It was a really, really interesting year for the Royals system, and I mean that in both a good way and a bad way, but mostly a good way. First off, four different affiliates won their league championships in the Dominican Summer League (complex), the Pioneer League (rookie), the South Atlantic League (Class A), and the Carolina League (High A), so that's great for them. Second off, they had five of the first 58 picks in the 2018 draft, spent all five on pitchers, and all five broke out for exceptional seasons as Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar reached AA and Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, and Jonathan Bowlan reached High A, and fifth rounder Austin Cox and sixth rounder Zach Haake even got in on the fun with highly successful seasons of their own. Just the top of that 2018 draft alone leaves this system in a much better spot than it was a year ago and certainly two years ago, as they now have a legitimate handful of impact starting pitching options.
On the flip side, the hitters had a really weird year. Save for Brewer Hicklen, it seems like hitting prospect who touched High A Wilmington just absolutely sucked. I don't think Nick Pratto (.191/.278/.310), MJ Melendez (.163/.260/.311), and Seuly Matias (.148/.259/.307) could have possibly hit any worse, and the injury-slowed Kyle Isbel (.216/.282/.361) and Michael Gigliotti (.184/.268/.230) didn't fair much better in their brief time there while Marten Gasparini (.122/.140/.163) retired 16 games in. I mean, I have no idea what happened down there, but what an absolute disaster. Wilmington struggles aside, when it comes to position players, the strength of this system is definitely speed, as Nick Heath and Khalil Lee finished first and second in the minors with 60 and 53 stolen bases, respectively, while Hicklen added 39 and Gigliotti tacked on 36.
Affiliates: AAA Omaha Storm Chasers, AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals, High A Wilmington Blue Rocks, Class A Lexington Legends, rookie level Idaho Falls Chukars and Burlington Royals, complex level AZL and DSL Royals
Catcher
- Nick Dini (2020 Age: 26-27): Dini was a 14th round pick out of Wagner College back in 2015, and he's hit everywhere he's gone even if he was really only there for his defense. In 2019, he slashed .296/.370/.565 with 13 home runs and a 29/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games at AAA Omaha, then hit .196/.270/.357 with two home runs in a 20 game call-up to the majors. That major league line probably accurately represents his talent level, as he can make consistent contact but overall doesn't hit for much impact. The Royals are probably pretty set behind the plate with Perez, Meibrys Viloria, and Cam Gallagher, but if somebody gets hurt, Dini should get the call considering the Royals don't have much else going on in terms of upper minors catching.
- MJ Melendez (2020 Age: 21): Melendez was the Royals' second round pick out of a South Florida high school in 2017, then after he improved his stock by slashing .251/.322/.492 with 19 home runs in his first full season in 2018, he slumped hard in 2019 and hit just .163/.260/.311 with nine home runs and a 165/44 strikeout to walk ratio over 110 games at High A Wilmington. Wilmington's pitcher-friendly confines completely swallowed up his power (.133/.248/.243 at home), but he still hit just .189/.271/.374 on the road as Carolina League pitchers continuously exploited the holes in his left handed swing. Melendez draws his fair share of walks and creates good power from his whippy swing, giving him the offensive tools needed for the majors, but he just hasn't figured out higher level pitching yet and will need significant work with his approach. He's turned himself into an excellent defender, so there's just about as little pressure on the bat as their could be and since he's set to play all of 2020 at 21 years old, he still factors in as the Royals' potential heir to Salvador Perez.
- Keep an eye on: Freddy Fermin, Omar Hernandez, Guillermo Quintana
Corner Infield
- Kelvin Gutierrez (2020 Age: 25): The Royals acquired Gutierrez from the Nationals in the Kelvin Herrera trade in 2018, primarily for his glove. In 2019, he slashed .287/.367/.427 with nine home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a 71/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 75 games at AAA Omaha, mixing in some big league playing time and slashing .260/.304/.356 with one home run in 20 games for the Royals. As with Nick Dini, that big league slash line is about an accurate portrayal of his bat, as he can make consistent hard contact but doesn't get the ball off the ground enough to tap into the power in his 6'3" frame. Joining the fly ball revolution could be beneficial for him, but the real value is in his glove, as he's a plus defender at third base. If he can indeed add power by lifting the ball more, the Royals aren't too deep at the corners at the major league level and he could crack the starting lineup at some point in 2020.
