RC 2007 Draft Tracker: Moustakas #1

The Royals on Thursday selected Chatsworth High (California) shortstop Mike Moustakas with the second overall pick of the 2007 draft. Royals Corner reports on the selection, along with the rest of the Royals' picks, inside.

Round 1 (#2 overall)
Mike Moustakas
Shortstop
Chatsworth HS (California)
6-0, 195 lbs
DOB: September 11, 1988


The Royals last night appeared to have settled on third baseman Josh Vitters, but this morning brought news of their intention to draft Moustakas, a 6-0, 195 lb. shortstop. Moustakas has Scott Boras as an advisor, so many consider him a tough sign, but the Royals' selection appears to indicate that the two sides are probably in the same ballpark and believe an agreement can be reached.

Moustakas has excellent power from the left side of the plate, and his arm is one of the best in the draft. Scouts don’t expect him to stay at short, but his bat will play anywhere, be it third base, first base, or the outfield. In fact, there has been some speculation that whichever team drafted Moustakas might try him out at catcher, because of his excellent arm. We doubt the Royals would move him there, as the outfield seems to be his most logical pro destination.

There’s an awful lot to like about this pick. Moustakas, who has committed to USC, hit 20 home runs in just 82 at bats for Chatsworth this spring, and he can make a strong case for having put together the finest numbers of any high school player in the country this year.


Round 2 (#66 overall)
Sam Runion
RHP
A.C. Reynolds HS (North Carolina)
6-4, 220
DOB: 11/9/88

With their second pick, the Royals have selected high school pitcher Sam Runion from A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina. Runion has a big, solid frame, and reports are that his fastball sits in the low-90s with heavy sink. He also throws a slider that is a potential plus pitch. Reynolds was an AFLAC All-American, and he maintained a high school GPA of 4.3.


Round 3 (#96 overall)
Daniel Duffy
LHP
Cabrillo HS (California)
6-2, 195
DOB: 12/21/88

With their third pick, the Royals selected Danny Duffy, a high school southpaw from California. Duffy reportedly has an excellent fastball, which occasionally reaches the mid-90s and sits in the low-90s, along with a solid slider and curveball.


Round 4 (#126 overall)
Mitch Hodge
RHP
Prince of Wales Secondary School (British Columbia, Canada)
6-2, 210
DOB: 6/15/89

Hodge, a Canadian pitcher, was selected by the Royals with the club's fourth round pick. Hodge is a big-bodied kid who works his fastball in the low-90s, along with a sharp breaking ball in the mid- to upper-70s.


Round 5 (#156 overall)
Adrian Ortiz
CF
Pepperdine (California)
6-0, 172
DOB: 1/14/87

The Royals last year selected the fastest high school player in the draft when they took Derrick Robinson in the fourth round. They followed suit this year with Ortiz, who is the fastest player in Division I. Word is that the Puerto Rican Ortiz is still pretty raw at the plate, but he is still only 20-years old, and he has excellent range in center. For the Waves this season, Ortiz hit .342 with a .374 OBP and 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts.