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Predicting the KC Royals Spring Breakout roster

By Jacob Milham |
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The KC Royals are still in the heart of spring training, the arduous tune-up ahead of Opening Day. MLB fans get used to baseball's beat once again, with games almost every afternoon. It is a glorious thing. But, before the Royals kick off the 2024 season in Kauffman Stadium, their prospects will partake in the inaugural Spring Breakout game.

The Spring Breakout is an interesting concept, allowing each organization to showcase its prospects in an exhibition game. The idea brings baseball's future to the forefront when baseball fans feel Opening Day's excitement approach. MLB needs to get the casual fan more interested in prospects and future players again, and the Spring Breakout is a bold attempt.

Which prospects will the KC Royals showcase in the Spring Breakout?

The Royals will play the Milwaukee Brewers in the final Spring Breakout game on March 17 at 3:05 CST. More details will come, such as streaming options, later on. But the Spring Breakout's next step is announcing each team's roster on March 7 at 10:00 AM CST on the MLB Network. The roster restrictions are simple, yet they enable new players to receive a shot years ahead of their MLB debut.

MLB.com's Sam Dykstra set out player eligibility pretty simply, saying "each roster will be constructed using MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Prospects list as its foundation. That means that players with rookie eligibility entering the 2024 season -- most of whom will come directly from those Top 30s -- can crack their club’s Spring Breakout roster."

Several players are eligible for this game, but I have a feeling some will not play. Utilityman Nick Loftin still has a solid chance to make the Opening Day roster, while Carlos Hernandez's injury might make Will Klein more important than originally anticipated. While eligible, Kansas City may want them omitted from the Spring Breakout just so they are better prepared ahead of the MLB season.

After analyzing the eligibility criteria and eliminating the players who I believe won't make it to the roster, it's time to determine the Royals prospects who will be playing against the Brewers squad later this month.

KC Royals Spring Breakout position players

Catcher: Blake Mitchell, Carter Jensen

Royals fans have seen plenty of Carter Jensen this spring, as the Park Hill High School alum was a non-roster invitee this year. He is holding his own against MLB competition, continuing his trademark plate approach in the process.

Jensen and top 2023 draft pick Blake Mitchell should be no-brainers on this roster. Royals fans are quick to doubt Mitchell, a high school catcher with only 13 games in Arizona Complex League baseball. He is Kansas City's top prospect, according to outlets such as Baseball America and MLB.com. That has to count for something, right?

1st Base: Brett Squires, Devin Mann

Brett Squires does not get enough love at first from prospect evaluators. The undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma was the "rock in the middle of the lineup for Columbia" in 2023, according to Royals director of player development Mitch Maier. He has all the tools to be Kansas City's top first-base prospect.

Devin Mann can play all over the field, but first base needs him the most in this exhibition game. If Loftin or Garrett Hampson were not in the picture, Mann would likely be vying for an Opening Day roster spot. He will have to settle for organizational depth for now, waiting for an MLB opportunity when it comes.

2nd Base: Peyton Wilson, Javier Vaz

The Royals have plenty of middle-infield-or-centerfield options in the system, but Peyton Wilson and Javier Vaz are two enticing players. Both have electric speed, high-contact plate approaches, and SEC pedigrees to boot. Wilson has more to lose in 2024, risking being swept in with the next wave of middle infield prospects.

Vaz has already made a spring training highlight play, sealing a win over the Los Angeles Angels with a diving catch in foul territory. That is only a microcosm of the attitude, skill, and talent Vaz will bring to the Royals soon. This spring could catapult him into top-five Royals prospects territory.

Shortstop: Austin Charles, Daniel Vazquez

In a weird twist of fate, shortstop is the shallowest position for the Spring Breakout. The graduations of Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia leave the farm system lacking top-tier shortstop talent, but the MLB benefits outweigh the costs. Austin Charles was a two-way talent in high school, playing shortstop and pitcher. He played third base mostly in 2023 for the Low-A Columbia Fireflies, but still logged 1662 innings at shortstop.

In the interest of getting the most talent on the field, Charles should start with Daniel Vazquez as his relief. Vazquez was a top international free agent a few years ago and remains a high-ceiling player in the minors. The Royals hope his tools turn into production in 2024, or his prospect status will disappear quickly.

3rd Base: Cayden Wallace, Trevor Werner

Two Royals top-30 prospects should man the hot corner against Milwaukee, parlaying long SEC careers into the Royals farm system. Wallace is a consensus top-five prospect in the Royals system, and he is not showing signs of slowing down. Kansas City drafted him 49th overall back in 2022. He has posted at least 100 wRC+ each season since, while playing great defense at third.