- Emmanuel Rivera (2020 Age: 23-24): Rivera is a pretty similar player to Gutierrez, just a year or so behind. In 2019, he slashed .258/.297/.345 with seven home runs and a 77/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 131 games at AA Northwest Arkansas, continuing the trend of his bat losing impact as he's faced better and better pitching up the minor league rungs. He has a bit less raw pop than Gutierrez, and while he's gotten better about about getting off the ground with his launch angle, it hasn't really helped him tap it and he probably doesn't profile for more than ten or so home runs annually at the major league level. He's an aggressive hitter but that doesn't hamper his contact ability, as he makes consistent contact and is tough to strike out. With his good defense at third base, he has a good chance to work his way onto the roster as a bench bat, but he's unlikely to profile as more.
- Nick Pratto (2020 Age: 21): Pratto was drafted in the middle of the first round out of a Southern California high school in 2017, and he and second rounder MJ Melendez have pretty much followed each other step for step. Like Melendez, Pratto hit well at Class A in his first full season (.280/.343/.443, 14 HR), then like Melendez, he slumped hard in High A in 2019. While Melendez hit .163/.260/.311, Pratto was just a hair better at .191/.278/.310 with nine home runs, 17 stolen bases, and a 164/49 strikeout to walk ratio over 124 games for Wilmington. Fortunately, he did pick it up a bit by slashing .218/.295/.401 in the second half, still not what you want to see but at least better. Pratto was drafted on the basis of his advanced hitting ability, but the strike zone management has not been nearly as good as advertised in pro ball and while that didn't hurt him too much in Class A, it really caught up to him in High A. When drafted, he looked like a 15-25 homer bat who could post high on-base percentages, and he'll need to do significant work to get close to that. Like Melendez, he'll play all of 2020 at 21 years old, but there is more pressure on his bat given that he plays first base. On the bright side, he's a very good defender there, so he still provides positive value in the field despite playing a less important position.
- Keep an eye on: Humberto Arteaga, D.J. Burt, Vinnie Pasquantino
Middle Infield
- Gabriel Cancel (2020 Age: 23): Cancel has moved slowly through the minors, one level at a time, and he slashed .246/.308/.427 with 18 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 144/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at AA Northwest Arkansas. He has an explosive right handed swing that's enabled him to hit for solid average power in the minors, and he's also put up three straight seasons with at least 30 doubles. However, the one thing holding him back offensively is his strike zone judgement, as he hasn't been able to make consistent enough to really drive the ball out of the park as often as he'd like. With fringy defense that will probably land him at second or third base, he has to tap that power, but it's also the only thing holding him back from being a very useful bench bat at the major league level. The Royals are not very deep, so he does have a good chance to hit his way onto the team in 2020.
- Bobby Witt Jr. (2020 Age: 19-20): Witt was the consensus best high school prospect available in the 2019 draft, and the Royals picked him second overall out of his Dallas-Fort Worth-area high school and signed him for almost $7.8 million. His pro debut was unremarkable, as he slashed .262/.317/.354 with a home run, nine stolen bases, and a 35/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 37 games in the complex level Arizona League, but there is no denying his talent. He generates a ton of power from the right side with an all-out swing, and while that led to some swing and miss earlier in his high school career, he improved in that regard in his senior season and should have no issues tapping his power in pro ball. Defensively, he's very good at shortstop and should only get better, giving him the chance to be an impact player on both sides of the ball with a ceiling of 25-30 home runs and good on-base percentages. Of course, like any high school prospect, he has a lot of work to do to get there, and there's always the risk that the hit tool doesn't play up. With an athlete like Witt, though, you'd be smart to bet on the ceiling and not on the floor.
- Brady McConnell (2020 Age: 21-22): McConnell was a potential day one pick coming out of a Florida high school in 2017, but he instead opted to attend Florida then barely played as a true freshman in 2018 behind eventual Dodgers tenth round pick Deacon Liput. He then broke out in a huge way as a draft eligible sophomore in 2019, riding that to a second round selection by the Royals and slashing .213/.288/.400 with five home runs and a 68/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 games between the complex level Arizona League and rookie level Idaho Falls (though all but two games were at the higher level). Those numbers from his debut were about what was expected given his profile. He finds the barrel very easily and produces good power from the right side, but he's also a very aggressive hitter that loves to take healthy, aggressive hacks at the plate. That helps him make a lot of hard contact from the right side, but it also leads to a fair amount of swing and miss and not a lot of walks. It's kind of a boom/bust profile, as he could produce 20-25 home runs per season with decent on-base percentages if it works out, but he also has more bust risk than the typical college draftee in the second round. He probably won't stick at shortstop, especially with Bobby Witt in the same draft class, so but he could be a solid second or third baseman.
