Unlike last season, when the Kansas City Royals had Brandon Finnegan, their first round pick of the 2014 MLB Amatuer Draft, rise through the system as a reliever and contribute as a reliever during their playoff push, the same would not occur this year. The Royals drafted Ashe Russell, an 18 year old out of Cathedral High School with the 21st pick, knowing it would take some time for him to make an impact on the major league level.
The development of Russell is likely to be a long process.