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Kansas City Royals: Nick Pratto is a top five first base prospect

By Trevor Hooth

4 Mar 1998: General view of a base during a spring training game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at the Baseball City Stadium in Davenport, Florida. The Royals defeated the Indians 11-10.
4 Mar 1998: General view of a base during a spring training game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals at the Baseball City Stadium in Davenport, Florida. The Royals defeated the Indians 11-10. /
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When the 2019 MLB Pipeline first base rankings came out, Kansas City Royals prospect Nick Pratto found himself in the number six spot.

Recent news that the Tampa Bay Rays were going to make Brendan McKay a pitcher only created another opening in the positional top 10. Indians prospect Bobby Bradley entered the list at number 10. It also means that Kansas City Royals 2017 first rounder Nick Pratto slid to the number five slot.

Five is the highest Pratto has ever been. He was sixth in his draft year and seventh to end 2018. Not that ranking on a top positional prospect list is the main goal of players, but a new personal best is never a bad thing.

Credit to this find does not go to me, it goes to the diligent eyes of Royals Farm Report.

Pratto is a natural hitter with above average hit and power. He put that on display with Lexington hitting .280 with 14 homers in his first season out of Rookie ball. If that wasn’t enough he is also a plus defender. MLB Pipeline compares him to Eric Hosmer.

This class of first baseman is not the strongest, but it is still pretty good. The leader, Mets prospect Peter Alonso, is ranked 51st in all of baseball. He is the only first baseman in the top 100.

The Kansas City Royals organizational top prospect list will release on Wednesday, and Pratto will be at the top of that one too. He ended 2018 as the team’s number six prospect, and he figures to be even higher this year.

It is hard to tell which of the Royals prospects might slide down to make room for Pratto, but that isn’t the worst problem to have. Looking at it, my best guess is that he can do a straight swap with Seuly Matias, who has a ton of potential but hit .231 as Pratto’s teammate in Lexington.

Next. The end of the Alcides Escobar era. dark

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Pratto and his potential, as their should be. He can be a cornerstone piece of the next great Kansas City Royals infield. For now, he is fighting his way into prospect list relevance, even if it is because somebody dropped out.

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