The Kansas City Royals are entering into an interesting period, as their talented farm system is beginning to arrive at the MLB level. One of those players making that transition is outfielder Kyle Isbel.
For college ball, Isbel attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In three seasons at UNLV, he played in 170 games and logged 796 plate appearances. He hit .322/.390/.512 with 40 doubles, 15 triples, 21 home runs, 110 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. In 2018, Isbel was rewarded for his stellar collegiate career by being drafted by the Royals in the third round of the MLB Draft.
Isbel, the No. 7 prospect in the Royals organization, would climb through the minor leagues playing for the Lexington Legends, the Idaho Falls Chukars and the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He even participated in the Arizona Fall League, playing for the Surprise Saguaros. In three minor league seasons, he hit .277/.352/.450 with 49 doubles, eight triples, 29 home runs, 117 RBIs and 57 stolen bases.
Isbel made his Royals debut on April 1st, 2021. He experienced baseball at its highest form last season, but ultimately needed to fine-tune some skills. He would be sent down to Triple-A Omaha before the month was over. One of the key areas he focused on was his hitting, which led to his work during the offseason — and it has been on full display during spring training. So far, Isbel has played in 10 games. This spring, he has hit .286/.400/.810 with six hits, one triple, three home runs, nine RBIs and a stolen base.
Again, the Royals are entering into a transitional period, and Isbel fits into that present and future. He may be in for a much more significant role as the season progresses. One noticeable note: the Royals have yet to lock up Gold Glove winner Andrew Benintendi to a long-term contract. Both Isbel and Benintendi are very similar in skill level and if the club can not agree to a long-term contract with Benintendi, Isbel would be an ideal replacement.
Per Baseball-Reference, Isbel is projected to log 242 plate appearances in 2022. B-Ref believes he will have 21 hits, five doubles, three triples, one home run, seven RBIs and two stolen bases on the year. Of course, this is insanely hard to gauge because injuries or transactions can occur that allow for more or less playing time. With that said, it's easy to believe that Isbel will have an impactful 2022 season and play an intricate role in this team moving forward. He's too good not to.
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