The only thing to fear is fear itself, unless of course, you\u2019re in the business of projecting an MLB prospect\u2019s development trajectory. That\u2019s peak horror show.” – Adam Halpin<\/p>\n
Anyway you slice it, dice it, knead it, or sous vide it, the 2023 season was another rough one to be a Royals fan, player, and perhaps a John Sherman. Oh, who am I kidding? That ownership group isn\u2019t paying for the new stadium! I must digress, as the parent club deserves its own article. Analyzing the Royals\u2019 minor league season bears uneven results. Many top prospects didn\u2019t progress, and some flatlined – my outlook for Beck Way\u2019s growth once he reached the upper minors did not, um, materialize. But there were also some very promising performances, and reasons to be optimistic about the approach of the new development staff.<\/p>\n
The organization received flack from multiple baseball media outlets regarding their amateur draft in July, pointing out the extreme risk of their Day 1 selections, notably their 1st and 2nd picks being a prep catcher and prep RHP, respectively. Given the deep pool of draft-eligible college talent last year, some of whom they selected in Days 2 and 3, it appears the risky Day 1 approach was a strategy, and not a fallback position. (@adamhalpin)<\/p>\n