Get to know the Kansas City Royals’ 2023 MLB Draft picks with 21 fun facts

The way the internet is these days, you can Google any of the Kansas City Royals’ 21 selections from the 2023 MLB Draft this week and pretty easily find their hometown, school and stats.

It’ll take a little more work to find the historical significance of those picks, the stories of success that got them to this point and the qualities and hobbies that make them who they are — on and off the field.

So, we did the legwork for you and have come up with a fun fact about each of the Royals’ 2023 draft picks, from walk-up songs and home run celebrations to highlight-reel plays and Hall of Fame comparisons.

Round 1: Sinton HS catcher Blake Mitchell (No. 8)

The COVID-19 pandemic was an important time for Mitchell, beyond baseball reasons — it was a chance for him to grow out his hair. In an interview with the MLB Network, Mitchell said that he’s always had shorter hair, but when the pandemic happened, he chose to grow it out and “see what happens.” Mitchell added that the morning routine includes water and volume boosting spray.

Round 2: Mahomet Seymor HS RHP Blake Wolters (No. 44)

The 2022-23 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year volunteered with a freshman mentoring program and youth sports camps at his high school. Wolters also assisted with a Challenger League baseball team for children with physical and intellectual challenges.

Competitive Balance Round B: Louisiana-Lafayette OF Carson Roccaforte (No. 66)

Roccaforte was picked one spot ahead of another notable Ragin’ Cajuns alum: left-hander Ron Guidry, a four-time All-Star in a 14-year career with the New York Yankees who was picked No. 67 overall in 1971.

Round 3: Staples HS RHP Hiro Wyatt (No. 75)

Wyatt made a name for himself at his high school in Northeast Connecticut — in fact, he still holds multiple school pitching records. That includes strikeouts per nine innings (17.64), strikeouts in a game (18), scoreless inning streaks (42.1) and single-season strikeouts (107).

Round 4: Vanderbilt LHP Hunter Owen (No. 106)

Owen won the Cape Cod Baseball League Championship with the Brewster Whitecaps in 2021. He went 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA and seven strikeouts across 8.1 innings in the nation’s top summer college league.

Round 5: Missouri State OF Spencer Nivens (No. 142)

The 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year was nearly cut entering the fall of his redshirt-freshman year at Missouri State, according to the Springfield News-Leader. He went on to beat out the three other players for the last roster spot and made college baseball’s freshman All-America team.

Round 6: Bryant University RHP Coleman Picard (No. 169)

He only made three starts for the Wareham Gatemen in the 2023 Cape Cod league before taking time off to rest before the draft. But in that short time, Picard made an ESPN SportsCenter-worthy behind the back snag.

Round 7: Texas A&M two-way player Trevor Werner (No. 199)

When it comes to eating, Werner isn’t a big beef person — so much so that he hasn’t had it since he was 5 years old. The defining moment, per his Texas A&M profile page, was when he saw a scene in “Rocky” in which Rocky Balboa was punching a hanging cow in a meat locker. Talk about dedication.

Round 8: Southern Mississippi SS Dustin Dickerson (No. 229)

Like father like son: The Dickersons love to celebrate. Dustin’s dad, Philadelphia Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson, was recorded dancing after the Phillies won a 2022 Wild Card series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dustin, meanwhile, showed off a post-home run celebration where he took a picture of his posing Southern Miss teammates during the 2023 postseason.

Round 9: Oral Roberts LHP Jacob Widener (No. 259)

On top of being left-handed and standing 6-foot-7 with long hair and a noticeable mustache, Widener has been drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson.

That came across in one of his performances this past season against Dallas Baptist to send Oral Roberts to the Super Regionals.

Round 10: Wake Forest SS Justin Johnson (No. 289)

“Lately I’ve been taking off like an astronaut,

saucing when I walk, yeah I do that a lot,

designer on me, I be clean head to my socks,

always posing for the cam I’m the one to watch.”

That’s Johnson’s walk-up song at home games — “Astronaut” by Oh Boy Prince — which was rated an 8.6 out of 10 on average by a trio of TikTokers.

Round 11: Tennessee OF Jared Dickey (No. 319)

According to RockyTopInsider, Dickey weighed 265 pounds entering his freshman year — 40 more pounds than when he committed to the Vols two-and-a-half years before. But by the fall of his sophomore year, he had lost 75 pounds, helping him towards a breakout season.

Round 12: Kentucky RHP Logan Martin (No. 349)

Though an injury limited him last season, it’s easy to see why Martin is an exciting pick for the Royals — his stuff is nasty. During his lone season at Kentucky, he made a poor Wright State player swing at a breaking ball that ended up hitting him.

“Sword!” as Pitching Ninja would say.

Round 13: Xavier RHP Ethan Bosacker (No. 379)

At Xavier, Bosacker was best known for his pitching. But in high school, he was also known for his ability to play quarterback. The Minnesota native threw for 2,109 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior year at Monticello High School — the most in a single season in school history.

Round 14: Florida Gulf Coast LHP Mason Miller (No. 409)

An under-the-radar lefty, he’s not to be confused with righty Mason Miller, a Gardner-Webb alum who debuted with the Oakland Athletics this season. Fortunately, they look nothing alike.

Round 15: Auburn RHP Chase Isbell (No. 439)

Isbell’s fandom for Auburn runs deeper than most. How can it be proved? Isbell’s oldest tweet has him voting for Auburn’s mascot in the 2017 Peach Bowl Rivalry Week Showdown. Even before the jersey, the Alabama native was showing support to his former college.

Round 16: Arizona State RHP Josh Hansell (No. 469)

Hansell played his freshman year in 2020 at Wichita State before transferring to ASU. His father, Greg Hansell, had a 5.56 ERA across four MLB seasons with the Dodgers, Twins, Brewers and Pirates in the late ‘90s.

Round 17: Miami (OH) LHP Connor Oliver (No. 497)

Oliver pulled off a feat most college athletes can’t say they did. During his four-year college career, Oliver played at four different schools in Wichita State (2020), Wabash Valley CC (2021), TCU (2022) and Miami (OH).

Round 18: IMG Academy (FL) catcher Stone Russell (No. 529)

Russell is another MLB legacy: His father, John Russell, was drafted by the Phillies in 1982 and caught for Philadelphia, the Braves and the Rangers across 10 seasons. While Russell is listed as a catcher, the Royals say they view him as a shortstop.

Round 19: Barbe HS (LA) OF Donovan LaSalle (No. 559)

LaSalle was on a tear during his senior year — there was a higher chance he would get a hit than make an out (yes, you read that correctly). LaSalle finished with a .510 batting average and was named 2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Mr. Baseball.

Round 20: Fort Scott CC SS Blake Wilson (No. 589)

Uh oh, Chief(s).

A Castle Pines, Colorado native, Wilson posted about going to a Denver Broncos game back in 2018. Maybe his tastes have changed since then?