Royals sign their top pick from 2021 MLB Draft: left-handed pitcher Frank Mozzicato
Frankie Mozzicato certainly didn’t drag out the process of becoming a Royal. The seventh overall pick in last week’s MLB Draft signed with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
The Royals selected Mozzicato, who turned 18 last month, out of East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut. He had been committed to the University of Connecticut. With the signing, he’ll forgo college and join the Royals organization.
Mozzicato spoke with reporters via a video conference call from the clubhouse level at Kauffman Stadium after Royals assistant general manager for amateur scouting Lonnie Goldberg presented him with a jersey and baseball cap.
The Royals drafted him on Sunday night, and he was in Kansas City for Saturday night’s game against the Orioles and still wearing his jersey when introduced to the crowd on the Crown Vision video board in the first inning.
“The last couple days have been amazing,” Mozzicato said. “(Royals scout) Casey (Fahy) has been taking the crew around Kansas City. It has been awesome, all the barbecue and giving us a background of the Royals and everything. I’m just super excited.”
There was no previous indication that his signing would be in doubt. MLB.com’s Jim Callis reported Mozzicato signed for a $3.55 million bonus. The recommended slot value for the No. 7 pick was $5,432,400, but it was expected that Mozzicato would sign a below-slot deal.
The 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher threw four consecutive no-hitters and recorded a gaudy average of 21.7 strikeouts per 9 innings as a senior. He also led his team to the Class M high school state championship, and he struck out 17 in the championship game.
Mozzicato became the highest draft pick in the summer amateur draft from Connecticut since the Los Angeles Dodgers selected Bobby Valentine fifth overall in 1968.
Mozzicato said his next step will be a trip to the Royals’ training facility in Arizona, where he expects to join the rest of the draft class in getting acclimated to the organization and getting their first taste of professional baseball.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore cited former longtime Atlanta Braves scout and executive Roy Clark, a mentor of his, when talking about the significance of Saturday.
“He said, ‘You know he’s a big-leaguer when you sign him,’” Moore said. “And what he meant by that is you can tell by the way they respond, the way they act, the way they interact, their genuineness, their enthusiasm. You just know.
“You just know they’re a big-leaguer when you sign them, and that’s how Frankie has made us all feel. We’re just so excited that he’s going to be a part of our organization.”
Baseball America and MLB.com each had Mozzicato ranked among the top 45 draft prospects heading into this year’s MLB Draft. His curveball is considered a well-above-average pitch, and the Royals have described it as possibly the best breaking ball of all this year’s draft prospects.
“He’s got extreme talent,” Goldberg said of Mozzicato. “He’s got the ability to really spin the breaking ball. He’s got a picture-perfect delivery. He throws a ton of strikes. Those are the first things that draw you. And he’s got a ton of ceiling. He’s got a lot of projection left to him. ...
“As you grow to learn who he is, what he’s about, what he stands for, where he comes from and the people around him and how much they mean to him, how important they are — you can see the foundation they’ve laid for him. You just gravitate to him. He’s going to do special things.
“He’s going to do really, really big things here.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2021 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Royals sign their top pick from 2021 MLB Draft: left-handed pitcher Frank Mozzicato."