- Michael Massey (2020 Age: 22): Massey was the Royals' fourth round pick out of Illinois in 2019, and while he lacks the ceiling of the Royals' earlier picks in that draft, he also has a higher floor. He was exceptionally steady over three years in Urbana-Champaign, then hit .272/.339/.399 with five home runs and a 28/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 42 games at rookie level Burlington in his pro debut in 2019. Despite popping for five home runs and seven doubles in the Appalachian League this year, Massey is more of a contact hitter who relies on great bat to ball skills and strike zone management rather than trying to smoke the ball. He's also a grinder who plays the game hard, and that should make him a competent defender at shortstop and a good one at second base, adding to his profile as a future utility infielder. There's little question he'll be able to handle higher level pitching, so really the only thing between him and that utility future is proving he can continue to hit for some impact against that higher level pitching.
- Keep an eye on: Erick Mejia, Kevin Merrell, Clay Dungan, Herard Gonzalez, Wilmin Candelario
Outfield
- Khalil Lee (2020 Age: 21-22): Lee was a talented two-way player out of a Northern Virginia high school in 2016, but the Royals picked him up in the third round on the basis of his upside at the plate and so far, it looks like they've been right to do so. In 2019, he slashed .264/.363/.372 with eight home runs, 53 stolen bases, and a 154/65 strikeout to walk ratio over 129 games at AA Northwest Arkansas, numbers which become more impressive when you consider he only turned 21 halfway through the season. Despite standing just 5'10", he stands out for his physical tools, generating a lot of power from an explosive left handed swing, then deploying his speed well both on the bases and in center field. In fact, his 53 stolen bases in 2019 were enough to finish second in all of Minor League Baseball behind, ironically enough, his teammate Nick Heath. Plus, as you'd imagine for a kid who was almost drafted as a pitcher, he has one of the better arms in the organization. Contact has been a bit of an issue, but he's been young for the levels he's played at and the swing and miss hasn't been completely out of control, so I wouldn't be overly worried and I'd focus more on the fact that he was able to walk in 11.9% of his plate appearances in AA this year. Lee obviously still has work to do to get over the hump of upper-level pitching, but he won't turn 22 until June and he's already well on his way to doing so. Eventually, he could hit up to 20-25 home runs per season with solid on-base percentages, some stolen bases, and good defense, giving him one of the higher ceilings in the organization and a good shot to get there.
- Nick Heath (2020 Age: 26): There aren't many Kansas natives in the majors, with perhaps the most notable being Blake Treinen of Osage City, but Nick Heath of Junction City brings the Royals one of their own. Drafted in the 16th round as a senior sign out of Louisiana's Northwestern State in 2016, Heath has ran his way, quite literally, up the Royals' minor league rungs. In 2019, he slashed .255/.345/.387 with eight home runs and a 143/56 strikeout to walk ratio over 105 games at AA Northwest Arkansas and AAA Omaha, and his 60 stolen bases meant he led all of the minors, even his teammate Khalil Lee. While his eight home runs were by far a career high after he began to lift the ball just a bit more, Heath isn't a power hitter and profiles more like Willie Mays Hayes from the movie Major League. He (obviously) has exceptional speed, and his quick swing from the left side helps him spray line drives around and get the most out of that speed, both on the bases and in the outfield. He profiles best as a fourth outfielder in the Jarrod Dyson mold, though he is a bit bigger and might hit for a touch more power.
- Brewer Hicklen (2020 Age: 24): A seventh round pick out of Alabama-Birmingham in 2017, Hicklen has hit everywhere he's gone, and in 2019 he slashed .263/.363/.427 with 14 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and a 140/55 strikeout to walk ratio over 125 games at High A Wilmington, a notorious pitchers' park. He's got some pop in his right handed swing, deriving from his strong 6'2" frame, and he's one of the best runners in a system that has quite a few of them, having stolen 35 and 39 bases over the last two seasons. He does have some swing and miss concerns, and combined with good-not-great power and decent outfield defense, that probably relegates him to more of a fourth outfielder role, but his ability to make things happen on the baseball field makes him a relatively exciting prospect. As a fun fact, only five of his 14 home runs came at home, but all five of those came in one exceptional August series against the Salem Red Sox in which he went 9-13 with five homers, a double, seven RBI, a pair of walks, and nine runs scored in four games – Hicklen hit just .199/.326/.271 in all other home games.
