Kansas City Royals Prospects 2023

Overall Grade: D

The Royals had some very significant prospect graduations last year, leaving the farm system in a not-great state. They will need the 2022 draft class to pan out, led by the top prospect in the system.

Name PosAge Level ETAGradeComments
Gavin CrossOF21A-2024A-9th overall pick, very good debut. 5 cat
Tyler GentryOF23AA2023B+Breakout year. Elite BA and solid pop.
Noah CameronSP22A+2024B+Elite K/BB, becoming a pitcher to watch.
Diego HernandezOF21AA2024BGood speed and BA.
Angel ZerpaSP22MLB2022C+Solid K/BB, had some injury issues.
Beck WaySP22A+2024C+Solid K rate and success, acquired from NYY.
Alec MarshSP24AAA2023CHorrendous at AA, but solid strikeout numbers. RP pending.
Drew WatersOF23MLB2022CPlayed better after trade, but small sample size. Tools but risky.
Nick LoftinOF/3B23AAA2023C1st round pick, has some pop and speed but mediocre year.
Nate EatonOF/3B25MLB2022C-Some pop and speed. Potential off the bench.
Peyton Wilson2B/OF22A+2024C-Some pop and speed, former 2nd round pick.
Luca TreshC22AA2023C-Solid pop and OBP.
Maikel GarciaSS22MLB2022C-Very good speed, and some BA potential.
Tucker BradleyOF24AA2023D+Solid BA, probably not enough power or speed.

Fantasy Baseball Outfield Rankings 2023

Updated 01/21/23

Rankings based on 15-team mixed, standard roto-scoring leagues.

Rating: 1-5, 5 is likely improvement, 1 is likely decline

Status: Sleeper (S), Deep Sleeper (DS), Bust (B)

