One fun fact about each Kansas City Royals selection in the 2024 MLB Draft

You might know the names of all 20 Kansas City Royals draft picks from the past few days. You might not.



Either way, this is a good place to start — probably even the best. After KC’s draft class was set, we went on an online journey to find some interesting tidbits about the players, all of whom come from vastly different backgrounds.

Here, you can read more about these players, including favorite bands, unique heritage ... and potty dances.

ROUND 1, PICK NO. 6: JAC CAGLIANONE, LHP, FLORIDA

Caglianone’s teammates and fans have often called him “Jactani,” likening his talent to the L.A. Dodgers great, Shohei Ohtani.

Whether you agree or disagree with the nickname, those similarities seem to mostly exist just inside the diamond. Ohtani enjoys the great indoor activities of gaming, sleeping and reading Japanese comics. Caglianone, meanwhile, is an outdoorsman: hunting, water sports and fishing are among his favorite diversions.

ROUND 2, PICK NO. 41: DAVID SHIELDS, LHP, MT. LEBANON HS

In Shields’ Perfect Game profile, one phrase sits buried among a plethora of baseball achievements: “Good student.”

Turns out, that’s true to the point of reclassification. Working with his high school, Shields — still just 17 — skipped a grade to join Mt. Lebanon’s graduating class of 2024 and become MLB draft-eligible.

He has also decided to go pro instead of attending the University of Miami — his pre-draft destination.

ROUND 3, PICK NO. 76: DREW BEAM, RHP, TENNESSEE

In his 2023 season with the Vols, Beam wore a distinctly purple glove on the mound. He designed it at the start of his sophomore year, wanting to attract as much attention as possible — but not for himself.

Purple represents awareness for spinal muscular atrophy. Beam’s younger sister Carlee Beam was diagnosed with SMA at age 2.

“It’s not a normal color to see here on campus at Tennessee,” Beam told Voloquest. “So I just knew it would bring questions and bring heightened sense around it.”

ROUND 4, NO. 105: L.P. LANGEVIN, RHP, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

Langevin was born in Quebec City, Quebec, and became the fourth Canadian-born player to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft (out of five total).

He played high school baseball at Academie de Baseball du Canada before making his way to the U.S. for college to show off his “devastating” fastball.

ROUND 5, PICK NO. 138: A.J. CAUSEY, RHP, TENNESSEE

At Tennessee, Causey wasn’t just a baseball player — he was a businessman, too.

He majored in business administration and entrepreneurship. Even before then, Causey put his interests to use when he started a faith-based clothing brand, Born Again Outfitters, which he ran for four years.

ROUND 6, NO. 167: TANNER JONES, RHP, TEXAS A&M

Jones has been playing baseball since he was 5 years old. He hails from Thorsby, Alabama, and attended Thorsby High, where he became the school’s first athlete to sign with a Division I program in any sport.

Jones helped the Rebels to multiple playoff appearances and has plenty of experience in high-stakes situations — including the College World Series with the Aggies this past season.

ROUND 7, PICK NO. 197: DENNIS COLLERAN, RHP, NORTHEASTERN

When COVID-19 shut down team sports in spring 2020, Colleran got creative.

In a drone video, Colleran is shown practicing in a neighborhood diamond, hurling a series of throws at a unique target. What made it special? The target was homemade; Colleran designed it with his father.

Though the design’s gone through multiple versions, it’s nothing too high-tech — just some pizza pans, a traffic sign and a dream.

ROUND 8, NO. 227: NICK CONTE, RHP, DUKE

Conte has impressed scouts with his fastball since he was in high school. He was expecting to be drafted in 2020, but COVID cut that year’s selection process from 40 rounds to just five.

Instead, Conte made his way to Duke and is now set to live out his pro-baseball dreams after being taken by the Royals four years later.

ROUND 9, PICK NO. 257: CANYON BROWN, CATCHER, N.C. A&T

Brown’s pick by the Royals this week made history at North Carolina A&T: He’s the highest Aggie to be drafted in almost 50 years (pitcher Al Holland was selected 81st overall out of N.C. A&T by the San Diego Padres in 1975).

This year, Brown is one of just two players drafted from HBCUs, the other being Alabama State’s Randy Flores.

ROUND 10, NO. 287: NATE ACKENHAUSEN, PITCHER, LSU

Ackenhausen sees himself as an underdog. He plays a unique role as a left-handed pitcher, but whether he’s needed for just a few batters or a longer assignment, he accepts it gracefully.

