Kansas City Royals: Every First Round Pick Since 2000

Every Royals first-round draft pick since 2000: Brandon Finnegan (2014)

There might not have been a more popular first-round pick in Royals history than Brandon Finnegan, who the team took 17th overall in 2014. Finnegan pitched in seven games during the regular season, but it was his performance in the Wild Card Game that made him a household name in Kansas City.

With the game heading into extra innings (in epic fashion, of course), Finnegan ran out of the bullpen to take over on the mound for the tenth inning. In the biggest moment of his life, he ended up pitching a scoreless tenth and 11th inning. Finnegan walked his first batter in the 12th inning and got the next guy to groundout, moving the runner to second. He was pulled after 2.1 innings of relief.

While the run would score, the Royals obviously won the game and all was well. In that moment, Brandon Finnegan was a freaking beast. One of the coolest moments was after the game when he was being interviewed and James Shields came up behind him, shook him, and yelled, “THIS KID HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS!”

Finnegan would pitch in the World Series that year, becoming the first-ever player to pitch in both the World Series and College World Series in the same year.

In 2015, Finnegan was one of three left-handed pitchers traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Johnny Cueto. While it sucked parting ways with their Wild Card hero, Cueto helped the Royals win a championship, so the trade worked out well.

Finnegan has battled through injuries while with the Reds and likely hasn’t been worth the trade on their end, as he had an ERA over seven in 2018. He actually hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since that 2018 season.

Royals fans will always be grateful for Finnegan in that 2014 playoff run.