2012 MLB Draft: Royals Select Kyle Zimmer 5th Overall

With the 5th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft the Kansas City Royals selected University of San Francisco right-handed starter Kyle Zimmer. It was the pick I was prepared for and the player that almost half of the most recent projections in the MLB Mock Draft Database had going to the Royals. By going 5th overall, Zimmer became the highest MLB draft pick in the school’s history and they already have a nice splash screen up on their website celebrating Kyle’s selection.

Appel’s unexpected fall caused a bit of hesitation in the draft room I’m sure, but the Royals front office has been adamant since the pick was made that Zimmer was the #1 player on their board and that they got the guy they wanted all along. The first reaction to that assertion is that it’s nothing more than spin. What else are they going to say after making their first round pick? But after listening to J.J. Piccolo – Royals Assistant General Manager in charge of Scouting and Player Development – do an interview on Sports Radio 810 WHB, I’m a believer that Kyle Zimmer really was the guy they had targeted. To think he was #1 on their board isn’t all that much of a stretch since Appel, Zimmer and Gausman were so closely bunched together and considering the fact that they passed on Appel.

Heading into the draft I was hoping the Royals would come away with either Carlos Correa or Max Fried. Correa of course went 1st overall so he was never an option. Fried was still there but Dayton Moore and company passed on the lefty, and teammate of Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake High School (Ca) opting for Zimmer instead. Fried wound up going just two picks later to the Padres (7th overall).

So Kyle Zimmer is not the exact player I wanted the Royals to take but I’m on board with thepick. It’s similar to my reaction back in 2009 when the Royals took Aaron Crow 12th overall and in doing so passed on the player I would have taken in RHP – Shelby Miller (who went 19th to St. Louis). The following year I “shadow drafted” LHP – Chris Sale but the KC brain trust instead took Christian Colon and I went ballistic. Last year we finally saw eye-to-eye as Bubba Starling joined the Royals organization. The Royals haven’t blown it by any stretch but I’d like to think my selections* are working out a little better. Seriously, how much better would the Royals be if they had Chris Sale in their rotation? Sure, it’s a marathon and not a sprint so it’s way too early for any back patting (beyond what I just did), but Christian Colon is by far my least favorite Royal in the organization – through no fault of his own – outside of Yuniesky Betancourt.

*For the record, none of this is revisionist history as I’m on record in various draft chats and articles about all these picks prior to the time they were made.

Anyway, you came here to read about Kyle Zimmer and not a long-winded column about how the Royals’ deviation from their draft philosophy back in 2010 may have set the franchise back several seasons so I’ll move on.

The Stats:

2012 (Jr.): 13 GS, 88.1 IP, 2.85 ERA, 75 H, 17 BB, 104 SO
2011 (So.): 20 G/16 GS, 91.2 IP, 3.73 ERA, 93 H, 24 BB, 89 SO
2010 (Fr.): 5 G, 5.1 IP, 8.44 ERA, 8 H, 0 BB, 7 SO

The Stuff:

Zimmer checks in around 6’4″ and 220 pounds. In addition to the nearly prototypical workhorse, front-line starter’s frame, he’s got a four-pitch arsenal that features a mid-90s fastball that he can run up to 99 mph (according to Piccolo). He arrived at the University of San Francisco as a 3B but was moved to the mound two years ago. The fact he’s only been pitching two years is very telling and is part of the reason why the Royals front office is so high on him.

His changeup and breaking pitches are still in need of development but he already has an advanced feel for the “craft” of pitching. He also has outstanding command and control that stands out even more given his lack of experience on the mound. That lack of experience is also a blessing because his arm hasn’t seen anywhere near the workload or wear and tear that most college arms have by the time they are drafted.

Piccolo cited Zimmer’s athleticism and feel for the game as major pluses in addition to his power arsenal and durable frame. According to the Royals front office, they don’t believe there is a need to make any major adjustments to his delivery and mechanics aside from a few very minor things and believe he just needs to log innings.

The Future:

According to Piccolo, Zimmer’s stuff is big-league ready right now but he projected that they would keep their newest acquisition in the minors for around three seasons. He left the door open however that Kyle could move through the system very quickly and reach the majors within two years if he shows he can handle the competition at the various levels of the minors. I don’t know if I am as enthusiastic about the present quality of his stuff outside of his fastball, but there is no question he’s already shown an aptitude for pitching. He learns quickly and makes adjustments on the fly which lends credence to the notation that he could be making his major league debut in 2014.

The Royals expect to sign Zimmer “within a couple of days” and send him to Arizona where he can get in some work. They plan to assign him to an affiliate once they are confident that his hamstring injury – that has recently limited his effectiveness and velocity – is fully healed. Even if negotiations drag out a bit longer than anticipated, the new signing deadline of July 13th will ensure he gets plenty of pro experience under his belt this summer.

All in all Kyle Zimmer has the makings of an excellent #2 starter in a quality major league rotation and has drawn comparisons to guys like Matt Cain and Adam Wainwright. Piccolo however was quick to point out in his interview today that the Royals believe there is even more upside and untapped potential in their latest 1st round selection and that it will manifest as he gains more experience and logs more innings on the mound.

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For more on the Kansas City Royals, check out Kings of Kauffman and for more on Zimmer click here or here.