2006 MLB Draft: Kansas City Royals

Total Picks: 50 (College: 14, High School: 20, Juco: 15, Other: 0)
Position Players: 26  Pitchers: 24

Players signed indicated in Bold

Round Overall Player Position School State Bonus
1 1 Luke Hochevar rhp None TX $3,500,000
Rated the second-best college starter in the 2005 draft, Hochevar tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 15 wins and led Tennessee to the College World Series. He was a candidate to go No. 1 overall to the Diamondbacks, but his signability dropped him to the Dodgers at No. 40. On Labor Day weekend, Hochevar switched agents from Scott Boras to Matt Sosnick and agreed to a $2.98 million bonus. Then he switched back to Boras, reneged on the deal and accused the Dodgers of trying to force him into a bad deal. Aiming to re-establish his worth for the 2006 draft, Hochevar has joined the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association. His first two starts drew a flock of scouts, and he lit up the radar guns from 90-97 mph with his fastball. Hochevar also showed his mid-80s slider, and he can turn to a curveball and changeup. His command isn't as sharp and his stuff starts to drop by the fourth inning, both products of his long layoff. He has had trouble repeating his delivery, but overall he has looked just as he did early in 2005. The Dodgers still control his rights through May 29, but it's unlikely they can sign him to a deal in which both sides could come out as winners.
2 45 Jason Taylor of Kellam HS Virginia Beach VA $762,500
Taylor is an excellent athlete who played shortstop at Kellam High but likely will take his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame to first base or the outfield professionally. He broke his arm early in the summer of 2005 and missed most of the showcases, but his talent was evident as a member of Team USA's junior national team. Some compared Taylor with Justin Upton for his athleticism and the ease with which he plays the game. Taylor's bat is his ticket, and he centers balls well. He's at least an average runner, though his power is a question mark. He should be signable in the fifth- to 10th-round range.
3 77 Blake Wood rhp Georgia Tech GA $460,000
Blake Wood opened the season as the Jackets' No. 1 starter but had shin splints that prevented him from running between starts and it appeared to affect his performance. He followed up a 10-1, 3.13 sophomore campaign by going 9-4, 5.02 this spring with 38 walks, 80 strikeouts and a .290 opponent average in 95 innings. Wood doesn't pitch as aggressively as some scouts would like, and his fastball/slider repertoire would play up if he pitched off his fastball and challenged hitters, rather than relying on his slider. His fastball has been clocked between 90-94 mph. He's shown an ability to work it in and out, up and down, and he has some feel for pitching.
4 107 Derrick Robinson of Yonge HS, Gainesville, Fla. FL $850,000
One of last summer's highlights was Robinson strapping on his bright red track shoes to run the 60-yard-dash at showcases, especially after he was clocked last June in 6.19 seconds. Also a top football recruit, Robinson committed to Florida, but he has told scouts he wants to sign to play baseball. He's an 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, but he's more than just an athlete. He has a feel for the game and impressed scouts with his instincts, considering he's split time between two sports. He has improved his pitch recognition, though he has additional room for improvement. He tends to get out on his front foot too early, especially from the left side of the plate, but when he stays back he has gap power and good bat speed. He needs to get stronger, but he knows how to use the whole field and bunts well. His defensive skills are average, with a below-average arm.
5 137 Jason Godin rhp Old Dominion VA $210,000
Godin had surgery on a vertebrae in his back in November 2004 and missed the 2005 season. He returned in 2006 with no lasting effects and a second breaking ball. A true curveball guy entering college, Godin added a slider/cutter that he uses to get ahead of batters and set up a big-breaking curve. Now hitters must be wary of both pitches--and each grades well enough that some CAA coaches refer to Godin as a poor-man's version of Old Dominion all-time strikeout leader Justin Verlander. Godin's fastball is several ticks slower than Verlander's, clocking in at 88-91 mph. He throws on a good downhill plane and displays excellent command of all three pitches. He also has a fringy changeup that he doesn't use much. Led the CAA in strikeouts per nine innings.
