The Royals’ youth motion made its method to Kansas City final 12 months, with 21 rookies showing in a recreation and 13 gamers who made their Major League debuts in 2022. Bobby Witt Jr. started the 12 months as baseball’s No. 1 prospect and ended the 12 months fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
MJ Melendez started final 12 months because the Royals’ No. 2 prospect; he’ll be an Opening Day outfielder and play behind the plate in 2023. Vinnie Pasquantino jumped to No. 5 at first of ’22 — now he’s a mainstay in the course of the Royals’ lineup.
These are names that can populate the Royals’ lineup for years to return. But there are nonetheless loads of rising prospects to know.
Gavin Cross is “the real deal,” a number of scouts mentioned all through this course of, and the No. 9 general decide within the 2022 Draft is the No. 62 general prospect in baseball. He’s the Royals’ No. 1 man and leads a position-player-heavy Top 10. Seven of the Royals’ high 10 prospects are hitters, whereas a lot of the Royals’ pitchers populate in the course of the listing.
Local Kansas City product Ben Kudrna is the Royals’ high pitching prospect at No. 2, almost two years faraway from being chosen within the second spherical of the 2021 Draft out of Blue Valley Southwest High School. A pair spots down at No. 10 is catcher Carter Jensen, who went to Park Hill HS in Kansas City earlier than the Royals drafted him within the third spherical in 2021.
The Royals have been busy final season including prospects in trades, and loads of new names are on the listing this 12 months due to that. Drew Waters, Beck Way, Andrew Hoffmann, Samad Taylor, T.J. Sikkema, Chandler Champlain and Steven Cruz all joined the Royals prior to now 12 months from different organizations.
Here’s a have a look at the Royals’ high prospects:
1. Gavin Cross, OF (MLB No. 62)
2. Ben Kudrna, RHP
3. Maikel Garcia, SS
4. Nick Loftin, UTIL
5. Cayden Wallace, 3B
Complete Top 30 listing »
Here are the gamers whose ranks modified essentially the most from the 2022 preseason listing to the 2023 preseason listing:
Jump: Tyler Gentry, OF (2022: 29 | 2023: 8)
No Royals prospect took a much bigger step ahead than Gentry in 2022. He went from a fringe prospect with an opportunity to be a fourth outfielder to having the potential to be a daily nook outfielder within the huge leagues. A knee damage ended his ’21 season early, however he shortly confirmed it wouldn’t have an effect on him in ’22. The Royals’ third-round decide within the 2020 Draft, Gentry beat High-A shortly by hitting .336/.434/.516, then was promoted to Double-A on June 14. He was even higher there, crushing 16 homers and posting a .972 OPS. Big, robust and bodily, Gentry has uncooked energy that he’s nonetheless unlocking. He has one of many strongest arms within the Royals’ system, profiling greatest in proper subject. After taking part in within the Arizona Fall League final 12 months, Gentry may transfer shortly this season.
Fall: Ben Hernandez, RHP (2022: 16 | 2023: NR)
Hernandez was the Royals’ second-round decide within the 2020 Draft and boasted among the finest changeups in the highschool class that 12 months. It’s been a bumpy and injury-prone highway since. Hernandez posted a 5.38 ERA in 23 begins final season in Single-A Columbia, putting out 71 and strolling 40 in 77 innings. His mechanics have been out of whack due to a knee damage, and he had a minor surgical procedure to repair the issue this offseason. He’s again to throwing this spring however on a rehab development. The 21-year-old nonetheless has a great deal of potential and might be one to observe if he can get again on observe.
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future instruments — 20-30 is properly under common, 40 is under common, 50 is common, 60 is above common and 70-80 is properly above common. Players in parentheses have the identical grade. This listing solely consists of gamers among the many Royals’ Top 30 prospects.
Hit: 55 — Gavin Cross, (Maikel Garcia, Lizandro Rodriguez)
Power: 55 — Gavin Cross, (Cayden Wallace, Tyler Gentry, Carter Jensen, Luca Tresh)
Run: 70 — Diego Hernandez
Arm: 65 — Wallace (Peyton Wilson)
Defense: 60 — Maikel Garcia (Drew Waters, Diego Hernandez, Daniel Vazquez)
Fastball: 75 — Steven Cruz
Curveball: 60 — Frank Mozzicato
Slider: 60 — Beck Way (Asa Lacy)
Changeup: 60 — Asa Lacy, Noah Cameron
Control: 55 — Jonathan Bowlan (Noah Cameron)
How they have been constructed
Draft: 18 | International: 6 | Trade: 6
Breakdown by ETA
2023: 8 | 2024: 10 | 2025: 10 | 2026: 2
Breakdown by place
C: 2 | 1B: 0 | 2B: 3 | 3B: 1 | SS: 3 | UTIL: 1 | OF: 5 | RHP: 11 | LHP: 4
