Kansas City Royals: Rule 5 Draft Targets for 2020
By Cody Rickman
Kyle Finnegan, Reliever (OAK)
Kyle Finnegan, the 28-year-old right-handed reliever, dominated in his relief appearances between AA and AAA in 2019 providing 50.2 innings of 2.31 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, and 72 Ks.
Finnegan, a former starting pitching prospect, made the move to the pen full-time in 2016 and has seen his production steadily improve as a result. Finnegan saw his fastball velocity increase with a move to bullpen and he throws it regularly around 97-mph. The fastball comes with some riding movement and can be overpowering at times.
Finnegan couples his fastball with an above average splitter. He’s limited with having only two plus offerings at this time, but could be a steady middle relief option for the Royals.
Jose Rojas, Third Base (LAA)
Jose Rojas, the 27-year-old (in February) third baseman, has hit 48 home runs over the last two seasons between AA and AAA (31 home runs plus 46 more extra-base hits in 2019).
Rojas has hit .292/.362/.577 over 1,606 at-bats in the minors since being drafted in 2016. He has played primarily at third base, but has seen time at first base, second base, and the outfield to increase his versatility and retain his bat in the lineup. Rojas may not have the athleticism to play third base or second base, but his bat may earn him a spot at 1B/OF/DH.
Rojas has shown the potential to be a .270 hitter (with an added 60 points via OBP) with 23-27 HRs. He could be a steal in terms of offensive production.