Every season there are a handful of young players who break through their individual expectations and contribute greatly to the team. Last season, Nicky Lopez, Scott Barlow, and Jake Brentz all surprised us with their performances. This type of sudden improvement is one of the greatest joys in all sports, a player who was barely even given a thought about the season before suddenly making an impact winning games. It’s an amazing feeling for everyone involved and in 2022 I believe that five of the best candidates to fill this role for the Royals are listed below.
Ronald Bolaños
Ronald is a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher from Cuba the Royals acquired in 2020, along with Franchy Cordero in exchange for Tim Hill.