The Kansas City Royals completed the 2012 First-Year Draft, selecting a total of 40 players over the three days. The Royals also announced the signings of five players who were selected in the draft.
The Royals selected 20-year-old Kyle Zimmer, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-handed pitcher from the University of San Francisco with the fifth overall pick on Monday. Zimmer went 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts, including three complete games, for the Dons in 2012. In 88.1 innings, he allowed 76 hits, 28 earned runs and 17 walks, while striking out 104.
Zimmer led the West Coast Conference in shutouts (2), strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings (10.6). Baseball America rated Zimmer as having the best fastball among all collegiate prospects and his curveball as the third-best in the collegiate ranks. He was named a preseason second-team All-American by Baseball America entering 2012 and to the 2012 Midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List last month. Zimmer was also a member of the 2012 WCC All-Academic team, posting a 3.72 GPA.
The signed selections are: third-round pick Colin Rodgers, a left-handed pitcher from Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge, La.; seventh rounder Fred Ford, an outfielder from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo.; eighth-round selection Alfredo Escalera-Maldonado, a high school centerfielder from Bradenton, Fla., 14th-round pick Parker Morin, a catcher from the University of Utah; and 15th-round selection Dylan Sons, a left-handed pitcher from Halifax County (Va.) High School, the same school that produced Royals minor league pitcher Jeremy Jeffress.
Local Royals selections include 13th round pick Hunter Haynes (LHP) from Mexico (Mo.) High; 21st round selection Matthew Strahm (LHP) from Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan.; 27th-rounder Ashton Goudeau (RHP) from Maplewoods Community College in Kansas City, Mo.; and 31st-round pick Hayden Edwards (RHP) from Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kan.
