DOWNTOWN — It’s Take 2 for former Mizzou All-American Aaron Crow.

A year after going ninth overall to the Washington Nationals, the righthander “dropped” 12 months and three spots, going 12th overall to the Kansas City Royals. Crow was advertised as one of the best righthanded pitchers in last year’s draft, featuring a mature fastball (usually in the mid-90s with good strike velocity), but he and his reps couldn’t come to an agreement on a signing bonus last year so he slipped back into the draft. Per MLB rules that took hold last year, Washington got their pick back when Crow didn’t sign by the deadline and the righthander went back into the draft.

Crow turned down a $3.5 million offer last year.

He pitched a few games this past season for the independent league Fort Worth Cats. He pitched enough to show that the arm was still lively and that he still had the polish that made him a top-10 pick last year.

• Matt Nestor has a look at Crow one year later at the Columbia Daily Tribune.
• Star-Telegram has an interesting Q&A with the righthander.

Many pundits and scouts believe that Crow could be the closest to the majors of the pitchers available in this draft, Strasburg included. He has the assortment of pitches, command of his breaking ball and the seasoning in a major conference that can translate to quick movement through the low levels of the minors.

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