The path to the pros for lefty Hunter Patteson has been anything but easy. The Royals’ 2022 fifth-round pick suffered an injury while pitching in his final season for UCF. That injury ultimately resulted in Tommy John Surgery in April 2022. At the time, Patteson was a draft-eligible sophomore of sorts, after the 2020 season was cut short. He ranked as Baseball America’s 195th prospect in the draft class. Prospects Live ranked him as the number 239 overall prospect. Much of the draw for teams evaluating Patteson was the projection remaining.
Returning from injury once again, Patteson is healthy for 2024
With a perfect 6-4 frame, Patteson started to touch 97 mph with his fastball just before injury derailed his season. Before that, he had pitched in the low 90s. He mixes in a changeup and slider alongside his fastball and has always generated a ton of swing-and-miss. His final season for UCF saw him strike out 41 hitters in just 29.2 IP. Patteson continued to rehab his arm after being drafted and went on to make his pro debut last season in Surprise. He made seven appearances in the Complex League and looked strong. Over 15.1 IP, he struck out 21 hitters and walked just three. Then, shortly after a mid-season promotion to Low-A Columbia, Patteson saw his season cut short once again.
He made just one start for the Fireflies — a scoreless outing over three frames — before landing on the injured list once again. It had become truly the worst-case scenario for Patteson. He went on to miss the entire rest of the 2023 season after pitching just 18.1 total innings. Now, entering 2024, Patteson is again back on the mound and hopes to make 2024 his first full season as a professional. On Sunday, he made his 2024 debut for the Fireflies and looked fantastic.
He notched the save for Columbia, but that save came after four perfect innings. Patteson faced 12 Green Jackets hitters and retired them all in order. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five. It’s still a work in progress as Patteson works back and kicks off the rust. His fastball averaged 92 mph on the day, but he generated a handful of ugly swings while leaning heavily on his changeup and slider. He’s pitching in relief currently, but there’s a high chance he will find his way back into the starting rotation sometime sooner rather than later.
Mack Anglin continues to work back, starts the 2024 season on the Injured List
Mack Anglin was another arm drafted by the Royals in their 2022 class. A seventh-round pick out of Clemson, Anglin throws a devastating slider. He pitched just one inning in the 2022 Complex League but made his way up to Columbia fairly early in 2023. Once he got there, the results were strong. Anglin struck out 44 hitters over 39.1 IP. He struggled with command at times but worked his fastball up to 96 mph and generated a ton of ugly swings with his slider. Despite walking six batters per nine innings, Anglin ended his 2023 season with a 2.29 ERA.
His season ended prematurely after suffering somewhat of a freak injury. Anglin was running to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side. The first baseman’s throw went behind the covering pitcher. As Anglin reached back to prevent an error, his leg buckled underneath him. He was helped off the field and would miss the remainder of 2023. Now, entering 2024, Anglin has opened the season on the 60-day IL once again. Currently, it’s an oblique injury that’s sidelined Anglin. He’s slated to be ready to return right around the time that he’s eligible.
Mozzicato continues preparations for a pivotal 2024 season
The top Royals prospect, Frank Mozzicato, was assigned to High-A Quad Cities to open his 2024 season. Then, Ben Kudrna made the team’s Opening Day start. He was followed by Steven Zobac and Henry Williams in the team’s opening series. Mozzicato’s absence from the River Bandits’ opening series was certainly curious, but the lefty is healthy and should get started shortly this season. The team’s rotation for their series at West Michigan this week is still to be determined.
Reports by the team on Frank aren’t clear, but he’s healthy entering the season. He’s reportedly been held back a little longer to give him a strong foundation for success in 2024. That explanation could mean many things (including nothing at all) but without speculating, the season ahead will be a pivotal one for Mozzicato. He turns just 21 this June but enters his third season as a pro. To this point, he’s done a great job generating strikeouts at both Low-A and High-A. A mid-season concussion derailed his season some in 2023.
That roadblock, alongside the continued shortcomings in command, has done little to answer questions about just how good Mozzicato can be someday. He added a slider to his arsenal last offseason but is yet to discover any meaningful uptick in velocity. At 20 years old, that uptick in velocity could finally be on display this season. Even without mid-90s velocity, Mozzicato spins the ball extremely well and has excellent fastball traits. The vertical approach angle (VAA) of the pitch is good enough to miss bats even at 90 mph. Quad Cities will announce their starting rotation for the week ahead sometime tomorrow. That will give us an idea whether Mozzicato will be ready to make his 2024 debut this week, or if we will have to wait a little longer to see the lefty toe the rubber once again.