There is no better story in sports than a comeback story. A level of empathy and respect wells up in an audience watching a player straighten their winding course. There is something significant about a story that experiences hardship and difficulty. It draws the audience in a way that a smooth-sailing success story never could. A good, compelling story entails a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. No one is impressed by a character who has everything handed to them and emerges victorious. That story will not be remembered, or at least will be remembered less fondly. There is nothing wrong with those stories, and for the sake of this article, those players. We love a success story, regardless of the journey to get there. However, there is just something unique and exciting about a comeback story.
Which Royals minor leaguers might be bounce-back candidates in 2024? These five Omaha Storm Chasers below struggled to some degree in 2023. The players may have taken a step back statistically, but any good audience member knows their story is not over. They may be nearly through the worst of their conflict and ready to take hold of the success they have sacrificed everything to achieve. For their sake, I truly hope that success is taken hold of in 2024.
A look at Storm Chasers hoping for a bounce-back season in 2024
Nick Pratto (1B)
I imagine that nearly every Royals fan knows the struggle that Pratto has faced over the past couple of seasons. The former top prospect has become familiar with the short drive down I-29 between Kansas City and Omaha. Pratto has not been able to consistently hit the ball in Kansas City. He has struck out far too much to warrant a spot as a regular starter at the major league level. His .180 average in Omaha last season makes him the perfect candidate to bounce back in 2024.
Pratto is not far removed from the 36 HR season he enjoyed in 2021 between NW Arkansas and Omaha. There is a small chance he takes a bench spot on the Royals’ 26-man roster to begin the season. More likely he will begin the season as the Storm Chasers’ starting first baseman. Pratto is the Royals’ best defensive first basemen, but until his bat comes around, it won’t matter.
Devin Mann (3B/Utility)
Mann was new to the Storm Chasers in 2023. He spent the last month and a half of the season in Omaha. He came to the Royals organization in the trade that sent Ryan Yarbrough to the Dodgers. In total, Mann has hit 71 HRs during his time in the minor leagues. He spent time at 3B, 2B, 1B, LF, and SS last season. Mann was having a great showing in Oklahoma City before seeing his numbers dip drastically post-trade. His batting average dropped from .307 to .198, his OBP from .402 to .354, and his OPS from .943 to .759. He will look to regain form early on in 2024 as a non-roster invitee to spring training. It is not hard to see him progressing more toward his career batting average of .265 and getting a chance to fill out a utility role in Kansas City soon.
Logan Porter (C)
A lifelong dream became a reality for Logan Porter in 2023 as he made his major league debut for the Royals. In a very small sample size of 31 at-bats, he managed to hit for a .194 average and one home run. His time in Kansas City mainly came as a result of filling in for an injured Freddy Fermin, so Porter should find himself back in Omaha as the starting catcher to start the season. In 2023, he saw his batting average dip from a career average of .275, which includes last season, down to .232. After an incredibly impressive 2022, most of his hitting metrics were down in 2023, including a significant decrease in walk rate. He will be competing to be the next man up should Salvador Pérez or Freddy Fermín suffer an injury this season.
Evan Sisk (RP)
Like Mann, Evan Sisk was also new to the Royals organization in 2023. However, he was able to spend a full season in Omaha after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins in a trade that sent Michael A. Taylor back to Minnesota. Sisk struggled mightily in a large sample size of 61 innings last season, seeing his ERA skyrocket to 6.34, which is far above his career ERA of 3.52.
Despite a rough 2023, his career ERA points to the consistency he has been able to achieve in his 268.2 career innings pitched in the minor leagues. His dominant 2022, where he finished with a 1.57 ERA in 63 innings, cannot go unnoticed. He was hit around much more last season and saw his walk and strikeout rates go in the wrong direction. However, his impressive track record speaks for itself, and I would not be surprised to see him get back on track early on this season.
Will Klein (RP)
There is no doubt that Will Klein has the pitch variability to make it to Kansas City as early as this season. He has a fastball that can hit triple digits, combined with a high-spinning curveball (2595 RPM) and cutter that generates a healthy number of whiffs (46%). He was selected to represent the Royals in the 2023 Futures Game during All-Star week. That all sounds amazing, but you might be wondering how he made this list. Despite the positives above, he managed only a 4.62 ERA and 1.66 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He is working toward getting back to his dominant 2021 season and has already made quite a bit of progress compared to his 2022 season, one I am sure he wants to forget. If Klein can continue his progress into 2024, we should see him in Kansas City before the season’s end.