Royals select prep right-hander Hernandez in second round of MLB Draft

The Royals opened their portion of Day 2 of the MLB Draft with another pitcher, this time a high school right-hander, Ben Hernandez from Chicago.

Hernandez was the fourth pick of the second round, 41st overall.

The Royals selected a college left-hander, Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy, with the fourth overall pick Wednesday, followed by Baylor shortstop Nick Loftin in Competitive Balance Round A at No. 32 overall.

Hernandez, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, was ranked 72nd in MLB Pipeline’s top prospect rankings. The 18-year-old has committed to Illinois-Chicago. According to MLB Pipeline, Hernandez showed a devastating changeup, the best in the 2020 prep class, at De La Salle Institute. The scouting service also reports that he has a low-90s fastball with sink and good location.

Teams will select through the fifth round Thursday to complete a vastly shortened 2020 draft, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.