Luca Tresh 'not looking back' in first spring camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- It’s no secret that the busiest people during Spring Training are catchers. From learning pitchers’ repertoires to catching bullpen sessions, to then ensuring that they get their own hitting and defensive work in, catchers’ schedules are packed full during the spring.

Luca Tresh, the Royals' No. 24 prospect, is getting his first taste of that schedule and Minor League Spring Training as he enters his first full season with the Royals. The 22-year-old catcher was drafted out of North Carolina State last year and has been settling into the organization after an up-and-down 2021.

“It’s been day in and day out, just kind of a grind, but it’s been awesome,” Tresh said. “Defense, hitting, bullpens, all that. I’d say college prepared me for the schedule, but just balancing out my body, listening to it, what days I need to do certain things, taking it one day at a time has been the biggest thing.”

Tresh felt like a diamond in the rough when the Royals selected him in the 17th round of the 2021 Draft. He was viewed as a premium talent heading into the Draft after helping the Wolfpack get to the College World Series. Starting behind the plate for all 56 games during the collegiate season, Tresh hit just .231 but led the team with 15 home runs. He received tons of praise for his ability to lead the NC State pitching staff, filling the void that Patrick Bailey left when the Giants drafted him No. 13 overall in 2020.

Questions about Tresh’s signability likely led to him sliding into the third day of the Draft. The Royals saw a ton of upside in both his defense and offense. So they selected him in the 17th round, thinking they could try to persuade Tresh to turn pro for them -- or at least establish a strong connection with him if he did go back to school.

At that point, it seemed very likely that Tresh was going to go back to school to try to prove himself once again as the everyday backstop for the Wolfpack. Even he was set on returning.

“As the first couple days went by, I was really set on going back to school,” Tresh said. “And then the Royals just kind of picked me out of nowhere. I was still set on going back to school, and then I thought over it for really long time.”

The Royals began to talk with Tresh about signing, giving him insight into the organization and its hitting philosophy. He asked hard questions, leaned on those around him for support and looked at all his options. Financials were part of the equation, too; Tresh eventually signed for $423,000, roughly the value of a fourth-round pick.

But as Tresh learned more about Kansas City, the more he thought that now was the right time to sign and this was the right organization to join.

“I like how they’re really just about their players,” Tresh said. “They treat us really well. I really like that aspect of it. Pro ball is every kid’s dream. So I was ready for it, ready to move on from college and get in this environment and just get better. I thought I would grow here and get better.

“I was really stuck in between until I finally made that decision. But probably a week or two after I was drafted, after I had a lot of conversations, I was ready to move forward with signing. [I] just said, ‘You know, this is what I’m going to do.’”

The Royals were ecstatic to get Tresh where they did in the Draft and even more thrilled to sign him. He made his professional debut in Rookie ball in Arizona and posted a 1.143 OPS in six games before going to Low-A Columbia, where he struggled a bit more and didn’t get consistent at-bats. He was able to play seven games in the Arizona Fall League last year, too.

“We had a tough go of it those last couple weeks,” Tresh said with a smile. “But it was a good experience overall, and it probably prepared me more for this season where I can have a more consistent schedule than what last year was.”

Tresh could go back to Columbia to begin this season, where he’ll be able to get into a consistent routine and let his skills play. He has a plus arm that keeps the running game in check, and he’s already shown improvement in his receiving skills this spring working with Minor League catching coordinator J.C. Boscan. Offensively, Tresh has obvious raw power from the right side thanks to massive strength and bat speed. He’ll have to tone down his aggressiveness to make consistent contact, but time with the Royals’ hitting development program should help.

“In this game, it’s all about opportunity,” Tresh said. “That was my mindset. And then I kind of flip-flopped, thought about keeping a chip on my shoulder and get after it going back to school and proving myself again. But after conversations and a lot of thinking, I also realized I could have a chip on my shoulder and get after it going in those later rounds. So that’s where I’m at now.

“I’m happy I made the decision I did. I really am. I’m not looking back, just moving forward and taking all of this day by day.”