KC Royals: Risers and fallers in 2020 top prospect rankings

Jeison Guzman (2019: N/A, 2020: 17)

Guzman soars up this year’s list after not qualifying a year ago. He is an infielder who’s turned a few heads, including our own Michael Huckins. Michael recently put out an article on Guzman’s spring training performance and what it could mean for the future.

Guzman made solid progress last season and is still just 21 years old. His ability to get to pretty much any batted ball in the infield is terrific and he has the raw power to become a solid player. This season will be quite telling in regards to his future.

Darryl Collins (2019: N/A, 2020: 25)

Collins also cracks the top 30 after not appearing on the list in 2019. He came over from the Netherlands and is a prospect our Shawn Bauman now has on his radar. Collins has a high-contact approach at the plate and can defend well at any of the three outfield positions. Read Shawn’s article on the 18-year-old here.

Daniel Tillo (2019: 30, 2020: 18), Zach Haake (2019: 27, 2020: 18)

Tillo and Haake are both minor leaguers with bright futures if they can maintain their control and develop as the KC Royals expect them to. Tillo has the ability to be a pretty good starter one day but will have to learn to be repeatable in his delivery. Haake seems more likely to join the bullpen once he reaches the MLB level.

Austin Cox (2019: 21, 2020: 11), Jonathan Bowlan (2019: 16, 2020: 9)

Cox is a 22-year-old lefty with a potential future as a starter. His 2020 season will almost surely be spent in the minors but there is legitimate hope he can join KC in 2021. Bowlan, the son of former MLB player Mark Bowlan, weighs around 260 pounds and can flat-out fill up the strike zone. He projects as a starter as well.

Erick Pena (2019: 23, 2020: 5)

Pena, an outfield prospect, just turned 17 about a month ago. He ranked as the No. 5 international prospect when he signed with the Royals. He is a jack-of-all-trades with star potential. His ranking is based on how he’ll progress over the next few years, and he won’t rise to the MLB for several years.

Michael Gigliotti (2019: 24, 2020: 12)

Gigliotti is one of the more gifted runners in the KC Royals organization, and he put it on display last season despite dealing with a knee injury. He has the ability to track down almost any ball in the outfield but doesn’t possess the arm strength to be an everyday centerfielder. His bat is also a serious question mark, and one that could determine just how good he is at his peak.

Another thing working against Gigliotti is the surplus of outfield talent ahead of him. Guys like Brett Phillips and Bubba Starling are already near the end of the line but even if they’re out of the picture, Khalil Lee and Nick Heath rank well above Gigliotti in the organizational depth chart. He’ll have to impress many before he receives his chance.

Brady McConnell (2019: 7, 2020: 15)

McConnell is listed as a shortstop and will continue to play there, but he likely won’t remain there once he reaches the MLB. Despite being a solid athlete, his range and glove don’t translate all that well to the position. His ceiling as a player is relatively low, so that limits his ranking.

His hit tool is intriguing and could become a strength but until the pieces are put together, McConnell is going to be just a solid prospect in the Royals’ farm system.

Bobby Witt Jr. (2019: 1, 2020: 1)

Witt is the son of a former major leaguer and is probably the closest thing to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes the KC Royals are going to get. He is a true five-tool prospect and for the first time in his life, he’ll be devoting an entire year to playing professional baseball.

The jury is still out a bit as to just how complete of a hitter Witt will be but aside from those minor concerns, he looks like the real deal. Defensively, he’s great. When he’s on base, he can swipe bags and run with the best of them. His raw power is tremendous. A strong start to his 2020 season would help alleviate any worries about the team’s best prospect in recent years.

Brady Singer (2019: 2, 2020: 2)

Singer’s running mates have already been sent to minor league camp or been reassigned. He remains with the MLB club, which could be a telltale sign of just how much faith the Royals have in him. The results haven’t been spectacular but nevertheless, these innings have done little to dissuade the team from considering him its best pitcher.

The Royals’ No. 5 starter spot in the rotation is still undecided. Manager Mike Matheny hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Singer grabbing it. The opportunity is there, and we’ll likely see Singer pitching at Kauffman Stadium before we know it.

Daniel Lynch (2019: 3, 2020: 3)

Lynch has the highest ceiling of any pitcher currently in the farm system. His pure stuff is electrifying and his poise on the mound is beyond his years. The Athletic’s Keith Law likes him enough to rank him 13th on his list of top 100 prospects. There’s a lot of hype surrounding the young starter.

If Lynch can stay healthy, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be called up by the end of the season. Even if it’s in September, it should happen. He’s that good already.

The future of the KC Royals is in good hands (or bats, or arms).