Picking early isn’t a guarantee of success, but it does increase your odds of landing a player who can not only stick in the big leagues, but be an impact player. For years the Royals had picks in the top ten with mixed results. There was Zack Greinke, Alex Gordon, and Eric Hosmer, but there was also Jeff Austin, Chris Lubanski, and Bubba Starling.
The 2013 draft marked the last time the Royals had a top-ten pick, picking #8 overall. They also received the first-ever competitive balance pick, a creation of the new labor deal that gave smaller market teams an extra pick.