6 167 Harold Mozingo rhp Virginia Commonwealth VA $165,000
Mozingo made scouts scramble to Essex High in Tappahannock, Va., three years ago, when word of his 19-strikeout game spread. They didn't want to miss a player with a loose arm, low-90s fastball and solid breaking ball that reminded some of Justin Verlander, another Virginia prep product who scouts regretted letting get to college. The Mets tapped Mozingo in the 15th round that year, but he did get away to Virginia Commonwealth, and he's primed to improve that status by about 10 rounds. Mozingo loose, easy, over-the-top arm stroke helps him work near 90 mph and top out at 93 with his fastball. He likes to attack hitters, and will pitch up in the zone--something that can lead to trouble against quicker bats. Mozingo's curveball is a plus pitch about 60 percent of the time, though he still hooks it at times. His changeup has improved during his three years of college, and his slider is a below-average pitch. There's hope the lanky righthander can fill out and increase his velocity, after his command and ERA showed notable improvement this year. He missed three starts after a comebacker broke a bone near his right thumb in mid-April, but he returned by holding Northeastern to three hits over five innings. Mozingo loves the game and almost always carries the "Louisville Slugger Complete Book of Pitching" with him.
7 197 Brett Bigler of UC Riverside CA $130,000
While UC Riverside was struggling to reach .500 in the tough Big West Conference, it had at least four players who scouts were watching closely, including draft-eligible sophomores in catcher Jeff Dunbar and lefthander Dan Runzler, as well as hard-throwing reliever Dan Stange. Bigler, the Highlanders' speedy center fielder, was the safest pick of the bunch. Described as a cross between 2005 Red Sox first-round pick Jacoby Ellsbury and Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki, Bigler is a table-setter with patience and some strength at the plate who takes a contact-oriented, line-drive approach. An excellent athlete and baserunner, Bigler also isn't afraid to go deep in counts and ranked third in the Big West in on-base percentage. He's an above-average runner and one of the best defensive center fielders in college baseball, with an easy strikde and slightly above-average arm. He has the frame at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds to get bigger without significantly slowing down. Bigler will have to add strength to avoid being another Jason Tyner--i.e., a slap hitter whose on-base skills are muted by power pitching at higher levels.
8 227 Josh Cribb rhp Clemson SC $75,000
No player in South Carolina helped his draft status this year more than senior Josh Cribb. The 5-foot-10 righthander went 9-0, 2.63 in his first 14 appearances by throwing three pitches for strikes. He keeps hitters off-balance by employing two different arm angles, and displays outstanding competitiveness while working off his 87-91 mph fastball and a Frisbee slider.
9 257 Marc Maddox 2b Southern Mississippi MS $50,000
10 287 Nick Van Stratten of St. Louis CC-Meramec MO $65,000
11 317 Tyler Chambliss rhp Florida State FL
Righthander Tyler Chambliss led the Atlantic Coast Conference in wins with an 11-4, 2.87 showing a year after moving from the bullpen to the Seminoles rotation. His track record and durability--he led the league in saves with 15 and ranked third with a 2.06 ERA as a sophomore in 2005--should enhance his stock enough for him to be taken in the top eight rounds. Chambliss repeats his delivery well, has plenty of poise on the mound and has an above-average breaking ball. His fastball velocity is fringe-average, as is his control. Luke Tucker took over from Chambliss as FSU's closer this season and could be taken ahead of his better-known predecessor.
12 347 Everett Teaford lhp Georgia Southern GA
Everett Teaford has an advanced feel for pitching and an aggressive approach. Despite his 122-28 strikeout-walk ratio, his 6-foot, 155-pound frame hurts his professional stock.
13 377 Kurt Mertins 2b JC of the Desert (Calif.) CA
Further down the undrafted juco line is College of the Desert infielder Kurt Mertins, a plus runner whose speed had attracted scouts. An injury opened a spot at shortstop for the erstwhile second baseman, and he showed more arm strength than expected to go with good hands. If he adds strength, he might be able to handle the position as a pro.
