No. 5 prospect ties career high with 4 hits 

Welcome to the Royals prospect update, where you’ll find news, promotions and standout performances, all year long.

Royals top prospect: Rankings | Stats | Box scores

Garcia matches career high in hits (Sept. 15)
Maikel Garcia can play at any level, and he's proving that with Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City's No. 5 prospect is a tough out, and he continued to display his knack for getting on base in the Storm Chasers' 13-6 win over Columbus.

The 22-year-old began the game with a leadoff single to center field in the first inning. He followed that with back-to-back doubles in the second and fourth, the right-handed batter driving the ball to right and center. He lined his second single of the night to center for his fourth hit of the contest. The four hits matched a career high.

The Venezuela native began the season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. On July 15, he made his Major League debut, jumping two levels to join the Royals. Although his first time in the bigs was just for a game, he made a return for a few consecutive games. Following his longest stint in the Majors, Garcia was optioned to Omaha on Aug. 4.

In the Majors, he slashed .318/.348/.364 with seven hits and two RBIs over 22 at-bats. In the Minors this season, he's batting .290 with a .362 on-base percentage and a .794 OPS. -- Ethan Sands

Top prospect homers in second straight game (Sept. 7)
Gavin Cross appears to be settling in nicely to his first professional season, homering for the second straight game as part of a two-knock game with a triple, a walk and three RBIs in Single-A Columbia's 11-7 loss to Charleston in 11 innings at Segra Park.

The top Royals prospect smacked a 3-2 offering off the wall in right for an RBI triple in the seventh, his second career three-bagger. With two outs in the ninth, Cross blasted a game-tying two-run shot to right to force extras. It was the 2022 first-rounder's seventh dinger for the Fireflies.

MLB Pipeline's No. 75 overall prospect is sporting a .309/.438/.649 slash line with 15 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs and 23 runs scored over 26 total games this season. -- Rob Terranova

Gentry produces two extra-base hits late (Sept. 6)
When Tyler Gentry was at the plate, there was extra trouble.

The No. 9 Royals prospect showed off his ability to produce at the plate as he went 2-for-5 with two extra-base hits, including one homer, and five RBIs in Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 5-1 win over Wichita.

The 23-year-old’s day started slow as he was unable to reach base in his first three at-bats. Gentry's production came late as he hit a two-run shot in the eighth inning and bases-clearing RBI double in the ninth inning.

The outfielder brought his homer tally to 20 and improved his slash line to .331/.427/.555 on the season. -- Edwin Perez

Way works eight no-hit innings (Sept. 3)
Batters beware, Beck Way is starting this month strong.

The Royals' No. 10 prospect generated the best performance of his young career, as he struck out 10 while allowing no hits in eight scoreless innings of work in High-A Quad City's 5-1 win over Beloit.

The 21-year-old was on his “A” game his whole outing, retiring 23 out of the 29 batters he faced. Way finished the night with 108 pitches -- 66 of them strikes -- in his start.

He lowered his ERA to 3.60 and brought his K tally to 121 in the 105 innings he has pitched this season. -- Edwin Perez

Cross connects on first pro grand slam at Single-A (Aug. 30)
It was a grand night for Gavin Cross and Single-A Columbia as the Fireflies blanked the Carolina Mudcats, 9-0, at Five County Stadium.

The top-ranked Royals prospect connected on the first grand slam of his professional career, blasting a laser to center in the fourth inning. He finished with two hits, a walk and scored twice.

MLB's No. 75 overall prospect is sporting a .270/.389/.595 slash line with six homers, one triple, four doubles, 14 walks, 19 RBIs and 16 runs over 20 games this season. -- Rob Terranova

Grand slam highlights Garcia's big doubleheader (Aug. 28)
Maikel Garcia was at his best for not one but two games for Triple-A Omaha.

The Royals' No. 7 prospect had four hits, a grand slam and drove in six runs across a doubleheader against Scranton. Garcia's Storm Chasers swept the afternoon, winning the first game 9-4 and the second 12-10.

Leading by two in the sixth inning of the first contest, Garcia belted his first professional grand slam to break the game open. In the nightcap, he extended a six-run Omaha lead in the fifth inning with a two-RBI single that ultimately was the difference in a high-scoring affair.

Garcia, who spent nine games in the Majors with Kansas City earlier this season, is hitting .291 with an .801 OPS in 96 games between Double-A and Triple-A. -- Jacob Resnick

Top prospect Cross homers twice for Columbia (Aug. 17)
Gavin Cross’ final college season came to an end on June 12, meaning the Virginia Tech product had to wait 35 days until he was selected ninth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. It was another 18 days until his first professional game. With the waiting over, Cross is making the most of his time.

Baseball’s No. 75 overall prospect posted his first multihomer game, leaving the yard twice while adding a single and driving in four, as Single-A Columbia routed visiting Kannapolis, 12-1.

A studious approach is paying early dividends for Kansas City’s new top prospect. Cross had four hits in his previous two games before clobbering his first homer of the night to give Columbia a 1-0 lead in the first inning. After a single and a strikeout, he went yard again by learning from his K. Full story »

Wallace impresses in first two Single-A games (Aug. 12)
Cayden Wallace has shown his potential in his young career.