RankNameLgTeamPosCommentsRatingStatus
1Julio RodriguezASEAOFBad in April, then terrific. Best month was September. Leadoff over last three months. Clear 30/30 if he stays healthy.4
2Ronald Acuna Jr.NATLOFSprint speed well down, EV down, GB way up. Didn't really progress. A lot of risk in rebound assumption.3
3Juan SotoNSDPOFBatted ball data was down, K% was fine. xBA was higher but still only .266. Didn't attempt SB with SD.3
4Kyle TuckerAHOUOFEV down slightly, but strong contact held. Extreme EV, ran despite speed crash. Skeptical of SB but otherwise safe.3
5Aaron JudgeANYYOFIndicators mostly matched 2021.2
6Cedric MullinsABALOFPark really hurt. Showing more extreme LA, didn't hit LHP. Benefitted from hitting leadoff.3
7Michael HarrisNATLOFPower could be fluke based on LA, but has elite speed and BA potential. Maintained play through season.3
8Randy ArozarenaATBROFMostly consistent across the board, showing some speed growth.3
9Yordan AlvarezAHOUOFCut K% significantly, slowed by wrist in August. Ridiculous .329 xba.3
10Mookie BettsNLADOFK% up slightly, mostly steady. Speed down b2b years. Not bullish on him.3
11Jake McCarthyNARIOFElite speed. Reworked swing corrected K issues, and showing new pop. Hit 3rd in September. Still has some risk.3
12Steven KwanACLEOF9% K, nearly on par with minors. Minimal speed or power, but BA looks legitimate. EV sucked but hit to all fields and was consistent.3
13Starling MarteNNYMOFSteep decline in speed, and some decline in EV.3
14Mike TroutALAAOFChronic back issue but looked fine after return. K% 28% in consecutive seasons. Still running well but not attempting SB.3
15Corbin CarrollNARIOFElite speed, clear 20/20. Batting order spot wasn't great.3
16Luis RobertACHWOFChronic wrist problem. LA was down. Sprint speed not great. 20/20 if he can ever stay healthy.3
17Bryan ReynoldsNPITOFEV was up, but K rate increase hurt BA. Speed in decline.3
18Seiya SuzukiNCHCOFVery good in April and September. Japanese numbers show more power potential.4
19Esteury RuizAOAKOFElite speed, was first time he ever hit. Has path to playing time.3DS
20Oscar GonzalezACLEOFConsistent BA and showed much more power in 2021. More power in September.4
21Alex VerdugoABOSOFSpeed has tanked. Dug out from slow start. Improved to 13% K. Elite BA but nothing else.3
22George SpringerATOROFPlayed throught multiple injuries. Batted ball data was fine, but LA down slightly. Worst HR% since 2018. Leadoff all year helped SB, but speed is in decline.2
23Adolis GarciaATEXOFGood EV, some K% improvement. SB looks like a fluke.2
24Teoscar HernandezASEAOFElite EV but K% back up.3
25Christian YelichNMILOFEV way down since 2021. Speed also falling.3
26Jose SiriATBROFElite speed and defensive skill. 33% K, inconsistent BA in minors. Should continue to play.4
27Ian HappNCHCOFHuge K% improvement and big doubles increase. Don't give up on power.4
28Tyler O'NeillNSTLOFEV back down after 2021 breakout, K% also improved. Elite speed, chronically injured.3
29Kris BryantNCOLOFBack and plantar fasciitis. HR% well down when he played. EV worst of career, K% best of career.3
30Andrew BenintendiACHWOFReworked swing. Career-best 15% K. EV was decent, no reason to think power can't rebound.3
31Kyle SchwarberNPHIOFBest HR% of career but nearly matched 2021. 123 starts at leadoff. Best batted ball data of career. Some risk given age/profile.3
32Alek ThomasNARIOFConsistent .300+ with pop and speed in minors. Not awful until September. Tons of upside for flier.3DS
33Ji Hwan BaeNPITOFHas consistently hit for BA and run. Hit near bottom of order.3
34Eloy JimenezACHWOFExcellent batted ball stats, K% best of career. Elite in second half. Injury prone.4
35Nick CastellanosNPHIOFEV well down, but hit .288 in 2nd half. Would have 19 HR in CIN.3
36Matt VierlingADETOFHit well vs. LHP. 15/15 potential if he plays. Could get bump with Harper out.3DS
