The Kansas City Royals, on Monday night, made three selections on the first evening of the 2017 MLB first-year player draft in Secaucus, New Jersey. With the 14th overall selection, Kansas City took one of the top high school players in America, choosing 18-year old Nick Pratto of Huntington Beach High School in California.
Pratto, a 6-foot-1, 185 pound prospect, hit .318 with 7 homers and 19 RBI’s in his senior year. Baseball America rates him as the Best High School Hitter in the Draft.
In the second round, the Royals selected catcher MJ Melendez from Westminster Christian High School (Fla.). Melendez, 18, hit .391 with eight home runs and 29 RBI as a senior.
In the Competitive Balance Lottery Round B, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Evan Steele, 73rd overall, of Chipola College (Fla.). A Vanderbilt transfer, Steele, 20, went 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 10 starts for the NJCAA Division I National Champs, earning Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Tournament honors.
The Draft continues Tuesday with rounds 3-10 starting at 12:00 p.m. CT.
Photo credit – Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times / Huntington Beach, CA
