KC Royals Prospects: An early look at the farm system

Four KC Royals prospects are having different seasons in Double-A ball.

Kansas City’s Double-A affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, have started their season 3-6. But despite the poor win-loss record, there have been many bright spots on the Naturals’ roster.

Leading the way has been leadoff man Maikel Garcia. Garcia, just 22 and a member of the Royals’ 2016 international signing class, is hitting a robust .406 and could see a mid-season call-up to Triple-A if his early results continue. He has 10 walks and just four strikeouts so far this season.

Young slugger Seuly Matias has posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career so far. Although he has yet to hit his first home run, he’s currently hitting .321 with a .726 OPS.

While Garcia and Matias have hit well, standout prospects Michael Massey and Nick Loftin have struggled a bit. Massey, who hit 21 homers and slashed .289/.351/.531 with an .882 OPS at High-A Quad Cities last season and is playing Double-A ball for the first time, hasn’t homered yet and his OPS has fallen to .669.

Loftin, also getting his first look at Double-A, is slashing .250/.306/.250 after posting a .289/.373/.463 line last year at Quad Cities.

Sometimes it takes time for prospects to adjust after a promotion. That’s likely the case for both Massey and Loftin, who’ll look to break out over the coming weeks and turn their seasons around.