On the first day of the 2015 MLB Draft the Royals hit up the state of Indiana with their first two picks Monday night by selecting Ashe Russell and Nolan Watson. Both right-handed pitchers hail from Indianapolis with Watson downing Russell’s squad recently in the Indiana state baseball tournament. The two pitchers are slightly different in that Russell is a bit more raw while Watson already shows feel for multiple pitches but doesn’t quite have as loud of a fastball.
From a scouting angle Russell has the makings of two plus pitches in his fastball and slider but he will need to develop the change up that he hasn’t had to use to beat Indiana competition.