Kansas City Royals top ten prospects for 2020

The Kansas City Royals farm system may not be what it once was, but it has certainly improved over the past two years.

At the beginning part of the decade, the Kansas City Royals farm system was the envy of baseball. The years of miserable finishes had led to a plethora of high draft picks, and that talent was evident. Even as the likes of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Danny Duffy found their way to the majors, the Royals still had a strong farm system.

Eventually, time took its toll. Continued promotions to the majors thinned the ranks, and the Royals trades during their World Series run in 2015 took out what was left. The Kansas City farm system, once one of the jewels of baseball, was a shell of its former self.

While it is not back to its former glory, the Royals have done a tremendous job in rebuilding their minor leagues. Bolstered by solid drafts, and the Royals struggles at the major league level, the farm system is starting to improve. While it is not quite where it was a decade ago, the Royals have come a long way in the past couple of years.

At some point soon, the fruits of the latest focus on the minors will pay off at the major league level. Let’s take a look at some of those players who could make an impact on the Kansas City Royals future.

10. Yefri Del Rosario

Minors: Did not play – injured

Yefri Del Rosario took a rather different route to become a member of the Kansas City Royals.

He had originally been signed by the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent, getting a $1 million signing bonus. However, he was later cut loose due to the Braves signing infractions, allowing the Royals to swoop in and snag him for a $650,000 bonus of their own. He was considered to be one of the more talented prospects that the Braves lost as part of their punishment, and it is easy to see why that was the case.

When healthy, Del Rosario has some impressive stuff. His fastball sits in the mid 90s, and has been clocked as high as 97 MPH. It is thought that, as he matures physically, he can add even more velocity to the heater. He has a curve/slider hybrid with a sharp break and a developing change as his secondary offerings, both of which have the potential to be plus pitches.

The biggest issue with Del Rosario is his health. The Braves and Royals had eased him into a starter role, and then he missed all of last season with a nerve issue in his pitching arm. If he is able to come back healthy, and continue to develop his burgeoning change, he has the potential to develop into a Yordano Ventura type of starter. Considering Del Rosario idolized Ventura, which played a part in his signing with the Royals, it would be fitting if he did become that type of pitcher.

Of course, Yefri Del Rosario needs to be healthy first. If that happens, they may have the second coming of Yordano Ventura in a few years.

9. Erick Pena

Minors: Did not play

The Kansas City Royals decision to trade Carlos Beltran back in 2004 is still considered to be one of the worst deals in the history of the team. With Erick Pena, they have another chance to add a Beltran type to their lineup.

Considered one of the top international prospects this year, the Royals jumped on the chance to add Pena to the system. He signed for a $4 million bonus shortly after the international signing period began on June 2nd, allowing the Royals to get one of the top international talents from this year’s class.

The similarities are easy to see. A left handed hitter, he is considered to have a solid approach at the plate, showing an ability to hit to all fields with power. Pena shows an ability to make consistent hard contact, without missing all too often when he does swing. Although he has average speed, he dies have the ability to get a good jump on the ball and tremendous instincts which could allow him to remain in center long term.

Obviously, it is far too early to say that Pena will have the type of career that Beltran did. Yet, his overall makeup and talent drew comparisons to the former All Star and face of the Royals franchise. If he can live up to his potential, Pena could end up being the same type of player by the middle of the coming decade.

The Kansas City Royals made a mistake in trading Carlos Beltran in 2004. All these years later, they have a chance to rectify that error in judgment.

8. Kyle Isbel

Minors (RK, A+): 241 plate appearances, .233/.296/.397, nine doubles, seven homers, 11 steals, 17 walks, 49 strikeouts

An injury last season cost Kyle Isbel a large portion of his 2019 campaign, as he had just 241 plate appearances. While that did hamper in his overall results, it did not change the perception of the type of player that Isbel could be for the Kansas City Royals.

A third round draft pick in 2018, Isbel put his name on the prospect lists with a strong showing in the Cape Cod League in 2017. He followed that up with a tremendous junior year at UNLV, showing improved power and a solid approach at the plate.

While Isbel does not have one standout tool, he does everything relatively well. He retooled his swing as a junior, allowing him to tap into his potential power. Isbel shows a good eye at the plate, and a strong feel for making contact. Although he is not a speedster, he can steal a base and shows good instincts on the basepaths. That speed would allow him to remain in center, although it is possible that he could move to second, a position that he played in college.