14 407 Daniel Best rhp Southern Mississippi MS
15 437 Nick Francis of Pensacola (Fla.) JC FL
16 467 Tyrone Wilson ss Southern HS, Durham, N.C. NC
Quick infielder who also ran the point for the basketball team and quarterbacked the football team.
17 497 Matt Morizio c Northeastern MA
Matt Morizio has solid catch-and-throw skills, intelligence and leadership ability that could make him a useful minor league catcher, though his bat is suspect. He has a lefthanded, line-drive stroke and can hit balls to the gaps but lacks home run power and figures to struggle against more advanced pitching. He also worked 19 innings as Northeastern's closer, topping out at 92 mph with his fastball. He also throws a downer curveball, but he has a high-effort delivery and limited experience, and he profiles better as a catcher.
18 527 Chase Larsson of Kitsilano SS, Vancouver, B.C. BC
19 557 Jeff Inman rhp Garces Memorial HS, Bakersfield, Calif. CA
20 587 Brad Boxberger rhp Foothill HS, Santa Ana, Calif. CA
Boxberger is considered a tougher sign as a Southern California signee and son of ex-Trojans pitcher Rod Boxberger, who went 12-1 for USC's 1978 team, the last of 11 teams to win College World Series championships for late coach Rod Dedeaux. The younger Boxberger has similar stuff to Clor, with a fastball that's been up to 92 mph this spring with a curveball that is a plus pitch at times.
21 617 Burke Baldwin lhp Elgin (Ill.) CC IL
22 647 Romas Hicks rhp Georgia State GA
Hicks was shelled in his first start of the season, surrendering eight earned runs and failing to make it out of the second inning against Georgia Tech in front of a large contingent of scouts. He was pitching with a pain in his groin, however, and improved as the season went on, flashing a fastball that hits 90 mph.
23 677 Aaron Hartsock rhp California Baptist CA
24 707 Tyler Moyneur c Arizona Western JC AZ
25 737 Rafael Valenzuela ss Nogales (Ariz.) HS AZ
26 767 Darrell Lockett of Weatherford (Texas) HS TX
27 797 Colby Killian rhp Warren County HS, McMinnville, Tenn. TN
28 827 Mike Wheeler of Walters State (Tenn.) CC TN
Michael Wheeler showed the athleticism and arm strength proving that he could play behind the plate.
29 857 Steve Rinaudo ss American River (Calif.) CC CA
30 887 Tyler Pearson rhp Northern Colorado CO
31 917 Brandon Lance c New Mexico State NM
32 947 Fernando Garcia 2b Immaculada HS, Arecibo, P.R. PR
33 977 Harold Smith of Palmetto (Fla.) HS FL
34 1007 Jared Grace 1b Pensacola (Fla.) JC FL
35 1037 Anthony Stovall rhp Kailua (Hawaii) HS HI
36 1067 Manuel Garcia rhp Cochise (Ariz.) JC AZ
37 1097 Kaleb Harst c St. Thomas More HS, Lafayette, La. LA
38 1127 Mike Dabbs of Cowley County (Kan.) CC KS
39 1157 Steven Moore rhp Thomasville (Ga.) HS GA
40 1187 Chris Snipes lhp Warner Robins (Ga.) HS GA
41 1217 Jeremy Toole rhp Huntsville (Texas) HS TX
42 1247 Todd McBride of The Dalles (Ore.)-Wahtonka Union HS OR
43 1276 Brennan Thorpe rhp Saddleback (Calif.) CC CA
44 1305 Bryan Paukovits rhp Southwestern (Calif.) JC CA $150,000
45 1334 Eric Martinez rhp Southwestern (Calif.) JC CA
46 1363 Chase Lehr rhp Centennial HS, Peoria, Ariz. AZ
47 1391 Ryan Cisterna c Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) CC AZ
48 1419 Colby Ho 3b Kaiser HS, Honolulu HI
49 1447 Rocky Gale c North Salem HS, Salem, Ore. OR
50 1475 Jarrod Dyson of Southwest Mississippi JC MS

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