KC Royals Prospects: An early look at the farm system

The KC Royals have spent the better part of the past five seasons focusing on rebuilding their farm system. The organization’s efforts have focused on building a winning major league team with homegrown talent, much like how the Royals achieved success during the team’s 2014-15 World Series runs.

But turning the minor league tide has been slow.

mlb.com ranked the Kansas City farm system 17th in baseball prior to the 2020 season. By midseason that year, the system gained some respect and jumped to No. 10, where it remained until the middle of last season.

Then, thanks in part to turnarounds at the plate from MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto, the system ranked fifth by mid-2021. With some mixed results from the system’s pitchers, the Royals have now dropped to eighth.

Who are some key KC Royals prospects to watch this year in their farm system?

Four important Royals’ prospects, including infielder Bobby Witt Jr. at No. 1, recently landed on mlb.com’s current Top 100 prospects list. Catcher MJ Melendez (No. 51), first baseman Nick Pratto (No. 61) and pitcher Asa Lacy (No. 72) also made it.

Witt, Melendez and Pratto will prove crucial to the team’s success well into the future, especially because the Royals have had so much trouble scoring runs for a few years.

Beyond the top of the system, there are plenty of notable prospects who will impact KC’s future success. Who are they? Let’s take a look at several and see how they’ve fared so far this season.