Werner, a former two-way player at Texas A&M, keeps his strong arm at third and off the mound, which benefited him in his professional debut season. Kansas City drafted him in the seventh round in 2023, and Werner proceeded to destroy Low-A pitching as the season concluded. He had a staggering 214 wRC+ and eight home runs in 31 games. He should start 2024 in High-A, but a few plate appearances in the Spring Breakout would be exciting.

Outfield: Gavin Cross, Tyler Gentry, Carson Roccaforte, Jared Dickey, Milo Rushford

Some names you know, some you don't. That is the whole point of the Spring Breakout right? All five of these players have long-term goals of patrolling Kauffman Stadium, albeit with varying investment levels. Cross is looking to bounce back from a rough 2023, one that ended early thanks to a tick-borne illness.

Gentry is currently on the 40-man roster but does not have a guaranteed Opening Day roster spot thanks to a crowded infield. He is ready to go but waits for an opportunity to arise. Two 2023 additions in Roccaforte and Dickey, plus 2022 18th-round pick Milo Rushford, round out the outfield.

Roccaforte and Dickey are both experienced college players, posting solid numbers after joining the organization. Rushford is a wild card, as the 20-year-old hasn't played above Arizona Complex League ball. He posted massive improvements from 2022 to 2023, including a .982 OPS and 145 wRC+ in 32 games.

KC Royals Spring Breakout pitchers

Pitchers: Ben Kudrna, Frank Mozzicato, Noah Cameron, Hunter Owen, Henry Williams, Luinder Avila, Tyson Guerrero, Chazz Martinez, Steven Zobac, Cooper McKeehan

This is a long list, featuring 10 arms Royals fans need to know. Let's run through the pitching options Kansas City should feature in the Spring Breakout.

Ben Kudrna deserves to start against the Brewers, without a shadow of a doubt. The Blue Valley Southwest alum was Kansas City's top pitching prospect to end 2023, according to MLB.com. He posted 70 strikeouts across 68 1/3 Low-A innings, making him one of Kansas City's best strikeout artists. The transition to High-A was jarring for the 21-year-old, but another offseason of development should maintain his slow but steady development.

Frank Mozzicato was not a popular pick after the Royals drafted him seventh overall in the 2021 draft. But he has met expectations and remains the Royals fourth-best overall prospect. There are some issues in his game, namely control issues and needing to add muscle, but he has one of the prettiest curveballs you will ever see. The Royals front office should strategically use Mozzicato in the Spring Breakout as a testament to the pitching development staff.

Another Kansas City metro native, Noah Cameron, had some struggles in his Double-A debut but hopes to improve in 2024. He has great strikeout potential, posting 58 in 35 innings of high-a ball last year. That potential remains, thanks to his fastball location and changeup. He could make a successful move to the bullpen in the future, but Kansas City is rolling with him as a starter for now.

Hunter Owen is the biggest wild card in these pitching options, as he hasn't pitched in a game since the Royals drafted him. MLB.com evaluators still give him three plus pitches as a starter, namely his fastball and slider. If he is healthy, Owen has the tools and stature to be an underrated starting prospect. Kansas City should deploy him against the Brewers this spring.

Henry Williams is a newcomer to the Royals organization, coming from the San Diego Padres in the Soctt Barlow trade. Health has been Williams' biggest issue in his professional career, but 17 total starts last year provide promise. He lacks control and a true get-out pitch, but he has the stature and talent to be in the Spring Breakout.

On the flip side, Luinder Avila has been the picture of durability since joining the Royals organization when he was 16 years old. The Venezuelan has progressed nicely since 2018, logging 223 2/3 innings since 2021. His fastball still has room for growth, but his true four-pitch mix keeps his starting potential high.

Tyson Guerrero is looking to build off a stellar 2023 season, his first full one since the Royals drafted him in 2021. He has electric strikeout stuff, thanks to his fastball/slider combo. He struck out opposing batters 30.9% of the time in 2023, across High-A and Double-A. He still needs another pitch to stick as a starter, but Guerrero should pitch at least an inning against Milwaukee.

Moving to true relievers, Chazz Martinez is a name to watch in 2024. He made 39 appearances for Quad Cities last year, striking out 86 batters in 64 innings of work. His 4.08 ERA is not perfect, but his 3.33 FIP is enticing with a knockout fastball from the left-hand side.

Steven Zobac made history for the Columbia Fireflies out of the bullpen last year but looks to become a starter in the Royals organization. Zobac has good control from the mound while still striking out enough to be a viable starter. I prefer him in the bullpen role, but Zobac's 3.48 FIP in 18 starts last year is hard to ignore.

Last but not least is my favorite relief prospect, Cooper McKeehan. I called him the best Royals prospect you have not heard of, and I stand by it. He led all Royals minor leaguers in groundball-to-flyball ratio with 3.89 last year, en route to being a Carolina League Post-Season All-Star. His 11 saves prove he can produce in high-leverage situations, and he should rocket up the Royals system.

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