Kansas City Royals: Five round 2019 MLB Mock Draft
By Cullen Jekel
Round 1, Pick 2
Selection: Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Colleyville Heritage (Texas) High School
Others Considered: Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State University
There are only three scenarios for the Kansas City Royals with the second overall pick in the draft. The first one is most likely with the second one having a chance. The third scenario doesn’t appear likely at all.
Scenario #1: The Baltimore Orioles, who own the first overall pick, select catcher Adley Rutschman out of Oregon State. The Royals follow up by selecting Bobby Witt Jr., a shortstop out of Colleyville Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas, who was recently named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year after slashing .500/.571/1.103 with 15 doubles, eight triples, 15 home runs, and 54 runs batted in.
Witt Jr. is a toolsy, athletic 18-year-old. According to Burke Granger, Witt Jr. has:
"“…continued to improve his hitting approach, and really every facet of his game. He’s a plus runner who hustles everything out. He’s a smooth, instinctual defender with a plus arm capable of making every throw at shortstop. And he’s got above average power that shows up in games.”"
Scenario #2: With the first overall pick, the Orioles pass on Rutschman in favor of Witt Jr. If this happens, then the decision for the Royals is an easy one: they select Rutschman, the best prospect in the draft. It might seem enticing to go with shortstop CJ Abrams out of Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.) High School, but Rutschman is the way to go.
Scenario #3: If the Orioles decide to do something crazy with the first pick by selecting a player other than Rutschman and Witt Jr.–like, say, Cal’s slugging first baseman, Andrew Vaughn–then what do the Kansas City Royals do?
Were this scenario to present itself, the Royals, really, would be in a heck of a situation, and in a good way. Still, as stated in Scenario #2, Rutschman is the best overall prospect in this draft. If he’s available when the Royals are making a pick, they need to select him, even if that means leaving Bobby Witt Jr. for the Chicago White Sox at three.