Kansas City Royals: Offseason Prospect Watch, Emmanuel Rivera

On MLB Pipeline’s list of top prospects in the Kansas City Royals organization as of mid-season 2018, the sixteenth slot belongs to third base prospect Emmanuel Rivera.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks played host to 22 year old third base prospect, Emmanuel Rivera, in the 2018 season. Rivera began 2018 as the tenth prospect in the Kansas City Royals farm system, but he fell to sixteenth by mid-season. Signed out of Puerto Rico in 2015, he has spent most of his professional career so far in the Rookie Leagues.

He played for the Lexington Legends in the 2017 season before making the jump to the Wilmington Blue Rocks, where he played in 99 games during the 2018 season.

The Statistics

Overall in his minor league career, he has tallied a slash of .274/.338/.409. Over the four year span, he has tallied 176 RBI’s, 328 hits, and 20 home runs.

In 2018, he tallied a total of 375 at bats with the Blue Rocks. There, he had 105 hits, six of which were home runs, and 61 RBI’s. He also drew 29 walks and struck out 59 times. His slash with Wilmington totaled .280/.333/.427 at the end of the season.

He suffered a thumb injury during the 2018 season, which sent him down to the Rookie Leagues on a rehab assignment. The injury was to his right thumb. It’s possible that played a role in the numbers, so hopefully things look up for 2019.

The Grades

MLB Pipeline grades Emmanuel Rivera as a 45-grade player overall, much like many other players in the Kansas City Royals minor league system. His best grade was assigned to his arm tool, at a 60-grade, followed by his hit and field tools at 55 apiece. Rounding out the grades at 45 each are his power and run tools.

He was referred to as one of the best all-around players in the Royals farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

When will he hit the majors?

MLB Pipeline’s prediction has Emmanuel Rivera hitting the majors in the 2020 season.