The plane had landed. It was 11:30 p.m. on June 3, and Brady McConnell stood at the baggage claim within the Jacksonville Airport waiting for two things. His bag, of course. And his name to be called on MLB Network, which he and his Florida Gators teammates were streaming on their iPhones.



McConnell, 21, felt the Royals could be the team. They had reached out and expressed a clear interest in his athletic skills, leadership ability and power. So when they came up with the No. 44 pick, the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder had an inkling.



Royals special assistant of baseball operations Reggie Sanders stepped to the podium wearing his stellar three-piece suit. McConnell motioned his teammates over from the baggage claim. When Sanders announced McConnell’s name, those teammates all yelled and leapt around their leader. Granted, this was a player who hit .332 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs in 59 games for the Gators. But it was also one who at one point a year ago wondered if a...