Zack Greinke, drafted in 2002, is the only Royals' first-round pick to win a Cy Young Award with the team.
The
Kansas City Royals are a
Major League Baseballfranchise based in
Kansas City,
Missouri. The franchise, founded in 1969, plays in the
American League Central division.[1] Since the institution of Major League Baseball's
Rule 4 Draft, the Royals have selected 57 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[2] the Rule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its franchises. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings with the team that had the worst record receiving the first pick.[2] In addition, teams that lost
free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded
compensatory or supplementary picks.[3] The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the
1968 expansion draft in which the Royals initially filled their roster.
Of the 57 players first-round draft picks, 31 have been
pitchers, the most of any position; 20 of these were right-handed, while 11 were left-handed. Twelve
outfielders were selected, and eight
shortstops, three
catchers, and two
third basemen were taken. The team also selected one player at
first base, but has never drafted a
second baseman.[4] Fifteen of the players came from institutions in the state of California, while Florida and Texas follow with seven players each. The Royals have drafted two players,
Luke Hochevar (2006) and
Aaron Crow (2009), who were playing in the
American Association of Independent Professional Baseball at the time of their draft.[5][6] Both had been drafted previously by other major league teams but had chosen to play for the
Fort Worth Cats instead.[5][6] They have also drafted one player from Puerto Rico: Juan Lebron (1995).
Seven of their first-round picks have won
World Series championships with the team. Outfielder
Willie Wilson (1974) and shortstop
Buddy Biancalana (1978) appeared during the Royals'
1985 World Series victory,[7] while
Alex Gordon (2005),
Luke Hochevar (2006),
Mike Moustakas (2007),
Eric Hosmer (2008) and
Christian Colón (2010) were all part of the winning team in the
2015 World Series.[8]Zack Greinke (2002) is the only first-round pick of the Royals to earn a
Cy Young Award with the team, winning in 2009.[9] Royals' first-round picks have never won
Rookie of the Year or
Most Valuable Player awards, and no pick has been elected to the
Hall of Fame. The Royals have made seven selections in the supplemental round of the draft. They have made the
first overall selection in the draft once, in 2006.[4][10] The club has had 13 compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965. These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the prior off-season,[3][11][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[12] The Royals' first-ever pick, John Simmons (1969), did not sign with the club but they received no compensatory pick.[13]
Clint Hurdle (1975) was the first player drafted by the Royals in the first round from Florida, a state which has produced seven first-rounders for the Royals overall.Johnny Damon was the last of four first-round picks by the Royals in 1992 and went on to win World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.[14]Mike MacDougal was one of two right-handed pitchers from the state of North Carolina taken by the Royals in the first round of the 1999 draft.Mitch Maier (2003) was one of three catchers ever drafted by the Royals in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft.Billy Butler (2004) was one of two third basemen taken by the Royals in the first round.Luke Hochevar (2006) is one of two players the Royals have drafted in the first round from the Fort Worth Cats and was selected with their only first overall pick.
V Through the 2012 draft,
free agents were evaluated by the
Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offered
arbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick.[12] Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts.[64] However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.[65]
a The Royals lost their first-round pick in 1990 to the
San Diego Padres as compensation for signing free agent
Mark Davis.[66]
b The Royals gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent
Steve Farr.[36]
^
abKaegel, Dick (June 9, 2009).
"KC brings Crow home in Round 1". MLB.com. Major League Baseball.
Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
Zack Greinke, drafted in 2002, is the only Royals' first-round pick to win a Cy Young Award with the team.
The
Kansas City Royals are a
Major League Baseballfranchise based in
Kansas City,
Missouri. The franchise, founded in 1969, plays in the
American League Central division.[1] Since the institution of Major League Baseball's
Rule 4 Draft, the Royals have selected 57 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[2] the Rule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its franchises. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings with the team that had the worst record receiving the first pick.[2] In addition, teams that lost
free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded
compensatory or supplementary picks.[3] The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the
1968 expansion draft in which the Royals initially filled their roster.
Of the 57 players first-round draft picks, 31 have been
pitchers, the most of any position; 20 of these were right-handed, while 11 were left-handed. Twelve
outfielders were selected, and eight
shortstops, three
catchers, and two
third basemen were taken. The team also selected one player at
first base, but has never drafted a
second baseman.[4] Fifteen of the players came from institutions in the state of California, while Florida and Texas follow with seven players each. The Royals have drafted two players,
Luke Hochevar (2006) and
Aaron Crow (2009), who were playing in the
American Association of Independent Professional Baseball at the time of their draft.[5][6] Both had been drafted previously by other major league teams but had chosen to play for the
Fort Worth Cats instead.[5][6] They have also drafted one player from Puerto Rico: Juan Lebron (1995).
Seven of their first-round picks have won
World Series championships with the team. Outfielder
Willie Wilson (1974) and shortstop
Buddy Biancalana (1978) appeared during the Royals'
1985 World Series victory,[7] while
Alex Gordon (2005),
Luke Hochevar (2006),
Mike Moustakas (2007),
Eric Hosmer (2008) and
Christian Colón (2010) were all part of the winning team in the
2015 World Series.[8]Zack Greinke (2002) is the only first-round pick of the Royals to earn a
Cy Young Award with the team, winning in 2009.[9] Royals' first-round picks have never won
Rookie of the Year or
Most Valuable Player awards, and no pick has been elected to the
Hall of Fame. The Royals have made seven selections in the supplemental round of the draft. They have made the
first overall selection in the draft once, in 2006.[4][10] The club has had 13 compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965. These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the prior off-season,[3][11][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[12] The Royals' first-ever pick, John Simmons (1969), did not sign with the club but they received no compensatory pick.[13]
Clint Hurdle (1975) was the first player drafted by the Royals in the first round from Florida, a state which has produced seven first-rounders for the Royals overall.Johnny Damon was the last of four first-round picks by the Royals in 1992 and went on to win World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.[14]Mike MacDougal was one of two right-handed pitchers from the state of North Carolina taken by the Royals in the first round of the 1999 draft.Mitch Maier (2003) was one of three catchers ever drafted by the Royals in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft.Billy Butler (2004) was one of two third basemen taken by the Royals in the first round.Luke Hochevar (2006) is one of two players the Royals have drafted in the first round from the Fort Worth Cats and was selected with their only first overall pick.
V Through the 2012 draft,
free agents were evaluated by the
Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offered
arbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick.[12] Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts.[64] However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.[65]
a The Royals lost their first-round pick in 1990 to the
San Diego Padres as compensation for signing free agent
Mark Davis.[66]
b The Royals gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1991 for losing free agent
Steve Farr.[36]
^
abKaegel, Dick (June 9, 2009).
"KC brings Crow home in Round 1". MLB.com. Major League Baseball.
Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2010.