The Royals' second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft impressed in his debut in Single-A as he reached base in half of his at-bats. Wallace continued to impress in his second game with his second multihit effort, going 3-for-4 with one double and four RBIs in Single-A Columbia’s 6-5 win over Gwinnett.

The 21-year-old showcased he can produce at the plate as he hit an RBI single in the third inning, an RBI double in the fifth inning and a single in the ninth inning. He also showcased his wheels as he stole second base in the third inning.

The third baseman’s two multihit nights have brought his slash line to .625/.667/.750. -- Edwin Perez

Promotions roll in for Loftin, Tresh, Hernandez and Cross (Aug. 9)
To prepare for the final months of the 2022 season, the Royals promoted a few notable prospects, including No. 4-ranked prospect Nick Loftin. The utilityman is headed to Triple-A Omaha after slashing .270/.354/.421 across 90 games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, with 12 home runs and 17 triples. The 23-year-old has also played all over the field, including second base, third base, shortstop, left field and center field. He has been a model of consistency for the Naturals and will look to do the same for the Storm Chasers, tracking toward joining the young talent in Kansas City sooner rather than later.

Heading to Double-A are catcher Luca Tresh, the Royals’ No. 26 prospect, and outfielder Diego Hernandez, who has made appearances on the Royals’ top prospect list before the organization added a slew of prospects at the Trade Deadline. Tresh has consistently improved each month in the 2022 season and recently put together the first multihomer game of his career. The 22-year-old is authoring a strong first full-season campaign with 14 homers as he also learns to balance his workload behind the plate. Hernandez, 21, slashed .279/.343/.418 across 83 games in High-A Quad Cities this season, with seven homers, 17 doubles and 27 stolen bases.

Gavin Cross, the Royals’ first-round Draft pick this summer (No. 9 overall), clubbed his first professional home run on Aug. 8 as part of a two-hit day in the Arizona Complex League, and his first few games as a Royal told the organization enough to send him to Single-A Columbia. The 21-year-old will primarily be in center field for the Fireflies, but there will be times that he gets work in at the corners.

First-rounder clubs first professional homer (Aug. 8)
It was a day that Gavin Cross will remember forever.

The No. 9 overall pick of the 2022 Draft clubbed his first professional home run as part of a two-hit day for the Arizona Complex League Royals in their 11-9 loss. The 21-year-old was hot out of the gate with a double to right in his first at-bat of the day, and he followed it up with a solo dinger to right in the third inning to tie the game. While he didn’t record another hit, he walked twice to continue his strong start through his first three professional games.

The outfielder out of Virginia Tech hit .328/.411/.660 with 17 homers, 14 doubles, 50 RBIs and 12 steals in the 2022 college season. -- Stephanie Sheehan

Tresh flexes in first multihomer night (Aug. 4)
Luca Tresh is turning into a hitter to be reckoned with.

The 26th-ranked Royals prospect notched the first multihomer game of his career and drove in four runs to power High-A Quad Cities past visiting Wisconsin, 9-6. Tresh has gone deep four times in his past seven games, equaling his output from the season's first two months.

Drafted in the 17th round out of North Carolina State last year, the 22-year-old is in the midst of a strong first full-season campaign. Tresh is slashing .273/.360/.474 with 30 extra-base hits, 14 homers and 53 RBIs in 78 games for the River Bandits. He's coming off a strong July where he hit .311 with a .952 OPS. -- Michael Avallone

Waters cranks two homers in three-hit game (July 30)
Drew Waters is making a strong impression with Triple-A Omaha.

The No. 8 Royals prospect mashed two home runs in three-hit game in the Storm Chaser's 6-3 victory over Syracuse. This is his first multi-homer game of the season and the second of his career.

The 23-year-old started his night with a leadoff single to right field. In the third inning, Waters hammered a solo drive to center followed by another solo long ball to right in the fifth.

The switch hitter was traded to the Royals' organization, in a deal alongside Andrew Hoffmann and CJ Alexander, from Atlanta in mid-July. Since joining the Storm Chasers, Waters posted a .345/.446/.655 line and collected four home runs in just 14 games. -- Alyssa Gomez

Loftin knocks homer in a four-hit night (July 15)
Nick Loftin had himself a season-high night.

Kansas City's No. 4 prospect went 4-for-5 in Northwest Arkansas' 9-5 win over Corpus Christi.

The 23-year-old notched the first hit of the game with a double to left field in the first inning. In his very next at-bat, the center fielder launched a leadoff homer to left in the third for his 11th blast of the season and followed it with another leadoff hit, a double to left in the seventh. His final at-bat led to a single in the eighth. The four hits, four runs and nine total bases were new season-highs. -- Ethan Sands

Eaton homers twice ... again (July 10)
Nate Eaton delivered his second multihomer game in a week.

The Royals No. 29 prospect blasted two homers and plated three RBIs in Triple-A Omaha's 9-6 victory over Toledo.

The 25-year-old drilled both long balls to left field-- a two-run drive in the third and a solo shot in the fifth. Eaton raised his season home run total to 13, and he's posted a .329/.388/.591 slash line since joining the Storm Chasers in May.