He also played on the defensive line for his high school football team before making the full-time switch to baseball. According to NOLA.com, he credits that mindset to the way he was raised.

ROUND 11, PICK NO. 317: ZACHARY CAWYER, RHP, TCU

Cawyer didn’t actually watch the MLB Draft. He avoided it on purpose, he told KXXV News.

Instead, he chose to watch a TV show with his sister. Cawyer found out he was headed to Kansas City from the sound of “screeching” from another room — where his parents were watching the draft on their own television.

ROUND 12, NO. 347: TOMMY MOLSKY, RHP, OKLAHOMA STATE

Molsky’s walk-out song and non-baseball career interest seem to be at odds.

According to his player profile at Penn State, he “wants to pursue a career in real estate.” Ironically, his walk-up song is “The Motto” by Tiesto — which talks about throwing a continuous reckless party in which one setting is at the artist’s house.

Regardless, it seems that “Tomski,” as his teammates refer to him, won’t be selling houses — at least for now — but rather working his way up through the KC farm system.

ROUND 13, PICK NO. 377: SAM KULASINGAM, 3B, AIR FORCE

Kulasingam might be a baseball prophet. He was originally drafted last year by Toronto as a Round 17 pick.

But sensing “something special” with his senior class, he told the Mountain West Podcast, he decided to stay in Colorado Springs for one more year. Good call: For the first time in program history, the Falcons finished their season atop the Mountain West.

ROUND 14, NO. 407: KYLE DEGROAT, RHP, WALLKILL (NY) SENIOR HS

Yes, DeGroat has heard the obvious nickname: Kyle “Da Goat” isn’t a sobriquet he gave himself, of course, but it’s an easy play on words.

Just 18, he has a long way to go developmentally. But the Royals certainly like what they’ve seen from him thus far. Perhaps DeGroat have a new nickname by time he gets to Kauffman Stadium — or will have earned the one he has now.

ROUND 15, PICK NO. 437: TYLER DAVIS, RHP, MISSISSIPPI STATE

With an ERA of 2.80 this past season, Davis isn’t just a weapon on the mound. He’s also an academic standout.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology early as a junior last year. As a senior, he went on to make the 2024 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll in a new field of study: workforce education leadership. By the end of the summer, Davis will be one of few MLB athletes to hold a master’s degree.

ROUND 16, NO. 467: ANDREW MORONES, RHP, CAL ST. FULLERTON

Morones is a big fan of rock music. Headed to Kansas City from Cal State Fullerton, the right-handed pitcher is likely to experience a new way of living in the Midwest — he hails from Tracy, California — but not different tunes.

According to his Cal State bio, he’s a big fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sublime and Fleetwood Mac.

ROUND 17, PICK NO. 497: DANE BURNS, LHP, PROSPER (TX) HS

Before there was baseball, there was hockey. You see, Burns was born in Ontario to Chris Burns, who was, of course, a hockey player: Dad played in the USHL and was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1992.

According to 247Sports, Burns followed in his father’s footsteps. This changed at age 12, when he moved to Texas and picked up a baseball for the first time. He played as a guest on a friend’s team ... and “it’s just kind of blown up” for him — in a good way — ever since.

ROUND 18, NO. 527: COREY COUSIN JR., OF, SLIDELL (LA.) HS

Just a few weeks ago, Cousin Jr. was vested in red with a green crown. The outfielder, still just 17, was Slidell High’s prom king. He sported a green and white sash reading “Mr. Slidell High School.”

Will Cousin sign with KC after being drafted by the Royals? Unclear. He has also committed to the OU Sooners.

ROUND 19, PICK NO. 557: DASH ALBUS, LHP, ABILENE CHRISTIAN

Albus had something of an unconventional childhood. He grew up in a hat store.

Before he was born, his cowboy-hat-craftsman father founded 5D Custom Hats and Leather, the family business where Burns spent much of his early childhood.

“We celebrated the potty dance in the front of the shop when we were learning how to go to the bathroom,” Albus’ father recalled in a documentary by Sally Roan Productions. Albus’ sister mentioned “lots of naps on piles of leather.”

ROUND 20, NO. 587: CARTER FREDERICK, OF, OKLAHOMA

Rounding out the Royals’ 2024 draft class, Frederick is a bit of a baseball nomad. After redshirting his freshman year at Auburn, he spent two seasons at Snead State before ultimately landing in Norman.

KC marks his fourth new destination in five years. The hope is that he finds a home in baseball for years to come.