Last time we focused on shortstop within the Royals organization and how they pan out heading into the 2024 season and beyond. This time we focus on the third base position. What does the position look like in the Majors? Does the team have any depth on the way in the minor leagues?
Similarly to shortstop, third base has a guy that could be there for years to come, albeit not on Bobby Witt Jr’s. level. There are a couple of decent backup options and some intriguing future pieces. With that let’s start with the Major League guys.
The Major League Options
Starter: Maikel Garcia
Outside of Bobby Witt Jr., Garcia is also one of the more obvious starters to slot in. With top-tier defense and a contact first bat, Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. could be sharing the left side of the infield for a while. While Garcia has a Gold Glove-caliber glove, his bat needs some work.
According to Baseball Savant, Garcia has a hard hit rate of 50.6%, which is great, but only barrels the ball 3.9% of the time. The issue with his bat lies in his batted ball profile. Garcia hits too many grounders (48.3% GB rate) and not enough flyballs (18.3% FB rate) to tap into his power.
Even with the issues with the bat, Garcia still projects to slash .269/.333/.381 for an OPS of .714 with an around league average 92 wRC+. If Garcia can keep his contact rates up and have a healthy walk rate of around 8% then he will be a solid contributor.
Backups: Nick loftin, Garrett Hampson
The backup room has a couple of recurring faces in this series. Loftin will be the main backup for many of the infield spots and brings a little more pop compared to Garcia. As noted many times in this series, Hampson will slot in just about everywhere on the field.
With the Majors covered, let’s look at the Minor league depth that could see the Majors this season.
Potential Call-ups for 2024
Michael Brosseau
Brosseau signed with the Royals as minor league depth after a down year in Milwaukee. He is known as a lefty masher, but last season he didn’t do so well, slashing just .196/.245/.326 against southpaws. He isn’t a flashy call-up, but he has experience manning the hot corner and could get hot against lefties. Plus in his career he has trended up and down against lefties, meaning if that continues this year he will trend up.
Devin Mann
Another returning face in this series, Mann could see the Majors as a third baseman. He has a good bat and a below-average glove for the spot. The defense won’t be why he is called up as he struggled last season with eight errors in 397 innings manning the spot.
Angelo Castellano
Once again, another recurring player in this series. Castellano had a breakout season in AAA Omaha and could be a good call-up if anyone gets hurt at short or third base. He possesses a good bat and can play third base in a pinch.
The potential call-ups may not be the most exciting, but they have some intrigue as they all have good bats. Now, what does the future outlook look like for the position?
A Look into the Future
Cayden Wallace
The number three-ranked prospect in the Royals system, Wallace is an interesting player to keep an eye on. Wallace played well in High-A Quad Cities before getting called up to AA Northwest Arkansas. Wallace slashed .261/.341/.431 in High-A with a 116 wRC+. Then he hit a wall in AA, slashing .236/.300/.362 with a 75 wRC+. Wallace has a good approach at the plate, but he needs to develop his power at higher levels in the minors. The development of the bat is the thing to keep an eye on once 2024 starts, and he’s a young 22-year-old, so he has time.
Trevor Werner
Werner is coming off his first pro-ball season in the Complex league and Low-A. Werner dominated at Low-A Columbus slashing .354/.459/.699 with an OPS of 1.158 and a wRC+ of 214. Last season was surprising for Werner as the power surge was not expected in many scouting reports. He is a year older than Wallace and has a higher variance of who he could be as a player. If the bat holds this rate in the higher leagues, then he could be a quick riser, but he also could be similar to Ryan O’Hearn.
Austin Charles
Last season, Austin Charles was the definition of a quick riser in the Royals farm system. Charles showed up out of the blue displaying good speed and power at shortstop. While he put together a solid season in Low-A, there are concerns with his bat as he doesn’t make much contact. His 6’4 frame also leads some people to believe he is more of a third baseman. After last season, fans should be keeping an eye on Charles as he could be a great power-speed bat in the future.
This wraps up the third basemen in the Royals system. Overall, there is a ton of talent at the top and at the bottom of the system. The main concern at the Majors is the development of Garcia’s bat and who the main backup is. The Minor League guys have tools to play third but are either inconsistent or need Major League time to show what they have. The crown of this group is the future prospects, but if Garcia develops they might not see the Majors for a bit.
Position Grade: B+ to A (depending on Garcia’s bat development)