Arms Galore for KC on Day One of MLB Draft

The Kansas City Royals had five picks on day one of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and put an emphasis on college pitching.
With the #18 overall selection in the draft, the Royals chose Brady Singer, a right-handed pitcher out of the University of Florida. Singer, MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect, Baseball America's National Player of the Year and the SEC Pitcher of the Year, has had a phenomenal junior season, posting an 11-1 record with a 2.27 ERA, both tops in the conference, helping lead the Gators to the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. In 95 innings pitched, he has allowed just 64 hits and opponents hit a measly .188 off the 6'5" Florida native. Singer has electric stuff and great command, as evidenced by his 98 strikeouts against only 19 walks this season.
As a sophomore, Singer helped lead Florida to a national championship. He won nine games and led the team with 126 innings pitched, earning him 2nd Team All-SEC honors. In the College World Series, Singer won two games and set an NCAA record for the most strikeouts in a College World Series Finals game with 12 against LSU. He then earned a spot on the USA Collegiate National Team, but did not pitch due to the Gators extended postseason run.
Singer was a second round pick out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays, who took him 56th overall in the 2015 draft. According to MLB.com, Singer has a terrific pitcher's body, and his fastball is consistently clocked in the mid-90s. His slider is an above-average secondary pitch and scouts expect his changeup to continue to improve and become a solid third option in his arsenal.
Kansas City received the 33rd overall pick as compensation for losing Lorenzo Cain to free agency and selected another right-handed pitcher from the University of Florida. This time, the pick was Jackson Kowar, a 6'6" junior from Charlotte, NC. Kowar, ranked by MLB.com as the 15th-best prospect in the draft, has won nine games for the Gators this season and struck out 96 batters in 98.2 innings pitched. His efforts earned him a spot on the All-SEC 2nd Team.
Kowar was also a member of Florida's 2017 National Championship team and dominated throughout his sophomore campaign. His 12-1 record was the best in school history and the 12 wins led the SEC and ranked second in the nation. Over his three year career at Florida, Kowar has amassed 24 victories and been a workhorse for one of the country's best programs.
Kowar was drafted in the 40th round out of high school in 2015 by the Detroit Tigers. A hard thrower who's fastball can reach up to 98 mph, Kowar also features a plus changeup that is a strong secondary pitch for him.
The Royals received another compensation pick in return for Eric Hosmer signing with San Diego, and selected Daniel Lynch, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Virginia with the 34th overall pick. Lynch made 13 starts for the Cavaliers this season and struck out an impressive 105 batters in just 88.2 innings of work. Over his career at Virginia, Lynch has won 12 games and pitched 207 innings. Lynch had a very strong summer in 2017 with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, which helped boost him into a top draft prospect.
Kansas City went with a fourth consecutive collegiate pitcher by choosing Kris Bubic with the 40th overall pick. Bubic, a left-hander from Stanford University, starred for the Cardinal this season who earned the No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bubic went 8-1 this season with a 2.82 ERA and struck out 101 batters in 86 innings, earning him an All-Conference selection.
Bubic also pitched in the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2017 and was named the league's Pitcher of the Year. At Stanford in 2017, he was named Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 after winning seven games and posting an ERA of 2.79. According to MLB.com, Bubic has tremendous command of his fastball, which sits in the mid-90s and has one of the best changeups in the draft class.
The pattern continued for Kansas City with its final pick of day one, taking a fifth consecutive college arm. This time it was Jonathan Bowlan, a right-hander from the University of Memphis with the 58th overall pick. Bowlan is another pitcher who showcases great strikeout ability, shown by his 104 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched for the Tigers. Bowlan's best game this season came on March 31, when he struck out 18 against a nationally ranked South Florida team. Those were the most strikeouts at the Division I level this season.
Bowlan was not heavily recruited out of high school in Tennessee, but has put on 50 pounds since getting to Memphis, which has increased his velocity to a maximum of 97 mph. He also features an impressive slider and a developing changeup.
The draft will continue on Tuesday with rounds 3-10. The Royals next pick will be the 94th overall, then they will pick 18th in rounds 4-40.
The Burlington Royals are the Appalachian League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.
The Burlington Royals' season will begin with an exhibition game on Father's Day - Sunday, June 17th. Special Father's Day activities and promotions to be announced soon. Single-game tickets are on sale now.
 
Call 336-222-0223 or visit www.burlingtonroyals.com for more information.

[Empty Body]