Royals Minor Leaguer's Recent Struggles Have Raised Alarm Bells

The Kansas City Royals are off to a slow start. Entering Thursday's doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, the Royals were 10-14 and sat in third place in the American League Central on the heels of a surprise Wild Card berth in 2024.

They have a ton of prospects in their system, but some of them aren't off to a great start this year and some have even struggled over the past few years.

First baseman Nick Pratto has already tasted the Major Leagues a few times, but he has never quite been able to put it all together. FanSided's Mike Gillespie pointed out that his time in the organization could be limited if he can't put it together.

"It may seem odd to call Pratto a prospect, but until he proves he can hit big league pitching, that's what he is. He's also a mystery the organization can't seem to solve — not since 2021, when he exploded at the plate with 36 homers, 98 RBI, and a .265/.385/.602 line across 64 games at Omaha and 61 at Northwest Arkansas, has he shown consistent signs that he's the budding star those shiny stats suggested he was," Gillespie writes.

Following Wednesday's action, Pratto was hitting just .192/.309/.213 with only five RBI and a miserable .522 OPS. He also has yet to hit a home run.

Pratto's time in Kansas City may be near its end if he can't figure something out. The Royals may be forced to eventually cut bait, especially with other players emerging.

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