1. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS: The No. 2 overall pick in 2019, Witt slashed .262/.317/.354 over 164 at-bats in 37 Arizona Rookie League games. Witt hit just one home run in his pro debut, but slugged five triples. After a long high school season, it is fair to believe Witt was fatigued and, combine that with getting his first taste of pro ball, is why he didn’t go out and dominate right away. He is still every bit the potential superstar player that scouts have loved for years and the player with the highest ceiling the Royals have ever drafted. After having a full offseason to recouperate, it will be fun to see how Witt handles his first full season assignment with the two-time defending South Atlantic Champion Lexington Legends. ETA: 2022
2. Daniel Lynch – LHP: After bursting onto the scene in 2018 after being drafted out of the University of Virginia, Lynch picked up where he left off with Wilmington before missing some time with some minor arm issues. He returned and finished 6-2 with a 2.99 ERA and 96 strikeouts and 29 walks in 96.1 innings and is currently making up the lost innings in the Arizona Fall League. The Royals have a bunch of talented pitching prospects, and I believe Lynch will be the best of them when all is said and done. ETA: 2020
3. Brady Singer – RHP: Singer dominated the Carolina League after not pitching in 2018, posting a 1.87 ERA in 10 starts. He initially struggled after a promotion to the Texas League, but finished strong. His collective stats were excellent: 12-5, 2.85 ERA, 148.1 IP, 138 K, 39 BB. Singer still needs to work on his changeup to reach his frontline potential. But he throws a ton of strikes and can carve up a lineup with his sinker-slider combination. We will see him in Kansas City next summer. ETA: 2020
4. Jackson Kowar – RHP: Kowar was extremely consistent all season, posting a 3.53 ERA in Wilmington and a 3.51 ERA in Northwest Arkansas. Kowar still excels with his lethal fastball-changeup combination but seemed to take great strides in developing his breaking ball. There are some people that will argue Kowar is the best pitching prospect in this system because he still has some upside, and you really can’t go wrong with any four (!) of these guys. We will also see Kowar in Kansas City at some point next summer. ETA: 2020
5. Kris Bubic – LHP: The fourth pitcher on this list and the fourth taken on Day One of the 2018 Draft, it was Bubic who led all of Minor League Baseball with 185 strikeouts and joined Singer at the Futures Game. Bubic used great deception, a low 90s fastball, and a devastating changeup to overwhelm opposing hitters in 2018, combining to go 11-5, 2.23 ERA, 149.1 IP, 42 BB, .199 AVG. Bubic also seemed to make strides with his breaking ball and won’t be far behind in joining the three ranked ahead of him in the Royals rotation. ETA: 2021
6. Erick Pena – OF: Yes, I have Pena ranked this high. It simply comes down to I think he is really going to hit. Kansas City signed Pena, one of the top players on the international market, for $3.8 million this past July. The value is in his bat, and Pena has a sweet left-handed stroke that barrels up balls consistently. He has enough speed right now to play center field, though his long-term home is probably in a corner. He has yet to see a pitch in a pro game, but I really believe in Pena’s offensive upside that he is ranked as the second-highest position player in the system. ETA: 2025
7. Khalil Lee – OF: Lee spent his age 20/21 season as one of the youngest players in the Texas League and slashed .264/.363/.372 while finishing third in the minors with 53 steals. Lee hit just eight home runs and the Royals feel there is more power to come, but his good average/on-base percentage was very encouraging for me. Lee uses his good speed in the outfield and can play center, but has the arm for right should he need to move there. He will be in Omaha not long after the season starts, he could very well start there. But I think another few weeks in Northwest Arkansas would not hurt. Either way, expect to see Lee in Kansas City in September with a shot to win an everyday job for 2021. ETA: 2020
8. Kyle Isbel – OF: Isbel started out hot in Wilmington before fracturing a hamate bone and missing most of the season. He struggled when he came back, finishing with a .216/.282/.361 line in 52 games (194 at-bats) in the Carolina League. Isbel makes consistent hard contact and uses the entire field. He has good speed which he uses on the bases and could allow him to stick in center field. An offseason to fully recover should get Isbel back on the fast track to Kansas City, perhaps as a Whit Merrifield type utility player who plays every day at different positions. ETA: 2021
