The Kansas City Royals embarked on a lengthy rebuild into the early 2020s and are starting to see the fruits of that process. Led by Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals have had a resurgence, making the playoffs last season and aiming to win their first American League Central Division championship since they won the World Series in 2015 this season.
But while many are forcing their way onto the roster, some are being left out including a former first-round pick whose future may be hanging by a thread coming into this season.
The Kansas City Royals sent INF/OF Nick Pratto & OF Nelson Velázquez outright to AAA Omaha. pic.twitter.com/62DeKLjW92
— MLB Roster Moves (@Roster_Moves) March 23, 2025
Nick Pratto’s Future With Royals Uncertain After Offseason Moves
The Royals optioned former first-round pick Nick Pratto to Triple-A Omaha over the weekend and it could put his future with the organization in jeopardy. The 14th overall selection in the 2017 draft was a former top-100 prospect ahead of the 2022 season, ranking 43rd on Baseball America’s top prospects list and 62nd on MLB Pipeline’s list. But his path to the majors has been blocked by others speeding through the depth chart.
Pasquantino is the biggest example after breaking out over the past three seasons. The 26-year-old has hit .267/.335/.445 over three seasons with the Royals and socked a career-high 19 home runs and 97 RBI to help Kansas City’s playoff run last season.
But even with Pasquantino’s emergence, Pratto still had an inside track to playing time. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2021, hitting .265/.385/.602 with 36 homers, 98 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 17 attempts between Double-A and Triple-A and earned a spot in the MLB Future’s Game. With multi-positional versatility, there was a world where Pratto and Pasquantino could exist in the same lineup.
That’s where the struggles began. Pratto continued to show power in 2022 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI at Triple-A and made his major league debut. But he hit just .184/.271/.386 with seven homers and 20 RBI in 49 games. Last season also didn’t go as planned, hitting .232/.307/.353 with seven homers and 35 RBI in 95 games, which led the Royals to seek alternatives this offseason.
One alternative has been using Salvador Perez at first base. The future Hall of Famer has been moonlighting at first base dating back to 2023 but the Royals would like to use him more at first and the designated hitter spot to keep the 34-year-old fresh and in the lineup throughout the season.
Even then, Pratto could be one injury away from rejoining the Royals – unless first-round pick Jac Caglianone beats him there. The sixth overall pick in last June’s draft, Caglianone was one of the most impressive players during Spring Training, hitting .500/.609/1.167 with three homers and seven RBI in 18 Cactus League at-bats.
While he hasn’t played an inning above Advanced-A Quad Cities, his power is not a joke with seven home runs between his late-season professional debut and 21 games in the Arizona Fall League.
If Caglianone hits at Double-A Northwest Arkansas the same way he did in Spring Training, it may not be long until he makes his way to the majors. It also doesn’t help that Caglianone plays the same positions (corner outfield, first base) that Pratto does, canceling one first-round pick with another.
The Royals used Pratto’s final minor league option to send him down, which creates an important season going forward. If Pratto can find his breakout form from a couple years ago, he could force his way back into the Kansas City blueprint. If not, he could be a trade chip that is moved on from sometime this summer.