Kansas City Royals: Offseason Prospect Watch, D.J. Burt

Continuing our offseason looks at the Kansas City Royals top thirty prospects according to MLB Pipeline, we took a look at D.J. Burt.

D.J. Burt was not ranked on MLB Pipeline’s list of top prospects at the beginning of the 2018 season. By the end, he cracked the Top 30 in the Kansas City Royals organization, landing in the 28th spot.

2018 Statistics

The infielder spent his time in 2018 with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Through 111 games, he tallied 115 hits, 46 RBIs, and 59 walks. He did also strike out 98 times, though. His performance at the plate was enough for a .280/.367/.371 slash.

Overall in his career, he is slashing .258/.352/.341. MLB Pipeline predicts he will see Major League time as early as 2020 season.

2018 was an award-winning season for Burt. He raked in a Mid-Season All-Star accolade as well as recognition as a Post-Season All-Star. The hope is that his stellar season will serve as momentum headed for the future.

Getting to the Grades

MLB Pipeline grades him out as a 45 overall. His strongest suit is his running abilities, grading out at 55. His weakest link is his power with a grade of 20. The former fourth round pick isn’t going to knock the ball out of the park often; he has 10 in his five year career to date. But, he has the ability to make solid contact and get on base, sometimes even through bunts. His speed makes that, and scooting around the bases quickly, fun to watch.

A majority of his hits each year have come in the form of singles. Not having much power isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it would definitely help his case to making it to the majors sooner rather than later.

Where to?

D.J. Burt has spent most of his time in the minors as a second baseman, but he has also trotted out to shortstop, third base, and left field. He could play at any of the three infield positions, but his best play has come at second and third.

Essentially, he is equipped to serve as a utility player. It is unclear what will be in the cards for him in the forthcoming seasons, but if he can continue to work his way through the ranks, he may become a utility man for the Kansas City Royals.