KC Royals: Brady Singer could make rotation with big Spring Training
Spring Training is underway in Major League Baseball and for the KC Royals, it’s a chance to give prospects time to prove they’re worth a roster spot. One such prospect is Brady Singer, who very well could make the Opening Day roster.
The Kansas City Royals spent the 18th overall pick on Brady Singer – a right-handed starting pitcher out of Florida – in the 2018 MLB Draft. Singer was the first of five collegiate pitchers the Royals took in that draft and the hope was clearly that two or three of those guys (all five seems unrealistic) could become a trio of terror in a future Royals rotation.
While the other four guys might not make a push for a big league rotation spot just yet, MLB.com predicted that Singer would be the fifth starter in the rotation come the start of the 2020 season. The 23-year-old righty very well could make the Opening Day rotation (though he likely wouldn’t pitch for a few weeks due to all of the days off early in the season), but he’s going to have to really prove that he’s ready in Spring Training.
Singer missed the 2018 minor league season due to injury, but he impressed in 2019, pitching 148.1 innings between two minor league affiliates (Wilmington A and AA Northwest Arkansas). He finished his first season in the minors with a combined ERA of 2.85 and 12-5 record.
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Singer flat-out dominated in Wilmington to the tune of a 1.87 ERA and his promotion was well-earned. It’d make sense for the Royals to start him in AA Northwest Arkansas at the beginning of the season and then if he does well there, promote him to AAA Omaha shortly thereafter. It was definitely interesting to see him as MLB.com’s predicted fifth starter for Kansas City in 2020.
The Royals don’t have much to play for in 2020 other than to let the prospects show what they can do. At the same time though, there’s no need to rush these guys onto the diamond/mound if they’re not ready.
The other four starters in the rotation seem pretty cut and dry (Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, Jakob Junis, and Mike Montgomery), so a lot of guys are going to be competing for the one remaining spot. Pitchers like Foster Griffin, Glenn Sparkman, and Eric Skoglund are going to be vying for that five spot as well, though Sparkman and Skoglund will REALLY have to prove themselves.
Singer is only 23 years old and only has one season of minor league ball under his belt. It’s true that the Royals probably drafted him because they felt he could contribute sooner rather than later, but unless he wows everyone in Surprise throughout Spring Training, he should start the season in the minor leagues.