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.