KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals selected outfielder Gavin Cross from Virginia Tech with the ninth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Cross had a .328 batting average, 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 57 games this past season. He batted .336 with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs in his previous 108 games during the past two seasons.
With the 9th pick in the 2022 #MLBDraft, we’ve selected OF Gavin Cross from Virginia Tech.#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/ztSINtly5T
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 18, 2022
Further accolades include being named a 2022 Golden Spikes award semifinalist, being selected twice to the All-ACC first-team and being named the most outstanding player of the Blacksburg super regional this past season, where Cross was eight of 13 with two home runs.
He also arguably turned heads during his time on the U.S. collegiate national team during the summer of 2021, batting .455 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 11 games.
The call that made Gavin Cross a Royal.#MLBDraft // #TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/u0A1PfU6YD
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 18, 2022
The outfielder becomes the highest draft pick in Virginia Tech baseball history, the previous being pitcher Joe Saunders who was selected 12th overall in the 2002 MLB Draft by the Anaheim Angels.
Led the 2021 @USABaseballCNT team with a .455/.474/.879 slash, 15 hits, 13 RBIs, and four bombs 💣
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) July 18, 2022
Gavin Cross now looks forward to bringing that same pop to the @Royals as the No. 9 overall #MLBDraft pick. pic.twitter.com/gZzwPXnFU8
Cross is a native of Bristol, Tennessee. His father Adam signed a free agent deal with the Atlanta Braves organization in 1995 and played three seasons in the minor leagues — two with the Braves and one with the Padres in A-ball.