9. MJ Melendez – C: If you are a hitter, playing at Frawley Stadium is something you do not look forward to. That was proven true once again in 2019 with Melendez, who slashed .163/.260/.311 with 165 strikeouts in 110 games (363 at-bats). Yes, it was a dreadful year at the plate for Melendez. But I can’t knock him too much for struggling in a park that is notoriously poor for hitters. What works in Melendez’s favor is the fact that he is a plus defensive catcher with a plus-plus arm, meaning he still has a floor as a big league backup. If he hits, he could be an All-Star. 2020 will be a big year in his development, especially if he gets bumped up to a better hitter enviornment in Northwest Arkansas. ETA: 2022
10. Nick Pratto – 1B: If you are a hitter, playing at Frawley Stadium is something you do not look forward to. That was proven true once again in 2019 with Pratto, who slashed .191/.278/.310 with 164 strikeouts in 124 games (419 at-bats). Yes, it was a dreadful year at the plate for Pratto. But I can’t knock him too much for struggling in a park that is notoriously poor for hitters. The fact that he is strictly a first baseman does not help his case because, unlike Melendez, Pratto needs to hit to be a valuable player. 2020 will be a big year in his development, especially if he gets bumped up to a better hitter environment in Northwest Arkansas. ETA: 2022
11. Brewer Hicklen – OF: A seventh-round pick in 2007 out of Alabama-Birmingham, Hicklen went to UAB to play both baseball and football, but the football program was shut down in 2015 and Hicklen focused on baseball. In two full years, Hicklen has won championships with Lexington and Wilmington and was one on the better offensive performers on the Blue Rocks in 2019, posting a .263/.363/.427 line with 14 home runs, 55 walks and 39 steals in 125 games (419 at-bats). He has an intriguing power/speed combination and is still raw as a baseball player, meaning he could be a later bloomer than most players. Hicklen will be 24 for the entire 2020 season, but because of his raw tools, age is not as big a deal here as it is with other players. Remember, Lorenzo Cain did not play much baseball growing up and didn’t become an everyday player until 2013 when he was 27. Hicklen has a below-average arm but should fit the left field profile if he hits enough. ETA: 2021
12. Jonathan Bowlan – RHP: The fifth straight college pitcher taken by the Royals in 2018, Bowlan struggled in his pro debut with Idaho Falls, but looked like a different pitcher after having an offseason to rest up. The 6’6″, 262-pound right-hander uses his enormous frame and heavy fastball to overpower hitters. Between Lexington and Wilmington, Bowlan went a combined 11-5, 3.14 ERA, 146 IP, 150 K, 23 BB and threw a no-hitter for Wilmington this summer. Despite his large frame, Bowlan repeats his delivery well and throws plenty of strikes. Like most young pitchers, he needs to work on a third pitch, in this case, a changeup. If his third pitch comes, that combined with his durable frame should allow him to be a workhorse starter. ETA: 2021
13. Michael Gigliotti – OF: After suffering a torn ACL six games into the 2018 season, Gigs returned strong in 2019, posting a .309/.394/.411 line with 29 steals in 59 games (236 at-bats) before being promoted to Wilmington. In true Wilmington fashion, Gigs struggled offensively in 24 games, but I can’t read too much into poor offensive numbers in Frawley Stadium. He did moss some time this year but if he can stay healthy, Gigs has every chance to hit at the top of the order as a catalyst who uses his wheels once he gets on base. He is certainly fast enough to stay in center field, but has a below-average arm that would push him to left should another center field option emerge. ETA: 2021
14. Austin Cox – LHP: Another college pitcher taken by Kansas City in 2018, Cox was a fifth-round selection out of Mercer University. He pitched well in his pro debut and, like Bubic and Bowlan, pitched well between Lexington and Wilmington in 2019 with a combined 8-6 record, 2.76 ERA, 130.2 IP, 129 K, 38 BB, .229 AVG. Cox has a four-pitch mix and uses each pitch effectively. He throws a lot of strikes and pitches with a “small school” chip on his shoulder. Cox is yet another pitching prospect that has a chance to be a big league starter. ETA: 2021
15. Brady McConnell – SS/OF: The Royals second round pick in 2019, McConnell was a rare bright spot in what was a down year for the Florida Gators as a draft-eligible sophomore. There is some swing and miss concern here and his 42 percent whiff rate (68 K’s in 160 at-bats) in his pro debut concerns me. But there is also the belief that had he returned to Florida and had another strong year, McConnell would have been one of the top college position players in the 2020 Draft. The Royals have his listed as an outfielder on their instructional league roster, and I think he fits best there. But the swing and miss concerns me right now and is why he is not higher. ETA: 2022
