Kansas City Royals believe they got ‘the full package’ with top draft pick Gavin Cross

Gavin Cross described his ascension to the top echelon of amateur players in the nation as having come “in stages.”

Similarly, the Kansas City Royals infatuation with the young man out of Virginia Tech also blossomed in stages right up until their selection of Cross with their first pick in this year’s MLB Draft.

Cross and the Royals made their bond official on Saturday as the sides agreed to terms on a contract and held a news conference at Kauffman Stadium to introduce the No. 9 overall pick, the highest draft selection in the history of the Virginia Tech baseball program.

Cross’ agreement netted him the full slot value for the No. 9 pick, $5,202,900, according to MLB.com draft analyst Jim Callis.

Cross, a Tennessee native, described it as “surreal” to have signed with a MLB team, something that had only begun to sink in during the preceding days.

“I’m just trying to soak it all in and make it up here fast,” Cross said.

On the short list of candidates for the national college player of the year (Golden Spikes Award watch list) in 2022, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-handed hitting outfielder batted .328 with 17 home runs, 39 extra-base hits, a .600 slugging percentage and 50 RBIs in 57 games this season.

“I think it came in stages,” Cross said of his progression to the elite level of draft prospects. “Just always trying to compete and get better than everyone else. So freshman year it was to earn a spot. Sophomore year, it was to be the best player on the team. Junior year, it was to be the best player in the country.

“I think you’re always trying to push yourself and stay humbled and just treat your teammates and coaches the right way, go out and play hard and it usually takes care of itself.”

This season, Cross led Virginia Tech to the program’s first NCAA Super Regional.

In his three collegiate seasons, he slashed .340/.412/.609, hit 28 home runs and stole 28 bases in 124 games.

Royals interest grows

Royals area scout Tim Bittner was the first to put the legwork in for the scouting department on Cross. He didn’t get to see Cross during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

But he trusted the relationship he has with the Virginia Tech coaching staff enough that when they told him to get out early to see Cross in 2021, Bittner did just that.

A series against Wake Forest stood out in Bittner’s mind as the time Cross “announced his presence” both at the plate and tracking down balls in right field. Bittner saw “the total package” in that series.

In that three-game series, Cross went 6 for 14 with five runs scored, two home runs, a double and a walk. He scored more times (five) than he struck out (four) in that three-game stretch as Virginia Tech swept the series.

Cross carried that success through the college season and into his play for Team USA last summer, a period Cross considers “probably the best I’ve played ever.”

“Before Team USA, I was in the Cape for a couple weeks and I struggled really bad in the Cape,” Cross said. “I was just trying to get back to doing the basic things that I do and just having fun playing the game and trying to simplify things.”

The national team’s summer slate included games all around the region where Cross grew up and played in college.

“On the competitive side, yeah, it was definitely a chance to prove to all the teams and the scouting directors and whatever that I can compete with these guys and be just as good and better than these guys,” Cross said. “I just had to go out and work for it and compete. It was a great experience.”

Royals scout Howard McCullough and Bittner remained on Cross’ trail during the summer with Bittner also having duties related to last year’s draft.

“Everything we’ve seen him do, he did and he did it on the big stage,” Bittner said. “Obviously, last year the USA teams played each other. So you were facing the best that the country had to offer on the college side. And he was probably, for me at least, the offensive guy that was the cream of the crop in those four or five games I was able to watch.”

Making sure he fits

Royals scouting director Danny Ontiveros took notice of the reports coming in on Cross and became intrigued.

“I started watching the video of this guy hitting and when something catches your eye, it catches your eye,” Ontiveros said. “It’s a unique swing and it’s fluid and it’s really pretty to watch. I was a little captivated watching it. These guys started the process there.”

Ontiveros recalled his first in-person interaction with Cross last fall, when Ontiveros made a trip out to see a fall scrimmage in Virginia.

“The one thing that stood out the most was how organic our conversation was,” Ontiveros said of that visit. “He wasn’t trying to impress me. We talked about family. We talked about baseball. We talked about school. And I had to drive from Blacksburg all the way to Raleigh that night. …

“It didn’t bother me. I was kind of excited knowing that, obviously he’s got tons of ability, but the genuine person that he was — it was just a good feeling. It was a three-hour drive, and it felt like it just went by in 10 minutes because my mind was running the whole time wondering: Is he going to get to pick nine?”

From that point on, the things Ontiveros harped on with Bittner in his evaluation process of Cross weren’t his hit tool, his defense or his speed. They knew how his abilities stacked up in those regards.

Ontiveros wanted Bittner to focus on “separators” such as instincts, running bases, anticipating balls in the dirt, character and how he fit the Royals style of play.

Well, Cross checked all the boxes between his versatility, his all-around ability as an offensive player — not just a hitter, but a threat on the bases and attention to detail.

At the beginning of Saturday’s news conference, Ontiveros compared Cross’ temperament to that of longtime Royals star left fielder Alex Gordon.

“I just play the game hard and try to do anything to win,” Cross said. “I love to hit. I love to play the game. It’s great to go 4 for 4 and drive in a bunch of runs. But if not, I’ll try to impact the game on the bases, in the field, something to help the team win regardless of where that is.”