2 winners and 2 losers from the KC Royals' loss at Spring Breakout

While the Kansas City Royals had another spring training game on Friday, many eyes were locked on their younger counterparts in this year's Spring Breakout. This prospect showcase featured top young talent from every MLB franchise, and Kansas City’s roster was stacked with MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects, tying for the most of any team in the event.

Even in a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, this was a valuable glimpse into the Royals’ future. Some players stood out in big ways, while others left room for improvement. Here’s a breakdown of the top performances — both good and bad — from Kansas City’s Spring Breakout roster.

Winner: Frank Mozzicato, LHP

The clock is ticking on 2021 first-round pick Frank Mozzicato. Entering season four of his Royals career, the left-hander has yet to progress past High-A Quad Cities, raising concerns about his long-term potential. At 21 years old, Mozzicato has begun falling off prospect rankings entirely, making 2025 a pivotal season in his development.

However, Mozzicato delivered a strong outing on Friday, emerging as the only Royals pitcher who didn’t allow a run. Over two scoreless innings, he recorded two strikeouts, offering a glimpse of why Kansas City originally invested in his upside.

The most promising takeaway? Velocity.

Mozzicato averaged 92.4 mph and touched 94 mph — a significant jump from last season, when he regularly sat below 90 mph at Quad Cities. His fastball has long been his workhorse pitch, setting up his signature curveball and developing slider, but the added velocity could make all the difference. There’s still plenty of work ahead, but Mozzicato will likely get his first Double-A opportunity with Northwest Arkansas in 2025 — his biggest test yet.

Loser: Gavin Cross, OF

Another first-rounder waiting to make an MLB impact, outfielder Gavin Cross had some highs and lows against the Diamondbacks. Cross's calling card was his polished collegiate hit tool when Kansas City drafted him ninth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. The Virginia Tech product quietly had a promisng spring training camp with the big-league club and could have really put the exclamation point on that with a good showing against Arizona.

However, he did only record two strikeouts against the Diamondbacks, one swinging and another frozen on the inside third. His plate approach looked too similar to maligned first baseman Nick Pratto, and that is an unmissable image for Royals fans. If there were any positives for Cross, he gunned down a runner for an outfield assist on the day.

Winner: Daniel Vazquez, SS

The Royals signed shortstop Daniel Vazquez out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, and since then, he’s spent three seasons at Low-A Columbia, earning a reputation for slick defense but struggling to develop offensively. While his glove has always been a strength, his bat lagged behind, producing just league-average results in 2024.

Entering 2025, Vazquez is expected to advance to Quad Cities, but there are real concerns about whether his bat can keep up at the next level. However, he helped ease some of those worries with a multi-hit performance on Friday, reaching base three times in total. While one game doesn’t erase long-term concerns, this showing was an encouraging step for a glove-first prospect who desperately needs offensive growth to remain on the Royals’ radar.

Loser: New 40-man pitchers (Luinder Avila, RHP and Noah Cameron, LHP)

Royals pitchers Noah Cameron and Luinder Avila entered Spring Breakout with momentum, but neither delivered the performance they needed. Cameron was seriously in the rotation conversation at one point this spring, and both were added to Kansas City’s 40-man roster last fall — signaling that their MLB debuts could be coming soon. But against Arizona, they didn’t look big-league ready.

Both pitched three innings, with Cameron surrendering two runs and walking three, while Avila also allowed two runs. Arizona’s prospects teed off on their fastballs, and Cameron’s command of his offspeed pitches wasn’t as sharp as usual. This was only an exhibition game, so it’s possible both pitchers were working on specific adjustments rather than focusing on results. Still, this outing was far from a shining moment for either player as they push for a major-league call-up in 2025.