- Kyle Isbel (2020 Age: 23): Isbel is a perfect case study for just how annoying lingering wrist issues can be. After being drafted in the third round out of UNLV in 2018, he slashed .326/.389/.504 in his pro debut, then was slashing .348/.423/.630 with a pair of home runs and an 8/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 13 games at High A Wilmington in 2019 before going down with a wrist injury. When he returned, he was far from the same player, hitting just .176/.236/.277 with three home runs and a 36/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 39 games for Wilmington the rest of the way. When healthy, Isbel stands out for his ability to simply hit the ball hard to all fields as well as anyone in the system. That gives him close to average power, and he seems like the kind of guy who could benefit from the juiced balls at AAA and the major league level and hit 15-20 a year up there. The bulk of his value, though, will come from the ability to drive lots of balls into the gaps and let his good speed do the rest.
- Michael Gigliotti (2020 Age: 24): Gigliotti, a fourth round pick out of Lipscomb University in 2017, has always been talented but has struggled to stay on the field. He slashed .320/.420/.456 in his pro debut but an ACL tear ended his 2018 season six games in, then missed a month of games in 2019 with undisclosed injuries. Still, when he was on the field in 2019, he slashed .282/.369/.368 with one home run, 36 stolen bases, and a 75/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 87 games at Class A Lexington, High A Wilmington, and complex level rehab, and it seems like all he really needs is just consistent time on the field. He has wiry strength in his 6'1" frame, but to this point that hasn't manifested into any power in pro ball, which is fine because he makes a lot of hard line drive contact and manages the strike zone well for someone who keeps getting interrupted by injuries. His legs also showed no signs of injury lag after that ACL tear, as he stole 36 bases in just 87 games, and he covers a lot of ground in center field. He turns 24 at the start of the season and has yet to get any consistent playing time above Class A, so he's well behind in his development, but I still think a healthy Gigliotti could do some special things on the field.
- Erick Pena (2020 Age: 17): Pena hasn't played professionally yet, but after getting $4 million to sign out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, he immediately becomes one of the top outfield prospects in the system. Pena has a ton of wiry strength in his 6'3" frame, and his explosive left handed swing helps him generate a lot of power for a 16 year old kid, which he has gotten to consistently as an amateur. There's a lot going on in that swing, so the Royals will probably need to quiet down his hands a bit to help him catch up to pro pitching, but with his solid plate discipline and feel for the barrel, making those adjustments shouldn't be too much of an issue. He has a tremendous ceiling, but of course as a kid born in 2003, he also comes with a very low floor, so we'll just have to wait and see.
- Keep an eye on: Blake Perkins, Seuly Matias, John Rave, Darryl Collins
Starting Pitching
- Brady Singer (2020 Age: 23-24): Singer had a shot to go first overall out of Florida in 2018, but a combination of a slightly bumpy junior season and high bonus demands dropped him to 18th overall, where the Royals were ecstatic to land him. He was held out of action after a long college season, then skipped completely over rookie ball and Class A for his pro debut and first full season in 2019. Between High A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas, Singer had no problems with the jump in competition and posted a 2.85 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 138/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 148.1 innings. Standing 6'5", he's your prototypical pitching prospect with a low to mid 90's fastball, a short but sharp slider that misses lots of bats, and a decent changeup, all of which he commands pretty well most of the time. Singer isn't the most consistent pitcher, as he can loose feel for his stuff and his command can waver at times, but he's usually on top of his game and when he is, he looks like an ace. The Royals will hope a bit more pro refinement will help him stay there, and he has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter if he gets more consistent.
- Jackson Kowar (2020 Age: 23): Kowar was Singer's rotation-mate at Florida, and since being a compensation pick in 2018, he was Singer's rotation-mate at both High A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas. In 2019, he had a 3.52 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 144/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 148.1 innings between the two levels, showing more consistency but a bit less ceiling. Like Singer, Kowar stands 6'5" and sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, but while Singer's slider is his main weapon, Kowar gets outs with his downer changeup. He also adds a curveball that looked a bit soft in college, but he's added power while maintaining its shape in pro ball and it now projects as an average or slightly better pitch. With decent but consistent command, he projects favorably as a #3 starter in the near future.