That profile does not make Isbel an overly exciting prospect. It does, however, make him one with a reasonably solid floor, a solid all around player who can do a bit of everything. Isbel could potentially end up as a utility player as well, seeing some time at all three outfield spots, as well as second.

Kyle Isbel has the profile of a future major league piece for the Kansas City Royals. He may not excite, but he could be a nice piece for a contending team.

7. Kris Bubic

Minors (A, A+): 149.1 innings, 11-5 record, 2.23 ERA, 0.971 WHiP, 42 walks, 185 strikeouts

If prospect rankings were based solely off of statistics, then Kris Bubic would be the top pitching prospect in the Kansas City Royals system.

Bubic was one of the multitude of college pitchers selected by the Royals in the 2018 MLB Draft, as they looked to stock their system with some arms that could rapidly ascend through the system. Thus far, Bubic has been exactly that.

It is interesting to see his results when compared to his stuff. Bubic has a fastball that sits in the lower 90s, but has solid command of the pitch. His best offering a mid 80s changeup that has excellent tailing action, allowing it to be an out pitch. Bubic’s curve is hit or miss, as he will lose the feel for the offering, leaving it to float up in the zone where it can be hammered. He does have a tendency to abandon the curve when he does not have a feel for it, something that will not play at the upper levels.

And yet, despite his relatively middling arsenal, he has been able to perform far better than expected. His funky left handed delivery, reminiscent of Alex Wood. That delivery makes his offerings far more deceptive, which has allowed him to dominate in the lower minors. Add in his innate feel for pitching, and Wood may well be a solid comparison for what Bubic can develop into.

At this point, based on the statistics, Kris Bubic has been the best pitcher the Kansas City Royals drafted in their 2018 haul. It remains to be seen if that will be the case as he progresses into the upper minors.

6. Brady McConnell

Minors (RK): 178 plate appearances, .213/.288/.400, 13 doubles, five homers, five steals, 15 walks, 68 strikeouts

Brady McConnell really had just one season in college before being a second round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals last year, but he made that year count.

After playing just nine games as a freshman due to injury, McConnell came back with a vengeance as a draft eligible sophomore. He displayed above average power and athleticism, raising his stock enough to be selected early in the second round by Kansas City.

However, that performance in college did not carry over to the start of his professional career. When McConnell makes contact, he tends to hit the ball squarely, showing a knack for getting the barrel on the ball. The problem is that he will need to refine his approach to make more consistent contact, allowing his power potential and his speed to come into play.

There are also questions about where McConnell will play defensively long term. He was drafted as a shortstop, but the Royals also selected Bobby Witt Jr as the shortstop of the future with the second overall pick of the 2019 MPB Draft. McConnell is not considered to have the best hands at short, which may lead to a move to either second or the outfield.

With a change in approach, and some refinement to his profile, Brady McConnell can be a key part of the Kansas City Royals future. At what position that is, however, is yet to be determined.

4. Jackson Kowar

Minors (A+, AA): 148.1 innings, 7-10 record, 3.52 ERA, 1.240 WHiP, 43 walks, 144 strikeouts

Jackson Kowar may have the best two pitch combination in the Kansas City Royals farm system. However, he needs to develop a workable third offering if he is going to fulfill his potential.

That was the biggest knock on Kowar coming out of college. There was no questioning his fastball ad changeup, but his third pitch, a curve, was considered subpar at best. There was even talk of his potentially being asked to scrap the offering in exchange for a slider or a cutter. However, that has yet to happen.

Kowar’s fastball and change have certainly played up in the professional ranks. His fastball sits in the mid 90s, and can touch 97 MPH. His change, meanwhile, has excellent fade and deception, making his arguably his best pitch. Then there is the curve, which really acts more like a soft slider with curveball velocity. It has improved since he was drafted, but if the pitch does not develop further, that talk may come back.

At this point, that lack of a viable third offering is what is holding Kowar back the most. His stride is a bit short, and can cause his velocity to play down, but that is easily corrected. However, the lack of even a viable third offering will allow hitters at the higher levels to lay off his change and ambush the fastball, which could either stall his ascension or push Kowar to the bullpen.

