Frank White made a career built on league-average hitting and playing elite defense. He earned eight Gold Gloves, five All-Star game appearances, and one Silver Slugger. He finished with a slash line of .255/.293/.383 for his career. This was enough to cement his place in Royals history as only the second player to have his number retired by the franchise. After, he garnered enough love to create a very successful political career in the same county he played in. Can Javier Vaz be the same type of player someday?

Frank White is the benchmark for Royals baseball, with great defense and a few years of solid offensive output. He is the quintessential Kansas City Royal. We got David DeJesus when times were tough, followed by Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon when times were great. Now, let me introduce to you the next Royals great: Javier Vaz.

Vaz is a left-handed hitting, 15th-round pick from 2022. He has quietly found his way up to AA Northwest Arkansas in just a full season’s worth of games. At 23 years old, 5-9, and clocking in at just around 150 pounds, Vaz can play infield (specifically second base). He can also play outfield at above-average levels. Size may have been what pushed him down to the 15th round, but he established himself in college by slashing .280/.402/.490 and routinely putting out defensive clips like this:

He clearly showed the intangibles to push for a team to take a chance on him, but I was high on him immediately after the draft. As a Royals purist, I could see the vision, and a 40% on-base clip certainly didn’t hurt. The Vandy pedigree helps too and I’m a sucker for speed. After stumbling upon a couple of awesome defensive highlights on draft night. That’s all I needed to see. 

Why you should love Javier Vaz and his potential

Javier Vaz is a great baseball player, batting .279/.373/.400 between high-A and AA. His on-base percentage consistently stayed around .100 points above his batting average. He also hit nine home runs and his ground out/air out ratio is below 1.00 (0.78). In other words, he hits the ball in the air more than on the ground. Vaz brings the advanced approach to the game that you’d hope a collegiate bat would. He has also continued to make stellar defensive plays like this:

Vaz’s strikeout rates are seemingly sustainable at 11.2 percent. At the same time, his walk rate is even higher yet — just as sustainable at 14.3 percent. He has also shown in his first year of professional baseball that he can make the jump in competition. Vaz’s numbers got even better after his promotion! His OPS jumped from .757 to .830 after the transition to Northwest Arkansas and he began to hit the ball in the air even more, with his walk numbers staying right around par.

Vaz’s BABIP also balanced itself out to .298 on the season, jumping from .283 in A+ to .348 AA. Topping it all off in a neat bow is 30 stolen bases in 119 games while getting caught 5 times. Assuming he settles in and continues to feel more comfortable I would expect to see that number jump somewhere above 40 and the success rate stay between 85-90%. Vaz can be a contact-hitting, threatening on-base presence who manages to play fantastic defense in the process. 

Is there cause for concern about Vaz’s future?

While Vaz is intriguing as a prospect there is one big aspect of his game that should draw a little sweat as a fan. He hasn’t seen a strong power output as a professional. His slight frame and contact-oriented swing don’t bode well for the progression of his ability to hit homers. While hitting nine in his first full season of minor league play, it is worth noting that the stadiums in the Royals’ minor league system tend to lean hitter-friendly.

This combined with a flyball percentage hovering around 40% and only a 15.6% line drive rate on the season (between both levels) concern me for the far more spacious outfield in Kaufman Stadium. For a prospect closer to 21 I’d have an easier time crossing my fingers for some maturation, but Vaz is already 23 and played four years of collegiate ball, where the power didn’t emerge either.

The hit tool is still very consistent with loads of contact in his bat and pitch selection is a very strong tool in his arsenal. With the right training regiment and coaching, I can see a future where he peaks at 10 home runs while letting the average slip just a little. What we can most likely expect, however, is an Alcides Escobar-type bat with a better average and MUCH better walk rate. 

The Bottom Line on Javier Vaz

Javier Vaz is a guy you will be able to root for as a Royal. The intangibles are there, and there is so much for a major league club to value. I like him as a player and for this franchise because he fits the core identity of Kansas City Royals baseball. If he reaches his potential, he will be an everyday outfielder with the athleticism of Lorenzo Cain.

Vaz has shown he can get on base over 38% of the time, albeit with less power. If he doesn’t, he can slot right into the fourth outfielder spot and become the next Jarrod Dyson of this team. I loved watching Dyson scoot around the bases, and if that’s the floor for Vaz, I’m excited to see him run.