37Sal FrelickNMILOF
38Taylor WardALAAOFOn par with history, likely hit ceiling.3
39Hunter RenfroeALAAOFAlmost no change. Solid second half.3
40Juan YepezNSTLOFExtreme LA shows 30 HR potential. Freak elbow injury. Path to PT.4
41Bryan De La CruzNMIAOFElite in September, great batted ball stats. Interesting milb track record.4DS
42TJ FriedlNCINOFPlayed up to potential, .888 OPS in 2nd half. Has 15/15 ability.3DS
43Charlie BlackmonNCOLOFEV continuing to crash, sub-.800 OPS at Coors. Horrible in the last two months.2
44Lars NootbaarNSTLOFStrong EV, BA should have been slightly higher. Walk rate makes up for poor BA. Showing some power upside.3
45Andrew McCutchenNPITOFWorst power since 2010. Batted ball data looks good. No reason to give up if he gets another chance.4
46Michael BrantleyAHOUOFMajor shoulder surgery, sub-11% K when healthy. HR still down.3
47Masataka YoshidaABOSOF
48Oswaldo CabreraANYYOFLegit 20/20 upside, .803 OPS in September.3DS
49Riley GreeneADETOFStuck as leadoff man but didn't run. Terrible LA. Breakout isn't imminent.3
50Ramon LaureanoAOAKOFSprint speed in decline, terrible in second half.3
51Myles StrawACLEOFMinimal change in batted ball data. Hit .308 in September. Demotion to bottom of order is biggest issue.3
52Anthony SantanderABALOFInsane LA but batted ball data looks the same. 10 HR in September.2
53Lourdes Gurriel Jr.NARIOFConsistent improvement in K%. Had wrist and hamstring injuries.3
54Randal GrichukNCOLOFDidn't hit RHP or on the road. Very risky if he's traded.2
55Dylan CarlsonNSTLOFStrong contact improvement, but EV was awful. Only hit LHP, terrible in 2nd half with thumb.3
56Austin HaysABALOFEV down but clearly hurt by park. Lousy second half.3
57Brandon NimmoNNYMOFBest K% of career. Hit leadoff. Healthy for first time since 2018.2
58Michael ConfortoNSFGOFMajor shoulder surgery, has had a lot of time to recover.3
59Bubba ThompsonATEXOFInsane speed. 31% K and bad EV. SB production hitting 9th, but job is shaky.3
60Giancarlo StantonANYYOF30% K for second time in career. Elite batted ball data like 2021. BA should bounce back a bit, and power safe if healthy.3
61Joc PedersonNSFGOFElite batted ball stats, sat more vs. LHP. Power outage in second half but OPS was better.3
62Lane ThomasNWSNOFProduction on par with previous but EV well down.3
63Brandon MarshNPHIOFBetter with PHI but still 30% K. Has never shown big power or speed.3
64Byron BuxtonAMINOF30% K, super streaky. Elite EV, hip injury killed him.3
65Cody BellingerNCHCOFK% as bad as 2021. Ridiculous LA again. Did start to hit fastballs again. A flier.3
66Akil BaddooADETOFPlayed regularly in September, power mostly disappeared. EV has been bad, 28% K. Just a flier.3
67Nolan JonesNCOLOFOvermatched but has pop and draws walks. Clear path to Abs.3DS
68Josh LoweATBROFOutstanding at AAA, .757 OPS in July. Has some post-hype appeal.3
69Jesse WinkerNMILOFLA spike, EV tanked. Getting out of Cincinnati hurt.2
70Drew WatersAKCROFVery strong September. Didn't hit ball hard, but has pop and speed.3
71Harrison BaderANYYOF5 HR in playoffs, EV and power well down in regular season. Expected HR about same at NYY as STL.3
72Garrett MitchellNMILOFScary K% but hits ball hard with elite speed. Stuck at bottom of order.3
73Mark CanhaNNYMOFSomewhat more aggressive, almost no upside.3
74Tyrone TaylorNMILOFExtreme LA, streaky and inconsistent. Has some slack for PT.3
75Mike YastrzemskiNSFGOFAll rates remain the same. Terrible in the second half, but BA could benefit from shift.3
76Manuel MargotATBROFSpeed in severe decline. Killing LHP.3
77Austin MeadowsADETOFMore injuries.3
78Jurickson ProfarNFAOFEV bounced back but nothing good. Stats inflated by 90 games in leadoff.2
79Sean BouchardNCOLOFVery good home and road, breakout at AAA. Has shown legit pop. Very interesting with PT.4DS
