The Royals have agreed to terms with No. 9 overall pick Gavin Cross, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com. He’ll receive a bonus of $5.2029M, the slot value associated with the selection.
Cross, an outfielder from Virginia Tech, was always expected to go right in the range with which he was actually selected. Each of Baseball America, ESPN, The Athletic and MLB Pipeline placed him as the No. 10 player in the class on their pre-draft rankings. FanGraphs rated Cross as the draft’s No. 15 talent. Evaluators were generally aligned on his projection, praising his combination of bat-to-ball skills and power upside. Regarded as a possible above-average hitter with above-average or plus power, Cross is one of the safer offensive prospects in the class.
The 21-year-old played center field during his junior season in Blacksburg. Evaluators suggest his average speed means he’s likelier to move to right field as a professional, but the general belief is he’s a good enough offensive player to withstand a move down the defensive spectrum. Cross hit .340/.412/.609 through three seasons with the Hokies, including a .328/.411/.660 line as a junior to help Virginia Tech to the Super Regionals.
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