KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Royals selected TCU left-hander Brandon Finnegan with their first-round pick in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft Thursday night.
Scouts are divided on whether Finnegan projects as a starter or reliever. The 5-foot-11 junior dealt with a stiff shoulder this past season, raising concerns about his durability.
Finnegan’s fastball has been clocked in the upper 90s, though it tends to sit between 90 and 95 mph. He also has a curveball and slider that are both developing.
Finnegan is 8-3 with a 2.07 ERA, along with 122 strikeouts for the Horned Frogs this season. He’ll start on Saturday afternoon as TCU hosts Pepperdine to open the Super Regionals in Fort Worth.
