Royals select high school pitcher David Shields with second-round pick

The lefty is a strike-thrower.

Having already selected a college two-way player with Jac Caglianone in the first round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher David Shields in the second round with the #41 overall pick.

Shields attended Mt. Lebanon High School in the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. Ranked the #41 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, Shields can already throw up to 94 mph with “some deception and solid ride with good extension.” He also throws an above-average slider and he has a feel for a change up, but they note he is a bit raw and “projectable.” Keith Law ranked him #43, writing he has an “easy delivery and is more of a command/projection guy than a now-stuff guy.” Baseball America ranked him #60, writing that he does not have a true plus pitch, but he fills the strike zone and “scouts expect him to take a step forward with his velocity soon.”

Shields stands 6’2’’, 210, has great athleticism, and was a standout on the gridiron as a quarterback before focusing on baseball and reclassifying for this year’s draft, so he is one of the younger players in this draft at age 17. He had a bout with mono to give him a slow start to the year, but finished with a 5-1 with a 0.96 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 35 innings, and was named Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year, leading his team to a 28-2 record.

It could take a good bonus to lure Shields away from his commitment to the University of Miami. Full slot value for pick #41 is $2,278,000. The Royals traded away their #39 overall pick, their competitive balance round pick, to the Washington Nationals yesterday in a trade for reliever Hunter Harvey. The Nationals used the pick to select Cal catcher Caleb Lomavita.