing so in 2018. It also doesn’t hurt that there are several quality college pitchers in this draft class.

Hancock, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, is one of the best potential prospects. The Cairo, Ga., native was selected in the 38th round in 2017 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and boasts a mid-90s fastball, slider and changeup.

After struggling early this season, Hancock pieced together his stuff. In his fourth and final outing, against UMass, he pitched 7 1/3 innings, gave up three hits and struck out 12. Performances such as that are why scouts saw him as a potential No. 1 pick before this season.

Asa Lacy, LHP (21) — Texas A&M

The Indians also selected Lacy in 2017. They took him in the 31st round, but the Kerrville, Texas, native honored his commitment to Texas A&M. The Aggies reaped the rewards.

Lacy, a 6-foot-4 left-hander, started two games his freshman year and 15 his sophomore year. In four starts this season, he went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA. He also struck out Gonzales in a matchup scouts swooned over.

An untraditional release is the one knock on Lacy, but he impressed with his command this season. His fastball velocity crept above the mid-90s. His curveball swept hitters off their feet. The changeup causes questions for some, but it’s doubtful he’ll fall past No. 4.

Reid Detmers, LHP (21) — Louisville

There are other college arms worth noting: Max Meyer, a right-hander at Minnesota; Cade Cavalli, a right-hander at Oklahoma; Garrett Crotchet, a left-hander at Tennessee.

But Detmers, in the words of Law, “is the most polished of the first-round college arms.” In 2017, the Atlanta Braves selected the left-hander from Chatham, Ill., in the 32nd round. He played for Louisville, where he set the school’s single-season record with 167 strikeouts as a sophomore.

In 22 innings in 2020, Detmers struck out 48. Even though Detmers’ fastball hovers in the low-90s, passing up on a curveball such as his would seem to be quite difficult.





High school talent

Zac Veen, OF (18) — Spruce Creek High School, Port Orange, Fla. (Florida commit)

The Royals might see college-aged talent aligning better with where they are in their hopes of contention, but if they go with top-end talent, Veen could fit the bill.

The 6-foot-4 outfielder has an athletic build and highly touted bat-to-ball skills. Law said Veen “might have the best swing in the draft class, a smooth, fast left-handed stroke that produces hard contact and big power.”

Assessing his strides during a senior season might have benefited the Royals, but area scouts in Florida are constantly hammering away at up-and-coming talent. And with Veen’s stature, they have assuredly noted his progress for some time.

Mick Abel, RHP (18) — Jesuit High School, Beaverton, Ore. (Oregon State commit)

Standing 6-foot-5, Abel has a frame that does not come along quite often. He boasts a fastball that can touch the mid-90s and a plus breaking ball. In 2019, Abel pitched Jesuit High School to a state championship. He went 10-0 with a 1.26 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings. Whether Abel has performed well enough to prove to be a top-five pick is uncertain, but he does have premier potential.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF (18) — Harvard-Westlake High School, Los Angeles (Vanderbilt commit)

Harvard-Westlake has a long line of professional talent: Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito. Crow-Armstrong, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound outfielder, appears to be next.

As Law wrote, “Crow-Armstrong’s parents were both actors on the TV show ‘Heroes,’ giving him supernatural abilities when it comes to running and hitting a baseball.” The correlation is iffy, but Crow-Armstrong does succeed on the basepaths and has shown sneaky power.

The Royals, remember, love both of those qualities.