Better know a draft prospect: Daniel Pierce
Do the Royals go with speed and defense?
With the draft looming on July 13, the mock drafts have begun in earnest. The Royals will be selecting with the #23 pick - their latest selection for a first pick since 2016, when they forfeited their first-round pick to sign free agent Ian Kennedy. Royals scouting director Brian Bridges is said to love prep bats (I should point out that Bridges selected just one prep bat last year - in the 18th round), so Baseball America links them to a prep bat - Georgia shortstop Daniel Pierce.
If Pierce slips past 20, the Royals are in a position to capitalize with more bonus pool money than any other team picking after the Brewers. After a run of model-heavy clubs, the Royals start a run of teams associated with high upside, athletic high school players. It sounds like the Royals have been scouting the slick defender heavily this spring. He shouldn’t last too much longer than this.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also has the Royals selecting Pierce, although with their #28 pick as part of the Prospect Promotion Initiative.
Pierce attends high school at Mill Creek High School in the small town of Hoschton, about an hour and a half northeast of Atlanta. He demonstrates above-average defense at shortstop with an ability to stick there with Keith Law writing he could be rated 70 defensively at his peak. He also features plus speed that rates 60 or even 70.
His bat is further behind, although he is young enough to have upside. He’s not a bad hitter by any stretch, and he is praised for having a mature approach to the plate that could make him one of the best contact hitters available. But he is not likely to be a power hitter or run producer, as MLB Pipeline writes:
He has a history of producing against quality pitching in high school and on the showcase circuit, controlling the strike zone and not trying to swing for the fences. He has average raw power and should develop into a 12-15 homer threat as he continues to add muscle.
The right-handed hitter has a wiry build on his 6’1’’ frame and sprays the ball to all fields, which could be a good fit for Kauffman Stadium.
Some have compared him physically to Bobby Witt Jr., but you really have to squint to see that comparison. The ball exploded off Bobby’s bat even as a prep star, Pierce has modest power. But the Georgia prep star tries to model his game off the Royals superstar.
It’s a lofty comparison, but if you see some similar traits to the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. when he was the same age and a similar build, you would be on the right track. Pierce says he models himself after the rising star.
“Just the way he hustles,” Pierce said of what he enjoys watching most about the No. 2 prospect in the 2019 Draft class. “I just like the way that he plays the game hard and he knows he has game-changing speed, so he’s always putting it on display and trying to make things happen.”
MLB Pipeline: 18
Kiley McDaniel: 20
Baseball America ($): 23
Keith Law ($): 24
Pierce seems to get under the ball a bit, failing to square up consistently. He’s a young prep player, so professional development could refine his tools.
Pierce is a scout’s dream for his makeup - a common trait for the coach’s son. MLB Pipeline writes he is a “scrappy grinder who provides constant energy and gets the most out of his tools” and Baseball America writes he is a “standout athlete with a well-rounded game.” Pierce seems like a terrific player who will be determined to get to the big leagues, but there could be questions about how high his upside can be without being a power threat.
Prep players are young enough that you can dream up big upside since they’re not done growing. Pierce could certainly exceed expectations and build more muscle as he develops, or unlock more power from his existing tools.
But without more power, his projection seems like a useful utility player known for his speed and defense. There is value in that certainly, but for an organization with such a barren farm system, the Royals really need to develop impact players.