Beneath is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Kansas Metropolis Royals. Scouting stories have been compiled with info offered by trade sources in addition to my very own observations. That is the fourth 12 months we’re delineating between two anticipated aid roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column under: MIRP for multi-inning aid pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning aid pitchers. The ETAs listed typically correspond to the 12 months a participant must be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Guide changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.
A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means may be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview may be discovered right here.
The entire ranked prospects under additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the positioning gives that includes sortable scouting info for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan information from varied sources) than this text and integrates each group’s checklist so readers can examine prospects throughout farm techniques. It may be discovered right here.
Different Prospects of Word
Grouped by kind and listed so as of choice inside every class.
Higher Minors Pitching Depth
Tyson Guerrero, LHP
Ryan Brady, RHP
Eric Cerantola, RHP
Evan Sisk, LHP
Asa Lacy, LHP
Guerrero throws his 4 choices out of a excessive three-quarter slot and sits 92-94 mph along with his fastball. He spins two breaking balls, with the slider having larger sharpness than the curveball, whereas his changeup is a low-impact pitch that gives minimal motion. If the changeup or his fringy command can advance considerably, he has a shot to be back-of-the-rotation filler. Brady was an undrafted free agent out of BYU and got here to the Royals in commerce from the Brewers. He works with a fastball/slider combo, with the slider projecting as an above-average providing. He’s additionally been very efficient at limiting homers, having solely allowed three in his 100-plus innings in professional ball. Cerantola is a vertical slot right-hander who has a mid-90s fastball and a downer slider with stable enamel to it. The command is effectively under common and might want to take a step ahead for him to be trusted in an up/down function. Sisk is a plus deception southpaw with a drastic crossfire stride and low three-quarter slot. It’s a low-90s fastball and sweeper combo that makes for uncomfortable at-bats for left-handed hitters. The arsenal doesn’t fare as effectively in opposition to right-handed bats and it’s below-average command at finest. Lacy is out for the 2024 season after having Tommy John surgical procedure in March. His long-term future stays clouded by damage.
Intriguing Arms on the Advanced
Yeri Perez, RHP
Coleman Picard, RHP
Yunior Marte, RHP
Perez hails from Madrid and brings huge velocity (95-98 mph) along with his fastball. He additionally has a short-tilting slider within the upper-80s and an influence changeup within the mid-80s that he struggles to harness along with his uncooked command. His stuff and velocity dip down in lengthier outings and it’s wanting like a aid profile long-term. Picard was the Royals’ sixth spherical choose in 2023. He has a 92-94 mph fastball and may actually spin an upper-70s curveball. He’ll additionally work in a mid-80s slider that may flash enamel. Marte is a large-framed right-hander who’s repeating the advanced stage this 12 months. He has proven the power to throw strikes along with his deep arsenal, which is headlined by his 92-95 mph fastball and large curveball.
Place Gamers on the Advanced Value Realizing
Josi Novas, INF
Henry Ramos, OF
Roni Cabera, OF
Jorge Hernandez, 1B/3B
Novas is at the moment placing out in over 40% of his ACL plate appearances resulting from a very aggressive strategy and a willingness to develop his zone. He additionally has eye-catching bat velocity by way of the zone and notable uncooked energy. Ramos is a participant who does all of the little issues proper and reveals stable instincts within the outfield. The bat lacks huge projection and he’s at the moment punching out slightly below 30% of the time as a 19-year-old in his first stateside motion. Cabrera’s bat enters the zone from a really steep angle and he has huge uncooked juice for a youngster. The bat path leads to a number of swing-and-miss, and he’s at the moment placing out over 30% of the time in opposition to ACL arms. Hernandez was signed out of Mexico. He’s a nook infielder who has proven bat-to-ball abilities and has a hit-over-slug offensive profile.
Faculty Place Gamers
Trevor Werner, 1B/3B
Peyton Wilson, 2B
Carson Roccaforte, OF
Spencer Nivens, OF
Jared Dickey, OF
Werner is at the moment punching out 41% of the time in Quad Cities, the place he’s largely dealing with youthful pitchers. He slugged .703 whereas placing out 24.5% of the time in 35 video games final 12 months after being drafted within the seventh spherical out of Texas A&M. There’s plain uncooked energy within the profile, however he’s going to need to drastically lower down on the strikeouts to have worth. Wilson was taken 66th total in 2021 out of Alabama. His strikeouts have ticked as much as almost 25% in Double-A regardless of repeating the extent this 12 months. He’s a plus runner however not an particularly gifted defender at second base, and he has restricted versatility past that moreover left discipline, the place he’s seeing extra time this season. Roccaforte was the 66th total choose within the 2023 draft out of Louisiana Lafayette. His left-handed swing is dominated by his prime hand and he has common bat velocity. He’s a stable defender within the outfield with above-average velocity, however he’ll must be extra of a menace with the bat to carve out a significant league function. Nivens is a nook outfielder out of Missouri State who has but to get his bat going in opposition to skilled pitching. His swing has had a bent to get lengthy and lower throughout the zone, and he’ll want the bat to supply much more to have huge league worth. Dickey was drafted within the eleventh spherical out of Tennessee in 2023. He has an extremely compact swing, with a flat path by way of the zone. He’s a nook outfield defender, so he’ll have to discover a technique to generate much more offensive output with that profile.
System Overview
The Royals system has taken a small step ahead from final 12 months, primarily due to the group’s choice of Blake Mitchell eighth total within the 2023 draft. As dangerous as prep catcher profiles may be, the early returns on Mitchell look promising and he’s joined on the prime of the checklist by a few different current highschool draftees, Ben Kudrna and Carter Jensen. Total, this method nonetheless ranks in the direction of the underside of the league, however it additionally has a bit extra depth than in years previous, even when it doesn’t undertaking to supply a lot affect expertise.
There’s extra upside within the decrease minors this 12 months than there was lately, with gamers like Asbel Gonzalez, Ramon Ramirez, and Hyungchan Um catching the eye of professional scouts of their first stateside motion and posting encouraging efficiency information as effectively. The Royals proceed to wrestle to develop homegrown pitching, and this method remains to be gentle total within the arm division. Although they don’t have frontline (and even mid-rotation) potential, prospects like Mason Barnett and Felix Arronde supply high-probability starter profiles, whereas guys like Kudrna and Blake Wolters supply extra upside (and likewise threat).
It’s at all times good when the main league membership is within the playoff combine and may be in purchase mode on the deadline. Nonetheless, if the Royals wish to make a splash on the commerce market earlier than the stretch run, they’ve only a few high-demand chips to make use of until they’re prepared to half with the names on the very prime of this checklist. The Royals maintain the sixth choose within the upcoming draft, which will probably be scouting director Brian Bridges’ first in that function. Whether or not the group’s draft strategy will drastically change underneath Bridges is but to be seen, however we’ll get our first sense in just a few days when the Royals are on the clock.