The changeup and fastball are major league caliber offerings. However, if Jackson Kowar is to make an impact on the Kansas City Royals rotation in the future, he needs to find another pitch that he can use to keep hitters off balance.

3. Khalil Lee

Minors (AA): 546 plate appearances, .264/.363/.372, 21 doubles, eight homers, 53 steals, 65 walks, 154 strikeouts

It is just a matter of time before Khalil Lee finds himself as the Kansas City Royals leadoff hitter.

A tremendous athlete, Lee has steadily risen through the Royals system since being selected in the third round out of high school in the 2016 MLB Draft. He was a two way player at the time, one that several teams preferred as a left handed pitcher. However, for the Royals, he has spent his time in the outfield, where his athleticism and strong arm have been on display.

Defensively, Lee has the instincts to play center, but may be a better fit in right. His tremendous arm can be quite the weapon, with his athleticism could potentially make Lee a perennial Gold Glove candidate.

Offensively, Lee could well end up as the Royals leadoff hitter for years to come. He has an extremely patient approach at the plate, working the count as much as possible. Sometimes, that approach borders on passiveness, as he will let hittable pitches go by without offering. If he refines that approach to be a bit more aggressive, it could unlock his power potential, making Lee a possible 15 homer, 40 steal threat. Interestingly, although Lee does not have outstanding speed, he picks his spots on the bases well and gets a tremendous jump, allowing him to be a threat on the basepaths.

The Kansas City Royals most recent heyday involved tremendous outfield defense. Khalil Lee is a throwback to that time, and could be a mainstay atop the Royals lineup.

2. Brady Singer

Minors (A+, AA): 148.1 innings, 12-5 record, 2.85 ERA, 1.187 WHiP, 39 walks, 138 strikeouts

Absolutely no one expected that Brady Singer would be available when the Kansas City Royals made their first selection with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. His slide down the draft board made him a steal for the Royals.

Due to his excessive college workload and a minor hamstring issue, the Royals did not have Singer pitch at all in 2018. However, he came back with a vengeance this past season, showing three potential plus pitches and a bulldog mentality on the mound that makes it easy to be enamored with Singer’s potential to be a top of the rotation starter.

Singer throws two different variations of his fastball, a two seamer and a four seamer. The two seamer has solid sinking action, sitting in the lower 90s. His four seamer has riding action, and sits in the mid 90s. Singer’s slider is another plus offering, one that he can manipulate the break and velocity on to throw off the opposition’s timing. He also throws a passable change, although he does not use it often.

Using a somewhat lower arm slot, Singer has a lot of deception in his delivery. If his changeup continues to develop, he could be a ground ball pitcher with the ability to miss bats. Add in his extremely competitive side, and Singer has the makings of a top of the rotation starter, one that could help lead the Royals back to the playoffs.

The Kansas City Royals certainly did not expect Brady Singer to be available with their first selection of the 2018 MLB Draft. However, they are certainly grateful that he inexplicably fell down the draft boards.

1. Bobby Witt Jr

Minors (RK): 180 plate appearances, .262/.317/.354, two doubles, one homer, nine steals, 13 walks, 35 strikeouts

His father, Bobby Witt, was selected with the third overall pick in the 1985 MLB Draft. The Kansas City Royals took Bobby Witt Jr one pick earlier, with the second overall selection in 2019.

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Long considered a top prospect in this draft, Witt Jr had even been in consideration for the top overall selection at one point. He has the potential to be a rarity at short – a true five tool player who can make an impact in the middle of the lineup.

Offensively, Witt does have occasional issues making consistent contact, but has displayed improvement in that area, both prior to the draft and after being selected. His ability to barrel up the ball has improved, and he will use the entire field, hitting the ball where it is pitched. He has plus power and speed, making him a potential 20-20 player as he continues to develop.

Defensively, Witt has all the requisite tools. He has impressive range and quick hands, covering a great deal of ground swiftly. Understandably, given his lineage, he has a strong arm, with a fastball clocked in the mid 90s as a pitcher. Wott is expected to stick at short long term, where he could be a star in the making. With his love for the game and intangibles, Witt could be a surprisingly fast mover through the Royals system.

Bobby Witt Jr could be a five tool player in the middle of the Kansas City Royals lineup, a superstar shortstop that can contribute in every facet of the game. That could happen even sooner than one would expect for a high school shortstop.