KCKingdom
Fansided

KC Royals: All-Star opportunities missed by drafting Bubba Starling

By Leigh Oleszczak

Kansas City Royals first-round draft pick Bubba Starling gives a thumbs-up at his introductory news conference prior to the Royals playing host to the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, August 17, 2011. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT via Getty Images)
Kansas City Royals first-round draft pick Bubba Starling gives a thumbs-up at his introductory news conference prior to the Royals playing host to the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, August 17, 2011. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The KC Royals took Bubba Starling fifth overall in the 2011 MLB Draft and he has yet to make it to the major leagues. Players taken after him in the first round have already gone on to have stellar careers.

It’s no secret that the Kansas City Royals haven’t done a great job drafting first round talent over the past decade, but there’s arguably no draft pick that stings more than that of Bubba Starling. Starling was a local kid in the 2011 MLB Draft, so the Royals almost had to take him.

Imagine had they not selected Starling and he turned out to be this amazing ball player. That would have been heartbreaking. Unfortunately, the Royals did draft Starling and unfortunately, he has not been an amazing ball player. In fact, he’s done nothing in the majors because he’s yet to make it there.

The 2018 MLB All-Star Game took place on Tuesday night and it was hard not to notice all of the players appearing in the game who the Royals could have had, but didn’t draft because they went with Starling. Let’s take a quick look at these All-Stars that could have been wearing Royals attire.

Those five players were all named to this year’s All-Star Game and the Kansas City Royals could have had any of them. Lindor has been amazing in Cleveland and would have likely ended the Alcides Escobar era much sooner had he been a Royal.

More from Kansas City Royals

Baez is having an incredible year for the Cubs and the Royals could have used his hot hitting and his defensive prowess at second base. That’s always been a position the franchise has struggled to find consistency at over the past few decades.

Springer is an absolute beast for the Astros and could have filled the gap in right field for a long time. Instead, he’s doing that for Houston. The Royals wouldn’t have needed Alex Rios and might not have had to trade Wade Davis for Jorge Soler had they drafted Springer.

Story and Snell were chosen in the Supplemental Round, but the Royals still could have had either one of them. Story is an electric shortstop for the Rockies and Snell is having an unbelievable season in Tampa Bay.

Most Royals fans understand why the organization opted to go with Bubba Starling in the 2011 MLB Draft, as he was a local kid and a top prospect. It made sense for the Royals to go after the homegrown player. That doesn’t mean Royals fans can’t pine after the players their team could have had had they not opted to go that route.

Perhaps this September will finally be Bubba Starling’s chance to make it to the big leagues, but up until now, he’s either struggled offensively or been injured. Not exactly a great recipe for him to have a long Major League career. Who knows though? Maybe he’ll prove us wrong and KC Royals fans would certainly welcome that.

Until that time comes (if it does), however, fans have to watch these players dominate and wondering what could have been if these guys were Royals instead.

Home/Kansas City Royals