Felix Arronde signed as a 17-year-old with the Royals back in 2021. At the time, he was already touching 95 mph with his fastball. He signed for $100,000. Since then, he’s entered the lower minors and found mixed success thus far. In 2023, Arronde made his way to Low-A for the first time. It was a late-season promotion, however, and he made just two starts for the Fireflies before the season ended.
Season Stats:
2021 (DSL): 8 G, 17.2 IP, 3.06 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 22.0% K%, 12.2% BB%
2022 (DSL): 12 G, 35.0 IP, 6.94 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 30.5% K%, 7.9% BB%
2023 (CPX): 11 G, 39.0 IP, 1.85 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 29.7% K%, 9.7% BB%
2023 (Low-A): 2 G, 9.2 IP, 3.72 ERA, 5.77 FIP, 27.9% K%, 14.0% BB%
Arronde has consistently shown impressive strikeout ability throughout his minor league career thus far. Outside of that, he’s otherwise been inconsistent which is frankly to be expected from a young international prospect. He’ll almost certainly return to Low-A to start 2024 and could start in a strong rotation alongside Blake Wolters, Hiro Wyatt, and Emmanuel Reyes. His pure stuff is impressive at such a young age.
Arronde leans on a mix of four pitches, including a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. The fastball sits mid-90s already but his changeup might be the best pitch of the bunch as it currently sits. It’s an easy and repeatable delivery from the right side with a quick arm action. The 6-3 frame has allowed him to add muscle and velocity. That trend could continue as he develops more in the lower minor leagues.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 45/55
Curveball: 40/45
Slider: 40/50
Changeup: 45/50
Command: 40/45
Best Case Scenario
There are a couple of paths forward for Arronde, both dependent most on his command. The strikeout ability and pure stuff seem like they could carry him as a starter or a reliever. His command has been spotty, however, and could push him to the bullpen as he continues to develop. As a starter, there’s a Danny Salazar-type ceiling. Salazar was an impressive starter for Cleveland from 2013 to 2017 before injuries derailed his career. As a reliever, a similar profile to Grant Gavin exists here.
Worst Case Scenario
Worst case, Arronde becomes some organizational depth. His stuff is mostly impressive, but at the end of the day right now it’s mostly reliant on his fastball and changeup. He will need to continue refining his slider and curveball to remain a prospect. The east-west offering especially could raise his ceiling. Without it, the ceiling remains rather low and likely sees him fall from any sort of prospect status.
