Kansas City Royals: Prospect Q&A with outfielder Brewer Hicklen

Hicklen followed a 2 homer game with a 3 homer game in mid-August.

Q: Are there certain aspects of your game you plan to focus on in the Arizona Fall League and was does it mean to you to have 5 of your teammates joining you?

A: Development. That is what the minor leagues are for. While it is one of the biggest opportunities of my life, I’m trying to just stick to the process of becoming a better player and teammate each day and let the rest take care of itself. When I think of a specific area, nothing comes to mind other than continuing to get AB’s under my belt. I want to improve every area of my game, from baserunning to hitting to fielding.

When I look at the ceiling of my athletic abilities, I still have a long way to go. I feel like there is so much more inside of me that I have not unlocked or discovered, but to me, that is the most exciting part because I believe my best days are ahead of me. I am really excited to be paired up with several other Royals guys. Especially getting to roam the outfield with Isbel. He and I have become really close and have continued to develop our craft together.

We basically talk the whole game about what is going on and learning from one another. I think there is this friendly competition between us that knows we are competing against one another in the grand scheme of things, but we both love one another so much we just want each other to succeed.

Q: You had a nice three-game stretch in August when you followed a two-homer game with a three-homer game. Can you speak a little bit about what that felt like?

A: It was special! I had a really tough July and was struggling to get my rhythm back in sync, so I was glad when August 1 hit because mentally I could reset my internal clock. In baseball August is a huge month, you are coming down the last 30 games of your 140 game season and all of your work for the last 11 months comes down to this last stretch and that is pretty cool to think about, in my opinion.

I work so hard in the off-season, I knew I was going to be in a good spot. I was on the phone with my dad right before we were going to play Fayetteville and I just said, “Today is August 1, this is going to be a special month. Time to flip the script.” Sure enough, I started the month off with 3 home runs in 3 days. Moving to the 5 HR in 2 days, it was definitely something that I will remember for the rest of my life. I hadn’t hit a single home run at home all year at home and then I knocked out 5 in two days.

I wasn’t trying to hit a single home run, I just got a good pitch and they ended up going over the fence. I will say my hitting coach and I worked on one slight mechanical adjustment that allowed me to mentally free up my scattered thoughts at the plate. This definitely helped me a lot.

The opportunity is there for the taking at the big league level.

Q: In Game 3 of the Mills Cup semis, you dropped down a walk-off bunt. Was that planned or did you just decide to do that in the moment?

A: My manager put the sign on. It was something I actually thought about walking to the plate, but my bunting confidence was way down from the whole second half I talked myself out of it.

Then I get in the box, Thor gave me the bunt sign… I guess it was meant to be. I had practiced that play hundreds of times in college, so I knew I was prepared for it. Sure enough, I didn’t pop that one up to the pitcher, thankfully! I knew that moment was going to flip our whole post-season around. 

Q: There appears to be some opportunity on the big league roster for another outfielder in the next year or two. What would it mean to you to finally get the call to the big leagues and what has been your primary source of motivation?

A: You are absolutely right, there is a lot of opportunities for us. I am thankful to be in an organization that values the development of minor leaguers and gives them a chance. To me, that is what made the KC such an attractive place. My biggest motivation has always been my faith and family.

My sole purpose in playing baseball is to show my love for God, my love for people, and the joy I have in life through my interactions on the baseball field. I am so fortunate with the opportunity to play a sport that people follow and are so invested in. I love having the chance to open up, be transparent, and show them what it is like going through what I go through. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows like everyone thinks it is.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but at the same time, there is a ton of failure and pressure involved. I think one of my biggest goals is to lead well, love well, and compete my butt off while having the most fun possible! If I get the chance in the next few years, I will have achieved a lifelong dream of getting the chance to play in the MLB.

However, it doesn’t stop there, I still have a lot of dreams left to achieve in my MLB career and hope I can continue to pursue those through my 20’s and 30’s. All in all, I know if I do not make it, that is what God has planned for me, but you better believe I’m going to do my very best to get there!

A special thank you to Brewer (@brewerhicklen) for taking the time to speak with me. We will see you shortly!