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Kansas City Royals should select Zac Veen with fourth overall pick

By John McCarty

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 9: Kansas City Royals representative Art Stewart talks with talks with Milwaukee Brewers representatives Gord Ash and Ben Sheets prior to the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network on Thursday, June 9, 2016 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Matthew Ziegler/MLB via Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 9: Kansas City Royals representative Art Stewart talks with talks with Milwaukee Brewers representatives Gord Ash and Ben Sheets prior to the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network on Thursday, June 9, 2016 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Matthew Ziegler/MLB via Getty Images) /
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The abbreviated MLB Draft is scheduled to start June 10th, and the Kansas City Royals will select fourth. They should take Zac Veen with that selection.

For months, it appeared that the Kansas City Royals were going to select a college player, with the movement going toward a college arm such as Georgia’s Emerson Hancock. However, as the draft nears, another name is beginning to emerge as a candidate for that fourth spot – High school outfielder Zac Veen from Spruce Creek High School in Florida.

Veen is the top high school position player in the draft and appears all but certain to be the top high school player selected. A big, strong player at 6’4″, Veen is currently a centerfielder though he may move to a corner spot as he ages and matures.

With a solid and smooth swing, his power is developing, but the hit tool is there. A solid athlete with a good arm, Veen does posses the tools to play a corner outfield position.

Do the Royals opt for the high upside type outfielder at pick number four instead perhaps of looking at New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales? It’s certainly  something they should consider.

Why the Kansas City Royals should draft Zac Veen

One reason why the Royals should look at Veen is the players’ price tag to sign. The Royals have the 32nd (comp round selection) and their second round selection, 41st overall. Will the Royals look to select a player that will sign under the slotted value of the fourth overall selection, $6.664 million, and use the savings to perhaps target players at those two spots or even use it to spread about their six overall selections in this abridged 2020 draft?

Much as the Kansas City Royals did a few years ago when they selected Hunter Dozier early (eighth overall in 2013) to allow the finances to sign Sean Manea later in the draft – Do the Royals look to do the same here, hoping to find as many quality prospects as they can?

A name the Royals could be look at with the 32nd overall pick could be Mississippi State pitcher JT Ginn. Originally selected in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018, he recently underwent Tommy John surgery this past March.

However, because of what certainly appears to be a limited window for on field play at the minor league level due to the Covid pandemic, Ginn’s absence perhaps won’t be nearly as missed.

Zac Veen is far and away the riskiest pick for the Kansas City Royals out of the potential players they could draft fourth overall. Sometimes that’ll scare teams away, but Veen is the best option for them and could provide them with a talented outfielder for years down the road.

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