2011 MLB Draft Grades: Report Card for the Kansas City Royals' First Round

The Kansas City Royals came into the 2011 MLB draft knowing that they needed an impact player that could help out their team in the long run.

Many speculated the Royals' GM, Dayton Moore, and his staff would go after one of the many talented pitchers in this year's draft class.

However, in a stunning turn of events, all four of the draft's top-tier pitchers that KC and many other teams were in the hunt for, were taken off the board in the first four picks.

That left hometown hero Bubba Starling on the board when Kansas City's turn came. Although some thought that the Royals would be the fifth team in a row to select a pitcher, Moore and his scouts thought otherwise.

They decided to go with Starling, who many think is the best athlete in the entire draft.

Although he will likely take a longer track to the majors than many of the players that were selected in front of him, Starling has all the makings of a future MLB star.

The Gardner, KS product might be one of the most athletically gifted players that the Royals have ever drafted.

He has all the intangibles that you would want in a franchise cornerstone—intelligence, competitiveness, speed, power and arm-strength.

Can you imagine a Royals lineup with the likes of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Bubba Starling batting in the middle of the order?

With the selection of Starling, Royals fans are already salivating at the newest possibilities for their lineup in the future.

Something else that might get lost in the shuffle when talking about Bubba Starling is that he is a plus-defender as well.

He is currently listed as a center-fielder, but he projects to be more of a LF or RF at the big league level.

The main concerns that come with Starling are his previous commitment to play football at the University of Nebraska last month and potential signability problems that he could present for the Royals in the future.

Overall, the Royals knock this pick out of the park.

Royals First Round Grade: A