Second-ranked Nick Pratto belted a long ball to right-center in the eighth, his second consecutive game with a homer. -- Alyssa Gomez

Eaton's two homers highlight Omaha's record-breaking night (July 4)
Storm Chasers fans received two fireworks shows on Independence Day.

Led by a multi-homer effort from Royals No. 29 prospect Nate Eaton, Triple-A Omaha went deep nine times to set a franchise record in its 20-6 win over Toledo. Six different Storm Chasers homered, with Eaton's pair joined by two from veteran Roman Quinn. Kansas City's top-ranked prospect, Nick Pratto, contributed his 14th long ball as well.

Since being promoted from Double-A in late May, Eaton -- a 21st-round pick in 2018 -- is hitting .336 with an even 1.000 OPS and seven home runs in 33 games. -- Jacob Resnick

Michael Massey breaks out, hits three RBI doubles (June 26)
Pitchers were seeing double when Michael Massey was up.

The Royals’ No. 19 prospect has been hot as of late, slashing .348/.392/.609 in the month of June. Massey had his best performance since his callup, going 4-for-5 with three doubles and five RBIs in Triple-A Omaha’s 17-14 win over Columbus.

The 24-year-old started his productive night early, hitting an RBI double to right field in the first inning. Massey was not finished there, producing RBI doubles in back-to-back innings in the fifth and sixth inning.

The 2019 fourth-round pick’s impressive stretch brought his slashing line to .312/.365/.515 on the season. -- Edwin Perez

Moving up: Massey, Gentry earn promotions (June 14)
Second baseman Michael Massey, the Royals’ No. 20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, earned a promotion to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday after posting a .854 OPS across 54 games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas to begin the season. Massey, a lefty bat who has unlocked more power the last two years than he showed all through college at Illinois, has crushed nine homers and 15 doubles this season for a .305/.359/.495 slash line. The 24-year-old won a Minor League Gold Glove last year at second base and projects to be an above-average defender there.

Outfielder Tyler Gentry, the Royals' No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline, got the call from High-A Quad Cities to Double-A, where outfielder Seuly Matias went on the seven-day injured list Tuesday. After spending much of 2021 and Spring Training dealing with injuries, Gentry has come back with a bang, posting a .950 OPS across 35 games this season. He has five homers and 23 RBIs, and he’s lowered his strikeout rate (25.7%) this season. Double-A will be a good test for Gentry, and for the Royals -- who will see more of what they have in their third-round Draft pick from 2020.

Pratto drives in five runs for Omaha (June 12)
Nick Pratto only needed two hits to collect a season-high five RBIs.

The second-ranked Royals prospect cranked a three-run homer and a two-run single in Triple-A Omaha’s 10-0 win against Lehigh Valley. On a 2-1 pitch from Iron Pigs righty Joe Gatto in the second, the 23-year-old cranked an opposite-field dinger, his 11th of the season, to extend the Storm Chasers’ lead. An inning later, he drove in two more runs with a two-out single to right, giving him five RBIs in just two frames.

Pratto is slashing .222/.350/.454 on the year with 11 homers, 30 walks and 34 RBIs in 50 games. -- Stephanie Sheehan

Pasquantino homers, doubles for Omaha (June 11)
Vinnie Pasquantino powered his way to the top of the circuit again. The fourth-ranked Royals prospect went yard for his league-leading 17th dinger and added a double in Triple-A Omaha's 4-3 loss to Lehigh Valley at Werner Park.

The 24-year-old launched a game-tying solo blast to right in the fourth inning. He followed that up with a ground-rule double to left to lead off the seventh before scampering home to score the Storm Chasers' second run on a Freddy Fermin single.

Pasquantino has six hits over his last four games with a pair of dingers, a double, five runs scored and four RBIs in that span. -- Rob Terranova

Mozzicato delivers solid start for Columbia (June 4)
It was a deceptively good outing for Frank Mozzicato.

The Royals’ No. 6 prospect has been brought along slowly in his first four professional outings. The trend continued for the 18-year-old, but make no mistake, it was one of his better performances -- he gave up no hits, but was charged with two runs allowed across 3 1/3 innings in Single-A Columbia’s 6-2 loss to Salem.

Mozzicato was dealing from the start, as he retired 10 straight batters. His lone blemishes came in the fourth inning, where he walked back-to-back batters, which led to him being pulled and both runners coming around to score, affecting his final line.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 Draft has shown his value, as this marks four straight outings with three or fewer hits and an opponents' average of .200 against him this season. -- Edwin Perez

Parrish called up to Triple-A after stellar May (June 3)
Drew Parrish, the Royals’ No. 27 prospect, had a 0.59 May ERA in five starts for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas and was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Month. Parrish allowed just 15 hits over 30 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs and four walks while striking out 29. He held batters to just a .144 average and didn’t allow a homer over that stretch.

Parrish has started a league-high-tying 10 games this season and has given up 13 earned runs over 55 innings. The 24-year-old leads the Texas League in innings pitched and is tied for eighth in strikeouts with 48. -- Avery Osen