First-round picks are harder to get right in Major League Baseball than in any other sport, and the Kansas City Royals know it.
In recent years, Kansas City has whiffed on first-round selections in more than their fare share of instances. That includes the selection of left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin with the 28th overall selection of the 2014 draft.
Griffin made a grand total of six appearances in his Royals career before he was designated for assignment and traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. And he only lasted one more appearance there before his opportunity in MLB dried up and he signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japanese major league.
Now, three years after that deal, Griffin is poised to become a highly intriguing MLB free agent once more.
Mar 16, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Yomiuri Giants starting pitcher Foster Griffin (29) during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
On Sunday, New York Post insider Jon Heyman announced on X that Griffin intends to pitch in MLB next season after “three dominant seasons” in Japan’s NPB.
In 54 appearances for Yomiuri, Griffin totaled 315 2/3 innings, a 2.57 ERA, 318 strikeouts, and a 1.03 WHIP. Still only 30 years old, now could be the right time for Griffin to finally make good on the MLB promise the Royals saw in him well over a decade ago.
Now, it should be noted that pitching stats are heavily inflated in NPB compared to MLB, so expecting Griffin to come back to the States and immediately dominate might be a stretch. But could he be some team’s No. 3 or 4 starter, and do so at a reasonable cost?
Ironically, the Royals might be one of the only teams that shouldn’t have too much interest in Griffin. The rotation is chock-full of options heading into next season, so much so that the team’s best move may be to trade from its surplus of pitching to land some impact offense.
However, Griffin will likely face the Royals at some point if he returns to the majors, so his free agency is well worth keeping an eye on from a Kansas City perspective.
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