80AJ PollockASEAOFOnly hit LHP but had good second half. Speed in steep decline.3
81Kerry CarpenterADETOF28% K, poor defense, struggled in September. Just a stash.3
82Leody TaverasATEXOFK% improvement. Got hot in April and then regressed and was demoted to bottom of order. Only tools are speed and defense.2
83Stone GarrettNWSNOFVery good EV, extreme LA. Super intriguing power but slowed down in September.3
84Chris TaylorNLADOF35% K, knee and foot injuries. Power worst since 2016. Could be in big trouble.2
85Nick SolakNCINOFGood at AAA again, batted ball data not great. Excellent opportunity.3
86Avisail GarciaNMIAOFWorst K% of career, still had strong EV. Not worth more than flier.3
87Jack SuwinskiNPITOFBig power potential. 31% K and low Ba. Doesn't hit LHP at all.3
88Will BrennanACLEOF9% K, nearly on par with minors. Minimal speed or power, but BA looks legitimate.4DS
89Mitch HanigerNSFGOFAnkle and back injuries. EV was good. Buy for cheap.3
90Yonathan DazaNCOLOFLousy EV but 14% K. The new Tapia with no speed.3
91Jake FraleyNCINOFLong injury history, but power looks legit. .903 OPS in 2nd half.4S
92Trent GrishamNSDPOFK% spiked to 29%, LA was up. Clearly not a starter.2
93Jarren DuranABOSOFStill had good year at AAA. Chance to buy low but a doofus.3
94Marcell OzunaNATLOFK% spike, EV way down since 2021. Barely played in second half.2
95Jorge SolerNMIAOFK% up again, but still hit ball hard. Multiple time missed with back injury. Likely to bounce back.3
96Oscar ColasACHWOF
97James OutmanNLADOFBreakout year with BA, has legit pop and speed.3
98Edward OlivaresAKCROFEV way up, finally hitting but very injury prone.4
99Alex KirilloffAMINOFEV down, more wrist problems.3
100Gavin SheetsACHWOFHorrible defense. .765 OPS in second half. Very fringy regular.3
101Austin SlaterNSFGOFMost PT vs. lhp3
102Max KeplerAMINOFLA has gone in the tank. Best K% of career, xBA was decent.3
103Chas McCormickAHOUOFShowing solid pop, mostly smashes LHP. Better in second half.3
104Enrique HernandezABOSOFEV way down, likely platoon player.3
105Stuart FairchildNCINOFInteresting power and speed potential in CIN.. BA was a fluke.3DS
106Victor RoblesNWSNOFStill high LA and not hitting ball hard. Showing elite defense and good speed. Should continue playing.3
107Kyle StowersABALOFVery strong batted ball data. 30% K. Strong power potential, but might need time.3
108Kyle IsbelAKCROFDidn't do anything with regular playing time. Elite defense makes him a bit more interesting.3
109Alex CallNWSNOFPlayed okay as a regular over last six weeks. Minimal upside but played well at AAA in 2022.3
110Michael A. TaylorAKCROFEV ranked for sake of contact. Could keep PT due to defense.2
111Raimel TapiaABOSOFSlight improvement in batted ball data. Speed in decline.2
112Eddie RosarioNATLOFEye issue, K% skyrocket. Slightly better in September but still not good. Just a flier.2
113Miguel AndujarNPITOFDecent at AAA but not great. Played regularly and hit 3-5 for PIT.3DS
114Jesus SanchezNMIAOFHit well at AAA again. Milb track record is mediocre. Very good September provides momentum.3
115David PeraltaAFAOFK% worst of career, didn't do anything with TB.2
116Jose AzocarNSDPOFElite speed and defense, has shown BA in minors. No positives in MLB performance.3
117Yadiel HernandezNWSNOFMissed end of season with calf. Terrible defense but could be platoon player.3
118Nelson VelazquezNCHCOF32% K, big power potential and some speed. Only hit LHP.3
119Kevin KiermaierATOROFStill running well, but K% getting worse.2
120Cal MitchellNPITOFLacks plus ability, was okay as regular in September.3
121Tommy PhamNNYMOFBig K% spike, power not helped by small parks. EV was excellent.3
122Jarred KelenicASEAOFStill struggled in September but .713 OPS. Upside power but far too inconsistent.3
123Tyler NaquinNFAOFLA was up. Bad defensively.3
