The 5 youngest players to play for the KC Royals this century

2. Adalberto Mondesí
Debut: October 30, 2015 (Age 20-095d)

Adalberto Mondesi made few fans among the Kansas City fanbase, but the hype train was running strong when he made his debut. The Royals' top prospect debuted in the World Series against the Mets, making him the first player to debut in a championship series since 1885.

The future was bright for the young Mondesi, despite spending much of the 2016 and 2017 seasons in the minors. He came to Kansas City on a more full-time basis in June 2017 and played in 75 MLB games that season. His .804 OPS and 32 stolen bases had the fan base excited for the team's future with the then-22-year-old.

Mondesi played in 102 games in 2019, which marks a career high. He led the league with 10 triples on the season but regressed slightly in many offensive categories. That was the final season where Mondesi played more than 60 games in a season, sadly. He only played in 50 games across the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to a lengthy list of injuries.

The Royals traded Mondesi to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Josh Taylor ahead of the 2023 season. While Taylor has not been a bullpen anchor, Mondesi did not play a single game for the Red Sox last year. He is currently a free agent at 28 years old. When he made his debut, Mondesi's future was bright. Now, in his prime playing years, fans have to wonder if we will see Mondesi on the field again.