Kansas City Royals: Three reasons for optimism in 2020
By Gage Stagner
Number 3 – The potential debuts of young studs.
Many Royals fans know of Bobby Witt Jr., who was drafted number two overall by the club in 2019, but we will not see him any time soon. He’s a very exciting prospect with the chance to be the face of the franchise in the future, but don’t expect him being called up until the 2022 season at the earliest.
A few guys that we will more than likely see, barring any injuries, are pitchers Jackson Kowar and Brady Singer, as well as outfielder Khalil Lee. Lee is 21 and is ranked as the fourth prospect in the Royals organization according to MLB.com. He should be making his debut at the end of this season, if not sooner, depending on how he is producing in the minors.
The speedy outfielder is projected to be at the top of the lineup, possibly even leading off when he is promoted, which will be much-anticipated considering he is just 21 years-old and his lowest on-base-percentage since being drafted is .330. He should be fun to watch from the get-go.
Singer and Kowar have been linked since getting drafted together in 2018, both from the University of Florida. After stellar performances in the farm system last year, the two should either join the rotation or make appearances out of the bullpen when called up.
Singer fell to the Royals at 18 in the 2018 draft, who were happy to take him. He subsequently went on to hold an earned run average of 2.85 combined in single and double-A in his first year and finished with a 12-5 record. Kowar, ranked as the fifth prospect in the Royals organization by MLB.com, had a 3.53 ERA between Wilmingham and Northwest Arkansas his first year. Both of these arms should be utilized this season and we should really get a look at how they’ll translate to the big leagues.
Matheny could use a rotation consisting of Singer, Kowar, Brad Keller, and Danny Duffy as soon as August if all goes will for the two pitchers in triple-A. The third first round pick of the 2018 draft for the Royals, lefty Daniel Lynch, could also see a stint with the big club if he progresses as well, but that seems less likely. It could be a real look at the future if all three of these young prospects hit the majors for the 2020 season.