124Pavin SmithNARIOFK% spike. Fractured wrist. Was clearly trying to hit for power.3
125Nick SenzelNCINOFMore injuries, surgery on toe. Had one good month.3
126Rafael OrtegaANYYOFMediocre across the board and now old.2
127Sam HaggertyASEAOFElite speed.3
128Robbie GrossmanNFAOFJust a platoon player now, EV decline.2
129Corey DickersonNWASOFStats holding strong, hit well in second half.3
130Trayce ThompsonNLADOFInsane numbers at AAA, legit EV improvement, but unsustainable at 37% K. Hit .208 in September.3
131Jake MeyersAHOUOFHas killed milb pitching, but K% is too high and EV not great.3
132Aaron HicksANYYOFEV well down, got worse as season progressed.2
133Willi CastroAFAOFNever hit the entire year.3
134Nate EatonAKCROFGood at AAA, elite speed.3
135Joey GalloAMINOFEV tanked since 2020. 42% K in LAD, looks finished.2
136Conner CapelAOAKOFPlayed well over last two weeks for Oakland, very little upside.3
137Rob RefsnyderABOSOF
138Ben GamelNFAOFSpeed well down. No upside.3
139Chad PinderAFAOF31% K, discipline a mess. EV tanked.2
140J.J. BledayNMIAOFSub-.230 BA in minors, 28% K. Insane LA.3
141Victor ReyesACHWOFSpeed really in the tank.2
142Alexander CanarioNCHCOF
143Trevor LarnachAMINOFCore surgery, 32% K, power is questionable.3
144Estevan FlorialANYYOFPost-hype speed and some pop. K rate is big problem.3S
145Ceddanne RafaelaABOSOF
146Michael TogliaNCOLOF37% K, extreme LA. Overrated prospect.3
147Will BensonACLEOFGreat OBP potential, has plus power and speed. Underrated prospect, but only hit for BA once.3DS
148Adam DuvallABOSOFWrist surgery. EV starting to decline, and K% still bad.2
149Jordan LuplowNATLOF
150Nick MatonADETOF
151Mickey MoniakALAAOFGood in limited time at AAA, and still young.3
152Dominic FletcherNARIOF
153Alec BurlesonNSTLOFGood contact, consistently good power. Worth watching closely.3DS
154Joey WiemerNMILOF
155Adam EngelNSDOF5th OF3
156Matt WallnerAMINOFBig power upside and draws walks. 39% K in debut.3
157Cristian PacheAOAKOFBad in minors and MLB. Has speed and defense.3
158Gilberto CelestinoAMINOFMinimal upside in track record.3
159Derek HillNWSNOF
160Michael SianiNCINOFElite speed, hasn't hit.3
161Taylor TrammellASEAOFCut K% to 28%, missed time with hamstring. Still 20/20 upside.3
162Jake CaveNPHIOFEV and LA improvement, good year at AAA. Possible sleeper.4DS
163Justyn-Henry MalloyADETOF
164Dominic CanzoneNARIOF
165Sam HilliardNATLOFStill very good at AAA.3
166Zac VeenNCOLOF
167Cade MarloweASEAOF
168Richie PalaciosACLEOFWalk machine who has hit for BA and has some speed.3
169Wilyer AbreuABOSOFS
170Jake LambALAAOF
171Brennen DavisNCHCOF
172Colton CowserABALOF
173Bryce JohnsonNSFGOFNo power but has BA and speed.3
174Luke RaleyATBROFStrong AAA performer with power. Worth watching.3
175Moises GomezNSTLOF
176Kyle GarlickAMINOFSmashes LHP, K% is bad.3
177Jorge BarrosaNARIOF
178Tyler GentryAKCROF
179George ValeraACLEOF
180Dalton GuthrieNPHIOFGood year across the board at AAA, not much of a track record.3
181Canaan Smith-NjigbaNPITOF
182Ryan McKennaABALOFElite speed, clearly trying to hit HRs.3
183Nomar MazaraABALOF
184Josh PalaciosNPITOFPlus speed and has hit for average.3
185Travis SwaggertyNPITOFSome speed and walks. Nothing else.3
186Luis GonzalezNSFGOFTerrible after decent start.2
187Parker MeadowsADETOF
188Bligh MadrisADETOF
189Matt GorskiNPITOF
190Jason HeywardNLADOFTerrible in consecutive years.2
191Kole CalhounAFAOFK% above 30% for first time, EV was good.3
192Mark PaytonACHWOF
193Cal StevensonAOAKOF
194Brandon DixonNSDPOF
195Justin DirdenAHOUOF
196Jerar EncarnacionNMIAOFOvermatched in MLB but showing power upside.3
197Eli WhiteAFAOFElite speed and nothing else. 35% K.2
198Brent RookerAOAKOF
199Cole TuckerNCOLOF
200Peyton BurdickNMIAOF34% K, has never hit for BA. .736 OPS at AAA.2
201Daz CameronABALOFReally bad year at AAA, minimal upside beyond some SB.3
202D.J. StewartNPHIOF
203Heliot RamosNSFGOF