Royals' farm gets boost from Draft bats

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Before last July, the last time the Royals spent their first two Draft picks on a pair of college bats was in 1982, when they took John Morris 10th overall and picked Joe Szekely 28 selections later. They would have been better off signing the New Orleans high schooler they took in the fourth round, but Will Clark headed to Mississippi State.

Looking to bolster an offense that hasn't ranked in the top half in the American League in scoring since it won the 2015 World Series, Kansas City used the ninth overall choice in 2022 on Virginia Tech outfielder Gavin Cross and the 49th on Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace. They signed for a combined $6,897,000 and spent most of their pro debuts in Single-A, where they both fared well.

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Cross and Wallace have more impact offensive potential than any prospects in the Royals' system, with the possible exception of outfielder Tyler Gentry. Cross was the best hitter on a loaded U.S. collegiate national team in 2021 and produced some of the highest exit velocities in the 2022 MLB Draft. Wallace might be a little less polished as a hitter but may have a bit more raw power, and both of them will need to refine their swing decisions against more advanced pro pitching.

Cross made an immediate impression on the big league staff in limited action this spring, tripling in his first Cactus League game and homering in his second.

"They're both great workers, great talents with a ton of tools," Royals farm director Mitch Maier said. "They're going to hit for average and they're going to hit for power. In their first full season, the main goal is to get them 500 at-bats, get them reps as they learn a ton about themselves and play six days a week."

While Cross and Wallace are known most for their offensive prowess, they may be underrated as athletes and defenders. Both are solid runners with some savvy on the bases. Cross has a chance to stick in center field, while Wallace has well above-average arm strength and could develop into an asset at third base.

"Both of them provide good defensive value," Maier said. "They move well and do a lot of things well defensively. That's what's encouraging to me. They're both well-rounded players who impact both sides of the ball."

Camp standout: Maikel Garcia

A cousin of former Royals All-Star and 2015 American League Championship Series MVP Alcides Escobar as well as of perennial All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr., shortstop Maikel Garcia is coming off the best year of his career. He hit .285/.359/.427 between Double-A and Triple-A, went 7-for-22 in a brief stint with Kansas City, then led the Venezuelan Winter League in walks (46 in 58 games) while finishing ninth in the batting race (.323).

Taking advantage of Bobby Witt Jr.'s absence while he plays in the World Baseball Classic, Garcia has gone 10-for-28 with a home run in Cactus League action while also seeing action at third base and in center field. Signed for just $30,000 in 2016, he has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the system to go with solid speed and quality shortstop defense.

"Maikel's baseball IQ has always been off the charts," Maier said. "His hit tool has always been good -- he doesn't chase, he controls the strike zone -- and he's running into some extra-base hits now that he's filling out more. His ability to quickly apply what he gets taught impresses me."

Something to prove: Alec Marsh

A 2019 supplemental second-round pick out of Arizona State, Marsh lost 2020 to the pandemic shutdown and most of 2021 with biceps soreness and a tired arm. So his first extended taste of pro ball didn't come until last year, when he led the Minors in losses (16) and had the second-worst ERA (6.88) among full-season qualifiers -- yet also led the system with 156 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings.

Marsh, the Royals' No. 16 prospect, has one of the best pitch mixes in the system, with his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup all showing flashes of becoming at least solid offerings. To have more success, he'll need to improve his control in general and his command specifically with his 92-97 mph fastball, which got whacked last year. He did perform better in two late-season starts in Triple-A and Maier noted that he has done a better job of locating and sequencing his pitches this spring.

Breakout candidate: Carter Jensen

Jensen may have had more pure hitting ability than any high school catching prospect in the 2021 Draft, which prompted the Royals to sign him for an over-slot $1,097,500 in the third round. While he didn't dominate in his first full pro season, batting .227/.363/.382 with 11 homers in Single-A, he finished third in the Carolina League with 83 walks and was the circuit's fourth-youngest batting qualifier at age 18.

Jensen, the club's No. 10 prospect, improved significantly in the final two-plus months, batting .286/.440/.429 with 51 walks in his final 52 games. He also made progress with his receiving while throwing out 30 percent of basestealers, and Kansas City is optimistic he'll continue to get better on both sides of the ball.

"The strides he has made behind the plate after never catching as much as he did last year, Carter has done a great job," Maier said. "From an offensive standpoint, he has really performed well in the metrics we value. He walks, he controls the strikes zone, he swings at good pitches, he uses the entire field. He's also very mature for his age in the way he goes about his work."