- Daniel Lynch (2020 Age: 23): One pick after Kowar, the Royals grabbed UVA lefty Daniel Lynch, who took off in his junior season when he finally figured out who he was as a pitcher. That success has carried over into pro ball, and in 2019 he had a 2.99 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 96/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 96.1 innings between the complex level Arizona League, rookie level Burlington, and High A Wilmington, where he spent most of his time. He's a bit different from Singer and Kowar not only because he's left handed and didn't go to Florida, but because he finds success more by mixing pitches than by having one true out pitch. Like Singer and Kowar, he's tall at 6'6", and he sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, then he adds three solid offspeeds in a slider, a curve, and a changeup, all of which can flash above average or plus at times. He also throws strikes with all of his offerings and mixes his pitches very well, and that high baseball IQ should help him tackle higher level hitters and perhaps major leaguers in 2020. Like Kowar, he projects as a mid-rotation starter.
- Kris Bubic (2020 Age: 22): Six picks after taking Lynch, the Royals dipped into the college starter pool yet again and grabbed Bubic out of Stanford in the competitive balance round. He's a 6'3" lefty that's more about deception than anything else, and in 2019 he posted a 2.23 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and a 185/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 149.1 innings at Class A Lexington and High A Wilmington, the 185 strikeouts leading all of Minor League Baseball. He only sits in the low 90's and adds a decent curveball that he's improved the consistency of, but the reason he racked up so many strikeouts was his excellent fading changeup that rivals Kowar's for the best in the system. He's usually pretty good about throwing strikes, and he makes his pitches play up with a funky delivery that has a lot of moving parts and makes it hard to pick up the baseball. He doesn't have the highest ceiling in the system, but his successful 2019 means he has a good shot at becoming a #3 or a #4 starter.
- Jonathan Bowlan (2020 Age: 23): Yep, another arm from the 2018 draft. After selecting Singer 18th overall, Kowar 33rd, Lynch 34th, and Bubic 40th, they hopped on Memphis righty Jonathan Bowlan in the second round, 58th overall, and he's yet another arm that exceeded expectations in 2019. This year, he had a 3.14 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 150/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 146 innings at Class A Lexington and High A Wilmington as both his slider and his strike throwing ability took a step forward. He's a really big guy at a listed 6'6" and 260 pounds, and that helps him get good angle on his pitches, most notably a low to mid 90's fastball and a good slider. He still needs to work on his changeup, but with the ability to throw consistent strikes, he's pretty close to a complete pitcher and is well on his way to being a #4 starter with the potential to be more.
- Austin Cox (2020 Age: 23): The Royals finally took a break after Bowlan, selecting college position players Kyle Isbel and Eric Cole with their next two picks, but they returned to the mound in the fifth round in 2018 and took Austin Cox out of Mercer. Like the five pitchers before him, he too had a successful first full season, posting a 2.76 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 129/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 130.2 innings at Class A Lexington and High A Wilmington. Here, the difference was the command, as he struggled to repeat his delivery and find the strike zone consistently at Mercer, but the Royals smoothed him out and it did wonders for his command. That helps his four pitch arsenal, led by a low 90's fastball and a hard biting curveball, play up, which was a complete shift from how it played down in college. He's still probably a bit behind the other guys in terms of his overall projection, but the fifth round lefty has given himself a favorable outlook as a #4 or a #5 starter with more possible.
- Alec Marsh (2020 Age: 21-22): Unlike 2018, the Royals began their 2019 draft with back to back shortstops, but they spent their competitive balance pick on Arizona State starter Alec Marsh. Marsh went and had a very successful debut in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League, posting a 4.05 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 38/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 33.1 innings at rookie level Idaho Falls. He stands out more for his total package than for any one flashy attribute, as he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds two nice breaking balls and a changeup. His command was pretty good in college but he really locked down the strike zone in his pro debut in 2019, and if he can maintain that sharp command, he should be able to work his way up as a #4 starter. Given the success of the Royals' 2018 draft picks, I wouldn't be surprised if he broke out and ended up as a mid-rotation guy.
- Grant Gambrell (2020 Age: 22): I wasn't a big fan of the Royals taking Gambrell in the third round out of Oregon State in 2019, and his 6.67 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and 28/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 27 innings at rookie level Idaho Falls in his pro debut don't help, but I wouldn't bet against any college pitchers in this system. Gambrell flashes great stuff, but he hasn't been even remotely consistent, so he'll be a project for the Royals. At his best, he has a low to mid 90's fastball, a slider with good hard break, and a solid changeup, but he tends to lose feel for his pitches and his command comes and goes. He's got the ceiling to match most other arms in this system, but I'll be really interesting to see how if the Royals can get him to where he needs to be.
