The MLB draft is a month away, to be held during All-Star week in Philadelphia beginning on July 11. The Royals benefitted from the draft lottery, moving them up to the #6 overall pick. This is considered a fairly strong draft class<\/a> with good impact talent, with a terrific class of college hitters at the top and a deep pool of talented high school pitchers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the consensus best player in this class, likely to go #1 to the White Sox. Prep shortstop Grady Emerson is the top high school player with Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey also likely to go in the first few picks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ESPN\u2019s Kiley McDaniel writes<\/a> that the \u201cnext grouping after the clear top three players\u201d includes high school shortstop Jacob Lombard, high school outfielder Eric Booth Jr., and college pitcher Jackson Flora. The Royals should be positioned to grab one of these six players, but they also have the sixth-largest bonus pool<\/a>, which could allow them to be flexible. There is typically a surprise in the first ten picks, and McDaniel thinks it could come with the Royals\u2019 pick. They could cut an under-slot deal with the #6 pick, to grab a first-round talent in later rounds that fell due to high bonus demands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What are the top draft observers saying about who the Royals might take? While mock drafts remain an inexact science, many of the game\u2019s top draft writers keep connecting Kansas City to the same handful of names, most notably Lombard, Booth, and left-hander Gio Rojas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Jacob Lombard<\/strong> is a right-handed bat whose father George was a big leaguer, and whose brother is a top prospect with the Yankees. The Miami-area product is a five-tool player widely lauded for his baseball IQ and coachability. The last time the Royals selected a toolsy, mature high school shortstop whose dad played in the big leagues, it seemed to work out for them<\/a>. In a mock draft back in early May, Keith Law<\/a> of the Athletic had the Royals going chalk and grabbing Lombard. Most other mocks also report the Royals prefer Lombard, although they don\u2019t think he will be available when the Royals select at #6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Eric Booth Jr.<\/strong> is a 70-grade runner with good bat speed that some evaluators think will translate to decent power numbers in the big leagues. MLB Pipeline notes that Booth\u2019s left-handed swing can look choppy at times, but evaluators are encouraged by his excellent exit velocities. He also won the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. Joel Reuter at Bleacher Report<\/a> has the Royals taking Booth, citing his potential as a \u201c20-homer, 40-steal everyday center fielder.\u201d Law reports that the Royals\u2019 plan is to take either Lombard or Booth if one is available. McDaniel and Carlos Collazo at Baseball America<\/a> each write that the Royals prefer Lombard to Booth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gio Rojas<\/strong> could be the option if both Lombard and Booth are off the table. Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline<\/a> wrote the Royals will \u201csort through the consensus top six players, at least one of whom will get to them, along with left-hander Gio Rojas, the consensus top prep pitcher.\u201d The Miami-area lefty can run his fastball up to 98 mph and complements it with a sweeping slider and a changeup. MLB Pipeline writes he has the makings of a frontline starter, and with \u201coutstanding presence on the mound\u201d and an ability to \u201cfill up the strike zone.\u201d McDaniel writes that Rojas is the backup option if Lombard and Booth are both off the table, possibly as a \u201ccut-rate option\u201d that could sign underslot. Collazo reports the Royals have heavily scouted Rojas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n