Kansas City Royals: No reason to rush Brady Singer

The Kansas City Royals are understandably anxious to see what they have in their top pitching prospect, but there is no reason to rush Brady Singer.

As the Kansas City Royals are in the midst of their rebuild, there is a desire to see what, exactly, the prospects have to offer. After all, the Royals hopes for the next few years are dependant upon the growth and success of their plethora of pitching prospects. That excitement understandably extends to their top pitching prospect, Brady Singer.

Despite being the 18th overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, Singer earned an invitation to the major league portion of spring training. Given the unsettled nature of the Royals rotation, there was talk that he could be in the race for the fifth rotation spot. With Singer still in camp, that chatter has only gotten louder.

Singer, for his part, has somewhat held his own thus far. In his 5.2 innings, he has allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out six. For a 23 year old who has just one year of professional ball under his belt, that isn’t a terrible showing.

But that is the problem. Singer has just 26 minor league appearances, all of which came last season. He certainly performed well last season, posting a 2.85 ERA and a 1.187 WHiP, striking out 138 batters with only 39 walks in his 148.1 innings. He was able to handle AA in his 16 outings, showing why he is the Royals’ top pitching prospect.

Meanwhile, the 2020 Royals are not expected to contend. They are still playing for the future, with the idea of building a sustainable contender. To do that, they need to give their youngsters time to develop, instead of rushing them to the majors.

Singer may well be ready for the major leagues right now. He may well be better than the Royals other options in the rotation. But that does not mean he should be pushed to the majors in what will be another lost season. Instead, it would make more sense for his development to spend some time in AAA before getting that call to Kansas City.

Brady Singer will get his time with the Kansas City Royals. It may even come this season. But he should not be making the team out of spring training.