- Noah Murdock (2020 Age: 21): The Royals knew they were getting a project when they drafted Murdock in the seventh round out of UVA in 2019, as he posted a 6.30 ERA as a junior because his mechanics had a tendency of falling apart. The Royals were able to iron out similar issues for Austin Cox, and so far, it's looking up for Murdock as he posted a 2.17 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a 43/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 37.1 innings for rookie level Burlington. He's a string bean at 6'8", but when he keeps his mechanics in line, he can get really good angle on his low 90's fastball and his inconsistent breaking ball, and that makes both pitches play up. Murdock has an extremely high ceiling for an seventh round college pick, but he's in the right system and could be well on his way a year from now so long as he stays healthy.
- Yohanse Morel (2020 Age: 19): The Royals have a few enigmatic young pitchers down in Class A in Carlos Hernandez, Evan Steele, Yefri Del Rosario, and Yohanse Morel, but as the youngest of the group, Morel will earn the writeup. Acquired from the Nationals in the Kelvin Herrera trade in 2018 just one game into his pro career, the Royals skipped Morel up to Class A Lexington in 2019 and he had a 6.02 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, and a 57/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 52.1 innings. Those weren't the flashiest numbers, but for an 18 year old with just 47 innings of pro experience coming into the season, it wasn't half bad. He has an easy delivery and an extremely quick arm that helps him hurl low to mid 90's fastballs, solid sliders, and often plus, fading changeups. He's still learning to reign all that in, as he can lose his arm slot and therefore the zone, and he also needs to learn to sequence his pitches better, but the stuff is there for him to be an impact starting pitcher down the road. He's young enough that he should have plenty of time to learn himself as a pitcher, and his upside is tremendous.
- Keep an eye on: Rito Lugo, Daniel Tillo, Carlos Hernandez, Evan Steele, Charlie Neuweiler, Yefri Del Rosario
Relief Pitching
- Josh Staumont (2020 Age: 26): It feels like prospect evaluators have been writing about Staumont's electric arm for all of eternity, though in reality he was drafted out of Azusa Pacific in the second round in 2015. He somehow managed to walk 201 batters in 248 innings between 2016 and 2017, so the Royals finally bumped him to the bullpen in 2018 and the results have been decent. In 2019, Staumont had a 3.16 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 74/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 51.1 innings at AAA Omaha, then posted a 3.72 ERA and a 15/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 19.1 major league innings. His fastball easily sits in the upper 90's and his hammer curveball can be equally devastating, and while he's improved his command over the last couple of seasons, he still struggles to locate those pitches where he wants them. The stuff is so good that he doesn't even need average command to succeed as a major league reliever, but he does need to at least get the ball in the general area of where the catcher is setting up or else he won't last very long. In 2020, I guess we'll see.
- Zach Haake (2020 Age: 23): Drafted in the sixth round in 2018 out of Kentucky, Haake had a good first full season like all of his counterparts in that draft, but it wasn't quite as good and combined with his profile, it probably makes him a reliever long term. Haake struggled mightily for the Wildcats in 2018 to the tune of an 8.47 ERA, but he turned it around really nicely in pro ball with a 1.76 ERA in his pro debut then in 2019 with a 2.70 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 94/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 80 innings, mostly at Class A Lexington. Haake has great stuff, highlighted by a mid 90's fastball, a very inconsistent slider that can look great at times, and a changeup that has come along nicely in pro ball, though command and overall inconsistency have held him back. The Royals ironed him out and got him at least throwing strikes in the South Atlantic League, though there's still work to do there with the overall command and his secondary pitches are still very inconsistent. Given the depth of starting pitching talent in this system, he's probably a reliever long term, but the Royals will give him more opportunities to start and break through.
- Drew Parrish (2020 Age: 22): Parrish was an eighth rounder out of Florida State in 2019, and though he followed a dominant sophomore season with an up and down junior year in Tallahassee, he turned it around nicely in his pro debut with a 2.52 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and a 39/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 25 innings at rookie level Burlington. Parrish stands just 5'11" and sits in the upper 80's with his fastball, adding a great tumbling changeup and a decent breaking ball. The lefty commands everything very well, but the stuff is probably just a bit light to start unless he takes a step forward with his velocity. Kris Bubic did have a similar profile coming out of Stanford a year prior, if with marginally better stuff and marginally less command, and he's pitched extremely well in this system, so there's certainly hope for Parrish as a starter. Still, I think his most likely destination is the bullpen, where he could really pitch off his changeup and perhaps add a tick of velocity to get up into the low 90's.
- Keep an eye on: Conner Greene, Tyler Zuber, Josh Dye, Austin Lambright, Dante Biasi
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