KC Royals: Asa Lacy seeking growth in Fall League

In 2020, the KC Royals selected Texas A&M lefthander Asa Lacy with the fourth pick in the first round of the major league draft. Although he’s a hot Kansas City pitching prospect, Lacy found himself going through growing pains this year in his first season with the Quad City River Bandits at the High-A level.

Lacy posted a 2-5 record to go with a 5.19 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 52 innings before being shut down in July with a shoulder injury. He seemed to struggle with command, walking 41 batters for a 7.10 BB/9 and hitting eight batters.

Lacy did, however, show flashes of promise. He had a .222 OBA and 0.87 HR/9. He also fanned 79 batters, giving him a superb 13.7 K/9.

The Royals have Lacy pitching in the Arizona Fall League and he impressed in his debut last week when he struck out four, allowed just one hit, and walked one in two innings with the Surprise Saguaros. His second start was less than stellar—he gave up two runs on two hits and walked two (and had a strikeout) in 0.2 innings.

Despite his struggles in the KC Royals system, Asa Lacy has been improving.

His numbers may not show it, but Lacy has been aiming to grow and improve his game. He’s learning to trust his stuff and making adjustments to improve upon his pitch arsenal; although he felt good about his fastball and slider (which per mlb.com come in at around 92-97 mph and high 80s, respectively) after his first AFL game, Lacy expects to increase his curveball and changeup usage. As he told mlb.com’s Jesse Sanchez:

"“The fast ball was good. The slider was good,” Lacy said. “I’m still making the adjustments to the big league ball. My curveball and changeup, you’ll probably see more of those the next outing. Overall, it felt pretty good.”"

Asa Lacy is working on his game and toward a potential 2022 breakout season for the Royals.