Prospects in the Royals' 2020 player pool from the Appalachian League

As part of the new rules for the 2020 Major League season, each of the 30 organizations will maintain a 60-man player pool for the duration of the campaign. Some members of the player pool will feature on the active Major League roster while others will work out at an alternate training site in the hopes of staying fresh for a potential callup or getting in much-needed development time.

The MiLB.com staff is rounding up the notable prospects in each organization’s 60-man player pool and analyzing what the new system will mean for their 2020 seasons.

The Royals have been in a transition period of sorts over the past few years. The big league club has lost more than 100 games each of the last two seasons and the roster as it stands is a mixture of pieces left over from their mid-decade run of success and young talent waiting to emerge.

But as the calendar finally turns to the unusual 2020 season, the next generation of Kansas City baseball is drawing nearer and nearer. Of the 60 players the Royals invited to their Summer Camp workouts, 17 are ranked on MLB Pipeline’s list of their top 30 prospects, including seven of the top 10.

Camp kicked off on Friday at Kauffman Stadium, and while only a few of those prospects will make the 30-man active roster, they’ll all get valuable reps even if they stay behind in Kansas City as the team travels.

Daniel Lynch (Burlington 2018), LHP: Lynch may not get as much press as Singer does, but the Royals’ other Top 100 prospect has impressed just as much since the two turned pro. In two years in the Minors, the southpaw has compiled a 2.50 ERA with 157 strikeouts over 147 2/3 innings. He dealt with some arm issues last season that delayed his progress, but he was nevertheless impressive as he posted a 3.10 ERA with Wilmington in addition to a handful of rehab appearances. He’s still a year or two away from contributing at the big league level, but the opportunity this summer will help make up for time lost last season.

Austin Cox (Burlington 2018), LHP: Cox is another strong performer from the 2018 Draft class who falls a bit in the shadow of Singer, Lynch, etc. He’s been nothing short of great as a pro, logging a 2.96 ERA over two seasons to go with 180 punchouts over 164 innings. The 23-year-old split time about evenly between Lexington and Wilmington last year, recording a 2.75 ERA in 13 games with the Legends and a 2.77 mark in 11 appearances with the Blue Rocks. He fanned 129 in 130 2/3 frames and had a .229 opponents’ batting average with a 1.15 WHIP. Cox will look to keep that momentum rolling at Kauffman this summer.

Seuly Matias (Burlington 2017), OF: Matias also regressed statistically in 2019, but injuries are partly to blame in his case. The powerful outfielder appeared in only 57 games for Wilmington and finished with a .148/.259/.307 line and four homers and 22 RBIs. In his 189 at-bats, he struck out 98 times and logged a hit or walk in only 53. Injuries also cut short his productive 2018 campaign in which he clubbed 31 homers in 94 games, so there are some durability concerns. Either way, it’s clear that the power and hitting ability is there. It’s up to him to use this opportunity as a member of the player pool to rediscover it.

Other Notables

No. 17 prospect Jeison Guzman (Burlington 2017) is a polished defensive prospect who's improving offensively. He’ll work on the bat in Kansas City while the big league team travels. No. 19 Daniel Tillo (Burlington 2017) posted a 3.72 ERA across two levels in 2019 and pitched in the Arizona Fall League. He’s a ways away as a starter but could debut in the bullpen sooner if he takes that route. No. 28 Tyler Zuber (Burlington 2017) was nails out of the bullpen in 2019 and will look to further lock down his future as a closer. Sebastian Rivero (Burlington 2017) will provide catching depth and has plenty of room to grow.