16. Yefri Del Rosario – RHP: 2019 was a lost year for Del Rosario, who missed the entire season with a nerve issue. Because of this, it is tough to rank him. He pitched well, especially down the stretch, in 2018 as an 18-year-old with Lexington, which made fans excited to see what he could do. At his best, his fastball reaches the high 90s and his slider can be a wipeout pitch. He was throwing more strikes down the stretch in 2018 than he was earlier in the season, and it will be interesting to see where his command will be when he comes back. His upside is a mid-rotation starter, but his stuff would play well in a bullpen role. We are years away from knowing what that outcome will be. ETA: 2022
17. Evan Steele – LHP: A CBB pick in 2017, Steele has dominated when healthy, with a 2.84 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 57 pro innings. But he missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having surgery. His delivery is exceptionally deceptive and he has a lot of life on his fastball, which he uses to generate swings and misses. That deception also makes it difficult for hitters to pick up his sweeping slider. Health is key for Steele, but he has the body and the stuff to be a workhorse starter. ETA: 2022
18. Zach Haake – RHP: Yet another college pitcher from the 2018 Draft, Haake started at Arkansas State and transferred to John A. Logan Junior College before ending up at Kentucky for his junior year. He struggled with command in college, but the premium stuff was there and the Royals took a gamble in the sixth round. So far it has paid off, with Haake posting a 2.70 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 80 innings in his first full pro season. He did miss some time with some minor shoulder soreness, but his fastball regularly reaches the high-90s and can throw his split-change in any count. Those two pitches would make him a strong relief candidate, but the Royals will continue to develop his as a starter for as long as possible. ETA: 2022
19. Carlos Hernandez – RHP: Hernandez was the organization’s top pitching prospect entering 2018 and pitched well in Lexington that year. 2019 was a different story, as a fractured rib suffered in Spring Training kept him off the mound until June and posted a 5.31 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. Hernandez shows a feel for three pitches with a fastball that sits around 94 and touches 97, a curveball that is his second-best offering at its best, but his changeup is his more consistent secondary offering. He will be 23 in 2020, which will be a big year for the right-hander. If he can stay healthy, he could start to move rapidly. ETA: 2021
20. Noah Murdock – RHP: One of my favorite 2019 picks, Murdock was selected out of the University of Virginia in the seventh round and flourished in Burlington, posting a 2.17 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 11 walks in 37.1 innings. Murdock has four pitches with his fastball and changeup being his top two offerings and his curve is ahead of his slider. He had Tommy John surgery during his freshman year, forcing him to miss parts of his first two collegiate campaigns. The numbers were not pretty in 2019, with a 3-6 record and a 6.30 ERA, but he did strike out 69 batters in 74.1 innings. I think there is more projection here as he gets farther away from his surgery and the Royals could have struck gold with a Virginia hurler for the second straight year. ETA: 2022
21. Jon Heasley – RHP: Heasley was a draft-eligible sophomore out of Oklahoma State that lasted to the 13th round in 2018. He struggled in his pro debut with a 5.12 ERA in Idaho Falls. But he flourished in 2019 with Lexington, where he went 8-5 with a 3.12 ERA, 120 strikeouts and 34 walks in 112.2 innings in 25 games (20 starts) while holding opposing hitters to a .222 average. He showed increased confidence in his fastball and improved his curveball, which is now a plus offering. More success should be expected with a move to pitcher-friendly Wilmington in 2020. ETA: 2022
22. Alec Marsh – RHP: The Royals third pick (Round CBB) in 2019 out of Arizona State, Marsh came out firing strikes in his pro debut with Idaho Falls, striking out 38 batters and walking just four in 33.1 innings (13 starts). Marsh has four pitches that he can throw for strikes. His fastball sits in the low 90s but he can run it up to 96 with solid cut and sink. His slider is better than his curve and he has the ability to land it in the zone for strikes and then out of the zone to get hitters to chase. He has a feel for a changeup as well. Marsh profiles as a No. 4 starter who throws four average pitches and eats innings. ETA: 2022
23. Wilmin Candelario – SS: Candelario signed in July 2018 and made a great first impression in the Dominican Summer League, posting a .315/.396/.505 line in 49 games (184 at-bats). He has a projectable 5’11”, 165-pound frame with great body control and arm strength. Candelario’s glove is ahead of his bat, with slick movements at the position. He has good speed that he uses on the bases and in the field and has plus bat speed that could enable him to become a decent power threat. This is all upside, but Candelario gives Kansas City another exciting young shortstop prospect to follow. ETA: 2024
