Heights graduate Jordan Floyd gaining major life experiences in Royals' minor-league system

Idaho may seem light years away from Kauffman Stadium, but Topeka native Jordan Floyd’s dream of pitching for the Kansas City Royals is still strong, 14 months into the journey.

Drafted by the Royals in 2017, the Shawnee Heights and Kansas State product is toiling away for the Rookie Advanced level Idaho Falls Chukars, honing his craft and storing up lessons that will help him on and off the field.

Floyd grew up a devoted follower of the Royals, so just being in the franchise’s farm system is something he cherishes.

“I didn’t think they were going to take me,” Floyd said. “But then out of nowhere, they got on me late in my senior season. The second day of the draft, when they called me and ended up taking me, I was overjoyed. I was expecting to go to a different team, way far away from home. So now I get to play for the team that I grew up loving and watching all the time.”

A relief pitcher, Floyd is one of Idaho Falls’ leaders in appearances. The highlight of his stat line so far this season is that he averages nearly a strikeout per inning. Idaho Falls plays 76 games in a “short season” that didn’t start until June 15, and ends in early September. Floyd spent extra time working in extended spring training before beginning the season.

The former T-Bird said he enjoys getting to know different parts of the country, but added that Idaho isn’t foreign to him. His sister, Taylor, also a Shawnee Heights graduate, played basketball at Idaho State in Pocatello from 2011 to 2013. He said his parents will come to some of his games later this summer, as they did last year in his first season as a professional.

Upon graduation from K-State last spring, Floyd pitched for the Burlington Royals, as well as a couple of games for the Royals’ rookie team in the Arizona Fall league. He said the relationships in the minor leagues make the experience fun.

“Guys seem to chum up more here than they did in college. Most of my teammates played in college somewhere, and a lot of us either knew each other or had some connection. Unlike college, my teammates here are together 24/7. Only three or four of us have cars, so when someone is going somewhere, the others just tag along.

“I try to not spend it just sitting around. I like to play a lot of cards. Some of the guys bought TV monitors to play video games on the bus. I’ll do that some, or watch movies on Netflix. But I’d rather do something with people than sit around with headphones on.”

Being a lifelong Royals fan, Floyd said things like guest speakers mean more to him than they do his teammates.

“There are former players that come back and talk to us, and I get to meet them," he said. "I watched these players growing up, and now I get to hang out with them. It’s definitely more special to me than to the other guys.

“Like last year, Mike Sweeney came out and hung out with us for a week. I walked in the clubhouse and recognized him right away. There were a few guys who had no idea who he was. I talked about him the entire time, about getting to watch him when I was growing up.”

Following in the footsteps of major leaguers like Sweeney is an uphill climb. Farmhands like Floyd could grow discouraged or tempted to give up. But the Royals, in desperate need for relief help, are currently auditioning a host of older candidates with stories not unlike Floyd’s. Tim Hill, for instance, is a former collegian who didn’t make it to the big leagues until age 28.

“It’s worth it to play at every level,” Hill said about the slow climb through the minors. “At each step, you’re still playing at one of the highest levels there is, and you get to see how you match up with other great players. Most people never get to reach that level, so be proud and enjoy it.

“I would say to anybody in the minors to just hang with it,” added Hill, who has found a niche in Kansas City as a bullpen lefty. “You have to be resilient. It’s not easy, but at the end of the day, if you love it, just enjoy playing at whatever level you’re at. Keep your head down and keep working.”

Floyd might be tempted to wonder where he would be had he accepted the contract offered to him by the New York Yankees upon being drafted in the 25th round in 2013. But Floyd would have missed four years as a Wildcat, and the chance to meet his fiancé, recent K-State basketball player Shaelyn Martin.

Being fellow athletes has helped Floyd and Martin manage the hectic schedules, the separation, and the highs and lows of competition.

“It makes a huge difference,” Floyd said. “She understands the time commitment that I have to make, because she has to make it too. And after I have a bad game, she understands because she knows how she feels when it happens to her. It’s literally our lives. We both know how it feels, and are able to support each other.”

Martin was such a highly regarded volleyball player out of high school, she is now continuing her education at Kansas Wesleyan as a member of the Coyotes volleyball squad. At K-State, Martin developed a reputation for playing through injuries and for her hard-nosed style. But Floyd joked that he has to handle her competitiveness with care.

“She wants to think that she’s more competitive than I am," he said. "But I really let her win most of the time, because I know it will come back to bite me if I try to win all the time.”

A standout football player, as well as the 2013 5A state co-pitcher of the year at Shawnee Heights, Floyd desires to live up to the investment made in him growing up in Topeka, particularly by T-Bird coaches Jason Swift (football) and Ryan Schmidt (baseball).

“I don’t take for granted the kind of childhood that I had," Floyd said. "I had not only my parents, but my friends’ parents and their siblings, growing up like they were my parents and my brothers and sisters. It was something that I’ll be grateful for forever.

“I always wanted to coach. I want to help kids become better, not just as players, but men too. Coach Swift does so much for so many people. That’s what got me interested in coaching. I want to be just like him. He makes everybody around him a better person.”

Floyd said the mental side of professional baseball is where he’s learning the most these days. After struggling early in the season, he is 2-1 with a 4.41 ERA during his past 10 games.

“I’ve had to learn to let go of failure," said Floyd, who is 2-1 overall with a 7.58 ERA. "The pro strike zone is a little smaller. And the hitters are just better. When you think you’ve got a guy on the ropes, and he comes back and gets a hit, I am learning to just come back and refocus. And when you make a mistake, the hitters let you know about it real quick. Everybody here has the pop to get you if you make a mistake.”

Floyd knows those humbling lessons will pay off at each professional level he reaches. But they are also preparing him for a career after baseball.

“I used to think I played the game pretty well," he said. "But then I get here and I listen to the coaches and watch these other guys, and I’m learning from the best minds in baseball. After I’m done playing, whenever that is, these things will make me a better coach. So I’m just trying to store all this up and learn as much as I can.”