Kansas City Royals: Jimmy Govern making most of opportunity

Kansas City Royals minor leaguer Jimmy Govern has gone from a 30th round draft pick to AAA in a matter of months.

Usually, there is little expected from a 30th round draft pick. Most of the players selected that late toil in the minors for years before getting their shot at the major league level, if it even comes. More often than not, these players are organizational depth, playing professional baseball for a couple of years before moving on to other opportunities in life.

However, the Kansas City Royals may have found a gem in the 30th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Jimmy Govern, who was selected out of Eastern Illinois University, has already made his debut at AAA, less than three months after being drafted.

The infielder began his professional career at Royals rookie team in Arizona, and immediately began hitting. Over his 199 plate appearances, he produced a .365/.492/.628 batting line, belting six homers and 17 doubles. He was easily better than the lowest level of the minors.

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Naturally, the Royals promoted him…right to AAA. Govern has held his own in Omaha, with four hits in 17 plate appearances, including a double and a home run. He has struck out six times without drawing a walk, but that is to be expected given the dramatic improvement in competition.

Yet, that learning curve may not be too steep. Govern had a strong college career, showing excellent plate discipline and contact skills. He was considered to have one of the top 100 swings in college before being drafted, a nice, smooth swing that could generate solid pop.

Another positive for Govern is his defensive versatility. He played both second and short in college, but has almost exclusively played third in the minors. As he continues to make his way through the minor leagues, that ability to play three different positions can help his progression.

If this promotion to AAA means anything, Jimmy Govern may not have to toil in the Kansas City Royals system for too long. It will be interesting to see where he starts the 2020 season, and how quickly he moves through the ranks.