24. Darryl Collins – OF: Collins is one of my favorite players in this system (of course, it’s easy to look at the really young players and get excited about best case scenario). He signed in August 2018 out of the Netherlands at age 16. His grandfather is a Dutch baseball star who has been coaching in the country for years and his father also played, meaning Colling has grown up around the game. Collins speaks fluent English and immediately came stateside for his pro debut in 2019, posting a .320/.401/.436 line in 48 games (181 at-bats) in the Arizona League. Collins has a sweet left-handed stroke with good plate discipline that should enable him to make consistent contact and has plenty of power potential. He is years away, but if he hits, Collins could certainly be an everyday player and a remarkable story. ETA: 2024
25. Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B: The Royals selected Pasquantino in the 11th round out of Old Dominion and he mashed in his pro debut with Burlington, posting a .294/.371/.592 line with 14 home runs and 53 RBI in 57 games (211 at-bats). A left/left first baseman that is 6’4″, 245 pounds, he has the look to profile at the position. It is usually not smart to put too much stock in the Rookie ball numbers of a college hitter. But Pasquantino was so good that he deserves to be put on the prospect radar. It will be intriguing to see how he performs in full-season ball with Lexington in 2020. ETA: 2022
26. Yohanse Morel – RHP: The Royals acquired Morel from the Nationals in the 2018 Kelvin Herrera trade, who was signed in July 2017 for $100,000. Morel has a quick arm that fires fastballs that tops out at 96 and an 83-84 mph slider that flashes plus and has an advanced feel for a changeup. He appeared in 14 games (11 starts) with Lexington, going 2-6 with a 6.02 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 21 walks in 52.1 innings. Opponents saw the ball well, posting a .295 average off of the right-hander. Morel’s stuff is better than his initial results in full-season ball. Entering his age 20 season in 2020, there is plenty of time for Morel to develop into a top-flight pitching prospect. ETA: 2023
27. Michael Massey – 2B: Massey was selected in the fourth round out of Illinois in 2019 and swung a steady bat, hitting at least .317 all three years and went 60 straight games without making an error from 2017-18. Massey has exceptional hand-eye coordination and sprays line drives from gap to gap and has great hands at second base. He is not a big physical presence, but Massey has always performed and if he becomes an everyday second baseman that hits for a high average, I’d sign up for that and he could move up this list quickly if he progresses towards that role. ETA: 2022
28. John Rave – OF: Kansas City selected Rave in the fifth round of the 2019 Draft out of Illinois State. He made it up to Lexington, where he helped the Legends win their second straight South Atlantic League title, posting a .253/.321/.339 line in 46 games (174 at-bats). Rave is a contact first hitter who began to drive the ball more in the Cape Cod League last summer, and drove the ball more often as a junior. Rave is a plus runner with a below average arm, meaning he will likely fit the left field profile at the highest level. ETA: 2022
29. Daniel Tillo – LHP: A third round selection in 2017, Tillo split the 2019 campaign between Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas, where he combined to post an 8-9 record and a 3.72 ERA in 29 games (23 starts). Six of his nine apperances after his promotion were out of the bullpen, and perhaps his stuff will play up in that role. Still, Tillo can run his fastball into the high 90s and pairs it with an effective slider that back-foots hitters. He needs to improve his comand (and his changeup) to maximize his potential as a starter, and it will be interesting to see how the Royals utilize Tillo in 2020. ETA: 2021
30. Seuly Matias – OF: After mashing 31 homers and striking out 131 times in 94 games in 2018, fans were excited to see what Matias would do for an encore in 2019. It was much more of the same, with 98 whiffs in 57 games (189 at-bats) before hand surgery ended his season in June. He played with the injury most of the year, which certainly sapped his power, save for a four-homer stretch in three days early on. But the injury is the only reason he is on this list for me (that and the fact I am going 30 deep this year). Maybe some of his struggles were tied to that, and we will see how he performs in 2020 when he will still be 21 (and playing in Wilmington – we know what that place does to hitters). But Matias is such an all-or-nothing hitter that I still seriously doubt he makes it past Double-A. ETA: Never
Johnny Baseball 