KC Royals: Eric Cole stays hot for Arkansas in College World Series
The KC Royals drafted Arkansas outfielder Eric Cole in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and he’s lighting it up for the Razorbacks in the College World Series.
When it comes to the Kansas City Royals‘ 2018 draft picks, most fans are zeroed in on the two Florida pitchers who the Royals took with their first two picks. While both deserve praise for sure, the Royals have another player participating in the College World Series and his name is Eric Cole.
Cole has been red hot for the Razorbacks all season long, but he hasn’t skipped a beat so far in the postseason. The Arkansas outfielder is currently slashing .331/.419/.549 after going two for four on Wednesday against Texas Tech.
Cole walked once in that game and scored once as well, as his Razorbacks went on to win 7-4 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Arkansas will play the winner of Florida/Texas Tech, which will be a big game and one that Royals fans should be keeping an eye on.
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The Florida/Texas Tech game is on Thursday night while Arkansas and the winner of that game will square off on Friday night. If it’s Arkansas vs Florida, we could potentially see one future Royal (Brady Singer) pitching to another future Royal (Eric Cole).
The Royals took a lot of collegiate players in this year’s draft and that obviously means they’re looking to contend sooner rather than later. Cole is only a junior and he’ll probably need a few years in the minor leagues before he can really contribute to the Royals outfield, but he’s still worth getting a look at throughout the College World Series.
The Royals will need outfield help, as Alex Gordon is nearing the end of his mega-contract, Bubba Starling is a bust for the organization, and by the time Cole is ready to come up to the major league level, Jorge Soler will probably be about ready to hit free agency. That leaves Jorge Bonifacio and some of the younger farm system guys that fans are hoping pan out.
Cole has spent both College World Series starts in right field, but he’s probably comfortable in left and in center as well. Considering how long it’s taken the Royals to find a decent right fielder, I don’t think any Royals fan will cry if the organization uses both Bonifacio and Cole in right field (assuming the kid pans out).
Eric Cole might just be a fourth round selection, but he’s turning heads in the College World Series and it’s exciting to think that the Kansas City Royals get to bring this guy up in their system! Hopefully Arkansas continues to win so that we can see more of Cole.