Royals Release Prospect-Laden 2019 Blue Rocks Roster

Wilmington, DE -- The Kansas City Royals unveiled the tentative 2019 Wilmington Blue Rocks roster on Monday. This year's Blue Crew squad will feature six of the Royals' top seven prospects and 11 of the organization's top 27 according to MLB.com. The team will also include six players with previous experience in Wilmington.

The Rocks pitching staff will be anchored by three first round picks from last June. Kansas City's top prospect, Brady Singer , will make his professional debut on the Riverfront in 2019. The University of Florida product was the 18^th overall selection and signed for more than $4 million. He will be joined on the Frawley Stadium mound by fellow 2018 first-rounders Jackson Kowar and Daniel Lynch . The right-handed Kowar was Singer's teammate with the Gators and the 33^rd pick overall. He made nine starts for the Low-A Lexington Legends in his first year of pro ball. Lynch, a lefty, was selected No. 34 overall last June out of the University of Virginia and spent the season between Rookie Burlington and Low-A Lexington. 
Wilmington brings back left-hander Daniel Tillo , who made 19 starts with the Rocks last season and enters this year as the Royals' 25^th-ranked prospect. Other veteran pitchers on the roster include righties Tyler Zuber and Nolan Watson . The rest of the pitching staff is rounded out by southpaws Holden Capps J.C. Cloney, Robert Garcia, and Rito Lugo as well as righties Daniel Duarte, Tad Ratliff and Collin Snider .
Both of Wilmington's catchers are on the Royals' prospect list as well. MJ Melendez enters the campaign ranked third among Kansas City farmhands by MLB.com and Sebastian Rivero comes in at No. 27 on the list. Melendez was the Royals second-round selection in 2017 (52^nd overall) and signed with the Royals instead of playing for his father at Florida International. He spent last season at Low-A Lexington and bashed 54 extra-base hits in 111 games. Rivero signed with the Royals as an international free agent for $450,000 during the winter of 2016. He also played in Lexington, batting .258 with seven homers and 34 RBI in 77 games last season with the Legends.
Nick Pratto, Seuly Matias and Kyle Isbel are also all top 10 prospects in the Royals system who will be making their Frawley Stadium debuts in 2019. Pratto (No. 5) was the 14^th overall pick in 2017. The 20-year-old spent his first full season of professional ball in Lexington, stroking 33 doubles and 14 homers while driving in 62 for the Legends. Matias (No. 6) signed as an international free agent in July of 2015 for $2.25 million. The Dominican Republic native bashed 31 homers in only 94 games last season in Lexington and earned a spot in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend. Isbel (No.10) was a third-round selection last June out of UNLV. He split time between Rookie Idaho Falls and Lexington in his debut pro campaign, hitting seven combined long balls and driving in 32 runs in 64 total contests.
Two returning Rocks are also bring prospect status with them to Wilmington according to MLB.com. Brewer Hicklen , who played two sports at UAB, appeared in 22 games down the stretch for the Blue Crew last season. The 17^th-ranked prospect in the Royals system scored 11 runs and stole six bags in his three-plus week stretch in the Carolina League. Blake Perkins actually played for two teams in the Carolina League last season. After being traded from Washington to Kansas City in June, Perkins went from the Potomac Nationals dugout to the home clubhouse at Frawley Stadium. The switch hitter enters this season as the No. 23 prospect on the Royals' farm.
Infielder Angelo Castellano is also back for a second season in Wilmington. He will be joined by offensive newcomers Ricky Aracena, Dennicher Carrasco, Marten Gasparini and Cristian Perez .
This group will be skippered by Scott Thorman, who was named the 15^th manager in franchise history in January. Thorman led the Lexington Legends to a South Atlantic League crown last season. He spent two years as the skipper in Lexington after managing Burlington from 2015-16. 
The 36-year-old Cambridge, Canada native played two years of Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves in 2006 and 2007. In 175 games Thorman hit 16 homers, had 45 total extra-base hits and drove in 50 runs. He played professionally for 12 total seasons, also spending time in the minors with the Royals, Rangers and Tigers organizations.
Steve Luebber will join Thorman as the Blue Rocks' pitching coach in 2019, after spending the last two seasons in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. It will mark his 14th year in the Royals' organization and his 10th as a coach with Wilmington. He is the longest tenured coach in Blue Rocks history.
Larry Sutton has rejoined the Royals' organization and will serve as hitting coach in Wilmington. A draft pick by the Royals, Sutton previously served as the hitting coach for Kansas City's Dominican League squad from 2008-11. He also held positions in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization as the Dominican field coordinator and minor league hitting coordinator in the interim. Sutton played for the Blue Rocks in 1994 and hit a team-record 26 home runs that season.
The Blue Rocks open their 2019 season at home on Thursday, April 4 against the Salem Red Sox. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. Individual tickets, season seats, mini plans and group packages are available now online at BlueRocks.com.
2019 Blue Rocks Tentative Opening Day Roster
Pitchers
Holden Capps
J.C. Cloney
Daniel Duarte
Robert Garcia
Jackson Kowar
Rito Lugo
Daniel Lynch
Tad Ratliff
Brady Singer
Collin Snider
Daniel Tillo
Nolan Watson
Tyler Zuber
Catchers
MJ Melendez
Sebastian Rivero
Infielders
Ricky Aracena
Dennicher Carrasco
Angelo Castellano
Marten Gasparini
Cristian Perez
Nick Pratto
Outfielders
Brewer Hicklen
Kyle Isbel
Seuly Matias
Blake Perkins
 
www.bluerocks.com