The Royals announced their “Spring Breakout” roster for the minor league showcase that will be taking place for the first time this year. This showcase is an opportunity for the average fan to become more familiar with their team’s farm system and top prospects, as each game is broadcast on MLB.TV and MLB.com. These Royals’ prospects will be taking on the team from the Milwaukee Brewers on March 17th.
The Royals’ Spring Breakout Roster
Pitchers (14)
Mason Barnett (RHP) – No. 6 prospect
Noah Cameron (LHP) – No. 21 prospect
Eric Cerantola (RHP) – No. 27 prospect
Chandler Champlain (RHP) – No. 12 prospect
Andrew Hoffman (RHP) – Not ranked
Will Klein (RHP) – No. 19 prospect
Ben Kudrna (RHP) – No. 4 prospect
Frank Mozzicato (LHP) – No. 5 prospect
Hunter Owen (LHP) – No. 23 prospect
Anderson Paulino (RHP) – Not ranked
Henry Williams (RHP) – No. 29 prospect
Blake Wolters (RHP) – No. 7 prospect
Hiro Wyatt (RHP) – No. 26 prospect
Steven Zobac (RHP) – No. 25 prospect
Catchers (3)
Blake Mitchell – No. 1 prospect
Carter Jensen – No. 11 prospect
Ramon Ramirez – No. 15 prospect
Infielders (6)
Austin Charles (3B/SS) – No. 13 prospect
Brett Squires (1B) – Not ranked
Daniel Vazquez (SS) – No. 28 prospect
Cayden Wallace (3B) – No. 3 prospect
Trevor Werner (3B) – No. 20 prospect
Peyton Wilson (2B) – No. 24 prospect
Outfielders (4)
Gavin Cross – No. 8 prospect
Tyler Gentry – No. 10 prospect
Carson Roccaforte – No. 17 prospect
Javier Vaz – No. 16 prospect
Prospects I am eager to watch
There are a ton of exciting prospects that we will get to see in action, including 24 out of the Royals’ top 30 prospects. Some players that I am particularly eager to see are Blake Mitchell, Blake Wolters, and Hiro Wyatt. All three players were drafted out of high school in the 2023 MLB Draft and have not spent any time at an affiliate. It will be a chance to see how they look against some of the top prospects in the Brewers’ organization.
Some other players of intrigue include pitcher Steven Zobac, Ramon Ramirez, and Gavis Cross. Zobac turned a lot of heads last season in his first minor league campaign between Columbia and Quad Cities. Roman Ramirez has been a hot name recently after a very strong showing in the DSL last year and will get his first crack against some more advanced competition. It will also be interesting to see how Gavin Cross is looking after a disappointing 2023 season in which he was battling injury and illness.
I think the Spring Breakout showcase is a great idea and am excited to see this event turns more eyes to the incredible talent that can be found in the minor leagues. These players have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of plenty of eyes, which could pay dividends in the long run. As long as this year’s showcase goes as planned, I do not see why this should not be a yearly event to look forward to.