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Kansas City Royals: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018

By Benjamin Chase

SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 05: A Kansas City Royals bat and glove are seen on the practice field before a MLB spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Surprise Stadium March 5, 2007 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 05: A Kansas City Royals bat and glove are seen on the practice field before a MLB spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Surprise Stadium March 5, 2007 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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10. Michael Gigliotti, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/14/1996 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Burlington Royals, low-A Lexington Legends
2017 Stats: .320/.420/.456, 291 PA, 4 HR, 22 SB, 40/41 BB/K

Info: Gigliotti was undrafted out of high school and ended up at small school Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he turned heads in the 2016 summer leagues with his blazing speed and his burgeoning power.

Then Gigliotti went through his draft season at Lipscomb and struggled more than any previous season, with his worst batting average and slugging percentage while also having his highest strikeout rate, though it was still only 15.2%.

(Gigliotti) has an elite eye that profiles him as an ideal leadoff hitter that will be on base with elite speed on the bases.

Because of the rough spring, Gigliotti fell to the fourth round, where the Royals got him for roughly $50,000 under slot. He then went about proving that draft slot significantly below his true talent.

When he’s on his game, Gigliotti has double-plus speed, average game power and above-average raw power, plus contact ability, and double-plus raw defensive skills in center field. He has an elite eye that profiles him as an ideal leadoff hitter that will be on base with elite speed on the bases.

Gigliotti only played 22 games with Lexington, but it wouldn’t surprise if the Royals have that be his only time at the level, jumping him to their high-A affiliate at Wilmington.

9. Foster Griffin, LHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/27/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals
2017 Stats: 28 GS, 161 1/3 IP, 3.35 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 8.1% BB, 21.1% K

Info: Griffin was an odd case last season as he lost velocity for two seasons after high school, which would have suggested an injury underlying, but he’s bounced back in 2017 and jumped over multiple other pitchers on this list.

Griffin’s velocity returned to pre-draft points, sitting in the low-90s with tremendous sink and late action low in the zone. Griffin worked his secondary stuff much better with improved control and velocity from his fastball.

Watching Griffin’s four-seam fastball this year, he did seem to add a bit of cut against right-handed hitters and excellent location, especially up in the zone with the four-seam against lefty hitters. His curve has a solid 11-to-5 shape that drew a lot of swing and miss in 2017.

Griffin projects more in the middle to back of a rotation unless his change takes a big step forward from the average projection that it currently shows. However, with an excellent frame and improved location on his pair of fastballs to set up everything else, Griffin could be a guy who carries a heavy inning load in the middle of the rotation from the left side.

The Royals will likely open Griffin in AAA Omaha to start 2018, but with the likely openings in the Royals rotation to open the season and feasibly more by mid-year, Griffin could find his way into the big league rotation by the end of the season.

Next: #7 and #8

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