MLB’s top performing former prospects in 2016
#6 Cheslor Cuthbert
Cheslor Cuthbert has been a longtime prospect in the Royals’ system. Following the 2015 season he was ranked the 10th best Royals prospect by Baseball America.
He was finally given his chance at the beginning of the season when Mike Moustakas was lost for the season to a torn ACL. The 23-year-old took any worries that the team might’ve had about the third base position and made them disappear.
Cuthbert is hitting .295, blasting nine home runs and driving in 33 RBI. He’s been very good in clutch situations as he’s batting .297 with 23 RBI with runners in scoring position.
Cuthbert was signed as an amateur free agent out of Nicaragua in 2009. He was a top ranked Royals prospect in ’09, ranked at 17. His highest ranking came following the 2011 season when he Kansas City’s fifth best prospect and MLB’s 84th best.
With the Royals not playing as well as they have in years past this season, Cuthbert has not been getting a ton of national attention, but he certainly deserves it. The Royals will owe Moustakas more than $8.5 million dollars next season, but with Cuthbert’s emergence they could make him expendable during the offseason.
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