Kansas City Royals: Baseball America not high on team’s farm system

Baseball America released its list of MLB’s organizational talent rankings, and they have the Kansas City Royals as the 19th best farm system.

I think most Kansas City Royals fans would agree that the farm system was lacking those potential superstars that were present in the minors when the team’s farm system was ranked 8th best prior to the 2014 season and even before that.

Players like Adalberto Mondesi, Hunter Dozier, Kyle Zimmer, Bubba Starling, and Cheslor Cuthbert were all part of that class. Perhaps if re-ranked, they would not be 8th best considering two of those players are long-term keepers for the Royals.

Baseball America determined that the Royals had the 27th best farm system at the beginning of this season but after an outstanding 2019 draft and the development of several pitching prospects in the lower levels, the team has received a decent jump in the rankings to 19th overall.

Despite the increase, BA is still not high on some of the talent in the team’s farm system, especially the position players:

"High-Class A Wilmington’s pitching staff, filled with the Royals’ best prospects, has been great. The Wilmington lineup, also filled with the organization’s best prospects, has been awful. – BA"

While I generally agree with their assessment, I think they are not considering the potential the team has in Brewer Hicklen, Kyle Isbel, Nick Pratto, and Seuly Matias. Obviously, the pitching talent there is going to get the most attention, especially when you have guys like Kris Bubic, Daniel Tillo, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, and Brady Singer to start the season.

Some of those guys have been promoted because they were exceptional for High-A. As for the position players, the Royals selected the top high-school shortstop prospect and the Gatorade National Player of the Year in Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt is already ranked as the 8th best prospect in baseball and has been getting acclimated to life as a professional baseball player with the Arizona Royals rookie league. It will be interesting to see where he starts the 2020 season but my early guess would say Single-A Lexington. There’s really no need to rush him so that would make the most sense.