University of North Carolina Athletics
Kyle Snyder Signs With Kansas City
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
June 10, 1999
Courtesy of Kansas City Royals Public Relations
Kansas City, Mo. --The Kansas City Royals have signed their top 1999 draft pick,
Kyle Snyder, a right-handed pitcher from the University of North Carolina.
Snyder was selected by the Royals with the seventh overall
pick in the First-Year Player Draft conducted last Wednesday. The 21-year-old hurler was
7-5 with a 3.82 ERA in 15 starts for the Tar Heels as a junior. The
six-foot, eight-inch right-hander worked 96.2 innings, allowing 85 hits, 58 runs, 41
earned runs and 32 walks with 102 strikeouts. He limited the opposition to a .235 batting
average. Baseball America had the Houston native rated as the fourth-best pitching
prospect in the draft and the ninth-best prospect overall. He was the first collegiate
pitcher taken in the draft.
"I knew I was with an organization that I truly like and was
thrilled," Snyder said. "This has been my dream and I'm starting to fulfill
this dream. I couldn't be more pleased."
Snyder, a product of Riverview High School in Sarasota, FL, was
previously drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 27th round in 1996, but did not
sign. Besides earning all-state honors in baseball as a prep, he also participated in
basketball, golf and swimming. He was named the top professional prospect in the Cape Cod
summer baseball league last year.
"I got to see what Kansas City has to offer," Snyder said.
"I had a steak last night and it was good." Snyder and his parents, Dr. Donald and Sandra Snyder, along with Royals
area scout Paul Faulk held a press conference at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday. Dr. Snyder is
a cardiovascular surgeon, while Sandra is a homemaker.
