Kansas City Royals hoping for similar luck with second overall pick
For the third time in franchise history, the Kansas City Royals will have the second overall pick. They are hoping for similar results from those previous selections.
One of the bonuses of having a difficult season is that the team earns a higher draft selection. That has been the case for the Kansas City Royals, who are now locked into the second overall pick in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft.
While it can take some time for draft picks to make an impact on the major leagues, there is still a good amount of hope that comes with these selections. These are the players that a fanbase can dream about becoming stars, turning the franchise around and bringing the team back to their glory years. It is a pick that can signify hope.
That has been the case with the Royals before. They have had the second overall pick twice before in their franchise history, back in 2005 and in 2007. Those teams were also coming off of 100 loss seasons, stuck in the midst of what seemed like a perpetual rebuild without any real hope for change.
These players were looked at as pieces to help change that. And while they eventually did, both players were, for a time, seen as a bust, unable to fulfill their potential. Even though their struggles, the Royals stuck with them, despite their demotions to the minors. Now, those players have become a part of franchise lore, ingrained in the Royals history books.
Over time, the Kansas City Royals turned their fortunes around, in large part because of those two players. Let’s look back in history at those two players.
2005: Alex Gordon
Alex Gordon was supposed to develop into the next George Brett. No pressure or anything, right?
Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2005, Gordon was in the majors by 2007, rushed up to the majors as Kansas City looked for anything that could be competent on the diamond. While Gordon had a decent first two seasons, he did not do anything to make the fanbase forget about Brett. His struggles got to the point where he was sent to the minors in 2010, leaving behind a mediocre .244/.328/.405 batting line and subpar defense at third.
Sent to the minors, Gordon no only had to work on finding himself at the plate, but learning a new position as well. He became a left fielder, a transition that would appear to be genius afterwards. He took to the position well, and showed potential to be a solid defensive player when he returned to the majors in 2010.
The following year, Gordon finally broke through. Defensively, he became a star, a five time Gold Glove winner with a cannon for an arm and an ability to get to virtually anything. He won the 2014 AL Platinum Glove, leading all AL outfielders with 24 runs saved. Even though he has only nine seasons in left, his 102 runs saved are the third most in MLB history.
Gordon also turned his career around with the bat. Even with his struggles in 2016 and 2017, he has produced a .262/.343/.418 batting line, hitting 127 homers and stealing 79 bases. His offense and defense made him a key part of the Royals revival, a three time All Star who is likely to be inducted into the team Hall of Fame.
It took some time, but Alex Gordon became a star for the Kansas City Royals. He just did so in a completely unexpected way.
2007: Mike Moustakas
A large part of Alex Gordon being moved to left involved the ascension of Mike Moustakas, the next player that the Kansas City Royals hoped would solidify third base.
Much like Gordon, it took some time for Moustakas to find his way in the majors. He simply did not show any ability to hit the opposite way, a dead pull hitter who was not the home run hitter the Royals envisioned. After hitting 36 homers in the minors in 2010, it took Moustakas over two seasons to reach that total in the majors.
Sent down to the minors in 2014, he continued to struggled after being recalled that season. However, just when he appeared to be a bust, Moustakas broke out. He made his first All Star Game in 2015, hitting at a .284/.348/.470 clip, with 22 homers and 34 doubles. His powerful bat was a key part in the Royals World Series victory that season.
After an injury plagued 2016 campaign, Moustakas etched himself in the Royals history. He managed to do the unthinkable – breaking Steve Balboni‘s single season home run record. After hitting his 36th homer on September 1st, Moustakas finally set the record on September 20, before ending the season with 38 homers, making his second All Star Game in the process.
Moustakas is still helping the Royals today. Even though he was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers for their own playoff chase, the trade brought back Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez. Those two players could prove to be long term pieces for the Royals future.
Mike Moustakas hit his way into the Kansas City Royals record books. Just like Alex Gordon, he became a valued member of the franchise, and a key piece to their turnaround.
Obviously, whoever the Kansas City Royals select with that second overall pick in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft will have some large shoes to fill.
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Following in the footsteps of players like Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas will not be an easy task. Likewise, whatever player selected will be expected to become a key contributor to the Royals next run of success, bringing the franchise back to glory. Another 30 year wait would not be an acceptable outcome.
Of course, given the track record of the Royals previous selections with the second overall pick, the road to stardom may not be easy. There may well be struggles along the way, questions as to whether or not that player will ever become the star that Kansas City was hoping for. However, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. It is a lesson that the Cardiac Royals proved during both of their playoff runs in 2014 and 2015.
We are still a long way from the upcoming draft. Prospects will rise and fall in that time, with injuries and sudden breakouts playing a large part in which players are selected where in the draft. However, with the second overall pick, the Royals are expecting to select a future star, a player that can help shape the future of the franchise for years to come.
Next. Royals under the radar prospects. dark
If the Kansas City Royals track record is any indication, they will find such a player. It just may take time for that player to become what the Royals envisioned.