KANSAS CITY, MO (December 12, 2019) – The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has selected right-handed pitcher Stephen Woods Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
Woods Jr., 24, went 9-3 with a 1.88 ERA (18 ER in 86.1 IP) in 12 starts (18 appearances) with Charlotte (A+), in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization, in 2019. His nine victories tied for fifth most in the Florida State League and included five following the All-Star break. He pitched to a 1.48 ERA (9 ER in 54.2 IP) and held the opposition to a .218 average (43-for-197) during the second half of the season. A native of Huntington, NY, the right-hander was originally an eighth-round selection by the San Francisco Giants in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.
Woods Jr. will need to stay at the Major League level during the 2020 season, or will have to be offered back to Tampa Bay. Following today’s draft, the Royals’ Major League reserve list is at 37 players.