Royals flush with high-impact prospects

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Even on the Royals backfields in Surprise, there is the looming presence of Junior. That’s what he’s nicknamed here anyway. You might know him as Bobby Witt Jr., the recently named No. 1 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. Barring something unforeseen, he also looks set to be named something else in about a week -- Kansas City’s Opening Day third baseman.

Not a lot of farm systems could weather losing a No. 1 overall prospect, albeit for the best of reasons, and keep trucking as a quality, young group. Royals vice president of player personnel Lonnie Goldberg is entering his 15th season in the organization -- meaning he was here when the system boasted some of the homegrown talent that would help KC win a title in 2015 -- and he thinks this particular group is built to withstand even such a loss.

“I think we have more length in our system right now than we even had at that point,” Goldberg said of the beginning of the previous decade. “It might not be as starstruck as the Hosmers, Moustakases and the Wil Myerses. But the depth that we have in our pitching and the length that we have in some of our position players, I think it's probably better.”

If that’s to be true, it appears that versatility and young pitching will be what carries the day for KC upon Witt’s graduation.

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Witt’s move to third base, in deference to Adalberto Mondesi and Nicky Lopez as shortstop options, highlights the need for the former. That could be put to use next with his 2021 teammates and fellow Top 100 prospects MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto -- both of whom were optioned to Triple-A on Monday.

Melendez led the Minor Leagues with 41 homers across the top two levels in 2021 and could make for a capable defensive catcher for a lot of Major League clubs right now. He just so happens to be behind 2021 Major League co-home run king Salvador Perez on the backstop depth chart, so Goldberg said it’s likely he’ll get exposure at third base (as he did for one Cactus League game), first base and even left field.

Pratto is coming off a 36-homer season at Double-A and Triple-A and is considered a Gold Glove-caliber defender at first base. But to force his way to KC, he might have to see some more time himself in a corner outfield spot, as he did for three games toward the end of last season. Even No. 6 prospect Nick Loftin, who has yet to see the upper levels, is preparing for a full-time move from shortstop to center field.

The Royals’ depth is about to cause a logjam, one all involved is more than happy to figure out.

“I think kids are realizing ‘OK, well I can turn on the TV and watch the Dodgers play in the World Series and there's a different lineup every day. If they're doing it, then who the hell am I to think that I can't do that?’” Goldberg said. “I think they realize it increases their value. If Bobby Witt Jr. played shortstop all his life, well he’s playing third base in the big leagues right now. When you have a kid like him who is revered in this organization not only for his talent but the type of person he is, I think it makes it easier for our guys to also buy in.”

Beyond those bats is a group of interesting, potentially high-ceiling arms, mostly stemming from the 2021 Draft. No. 8 prospect Frank Mozzicato, No. 11 Ben Kudrna and No. 27 Shane Panzini were taken by Kansas City in the first, second and fourth rounds last July, respectively -- all from relatively cold-weather states in Connecticut, Kansas and New Jersey.

Because of the aforementioned length of the group right now and the relative inexperience of those pitchers, Goldberg and the rest of the KC player-development staff is taking it easy out of the gate with that trio. Speaking to MLB Pipeline on Sunday, Kudrna said he’s up to two innings in his spring outings and was just about to be extended to three. Mozzicato and Panzini appear to be on similar timelines, and if that’s the case, it seems likeliest that they will open their first full season in extended spring training to build up that workload for possible assignment to Single-A Columbia when ready for longer starts.

The point is with other ranked pitchers like Asa Lacy, Jon Heasley, Alec Marsh and Angel Zerpa potentially pushing for the Majors this summer, the Royals are in a spot to be patient, and that slow approach is what gives Goldberg optimism for the days when the likes of Witt, Melendez and Pratto aren’t dominating the top of the list.

“We don't have to pressure them,” he said. “They don't have to feel like they have to be rushed. We can make really good decisions with them because I feel we are pretty top-heavy right now and we're full at those positions. That's exciting for us.”

Camp standout: Nick Loftin
The Royals’ No. 6 prospect is coming off a solid first full season in which he hit .289/.373/.463 with 10 homers and 11 steals in 90 games at High-A Quad Cities. Through that performance, it became clearer to Kansas City that the 2020 32nd overall pick could show enough with the bat to be an everyday fixture in the lineup. His athleticism, highlighted by good speed and an above-average arm, strengthened that argument, but the quicker he climbs, the quicker the former Baylor shortstop bumps into Mondesi, Lopez and Witt on the infield.

Early returns on Loftin’s move to center have been promising with Goldberg saying the transition has been “pretty easy for him.” He’s remained a quality bat in camp as well, as he proved Sunday with a long homer to left-center in an intrasquad matchup. Loftin is ticketed for Double-A and should be a steady top-of-the-lineup contributor quickly in Northwest Arkansas if the spring is any indication.

“He’s just really consistent, and he doesn't vibrate,” Goldberg said. “His heartbeat is always the same. He just gives you quality at-bats constantly, and the game is really slow to him. He's very natural in the box. He's a very natural player.”

Something to prove: Erick Peña
There was considerable anticipation for Peña’s first Minor League season in 2021 after he signed for $3,897,500 out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019, and that included his own to finally show off his tools -- considered to be average to above-average across the board. Unfortunately for him, he was caught pressing at the Arizona Complex League, where he hit just .161 and struck out in 36.5 percent of his plate appearances over 40 games.

As such, Peña’s stock fell from being the potential Next Big Thing in the KC system to his current spot at No. 12 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30. That standing still speaks to his age at 19 and potential to turn his K-heavy ways around, as Pratto and Melendez did in 2021. The Royals still believe the 6-foot-3, left-handed-hitting outfielder can be at least an average hitter and a potential above-average slugger, and after Peña took his lumps last summer, the club is seeing him try to tap more into his lower half and allowing his hands to drive his contact rates moving forward. The biggest adjustment of all might be mental.

“I think he's starting to get a little bit more comfortable in his own skin,” Goldberg said. “He’s starting to go back to playing and competing again, as opposed to trying to be someone who everybody has these big expectations for. … He's moving around better. He's gotten bigger and stronger. His swing looks better. And I think it's because the focus isn't just on him.”

Prospect we’ll be talking about in 2023: Daniel Vazquez
If there’s a prospect who could learn from Peña’s lessons, it’s Vazquez -- a $1.5 million signing out of the DR in January 2021.

The 18-year-old shortstop is considered a gifted fielder at the six with the potential to be a solid hitter from the right side in time. However, his .186/.280/.265 line over 32 games in the Dominican Summer League didn’t quite to speak to his potential with the bat. The Royals have still brought him stateside this spring, in anticipation of a possible US debut in the ACL, and they’re pleased with his progress against the more experienced competition in Surprise as he’s begun to mature physically.

If Vazquez can show even just an average bat in Arizona in the months to come, the rest of the profile would make him Kansas City’s most high-profile shortstop at the lower levels in 2022 and beyond.

“He's a high-ceiling shortstop,” Goldberg said. “He has a chance to be an electric-type player. He's been really fun to watch here in Spring Training. He’s grown. He's more physical, but he's still baby-faced so he's young. He’s an exciting player.”