Outfielder Gavin Cross was the lone Royals player on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list released this week, coming in at #97. Last year, the Royals had three players in the top 50 - Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto - but all three graduated off the list this year.
Cross was the ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Virginia Tech. He got his professional career off to a terrific start, hitting .293/.423/.596 with seven home runs and 22 walks in 26 games for Low-A Columbia. The left-handed hitter turns 22 next month and features a strong arm that could be in the big leagues quickly, with Baseball America writing:
He’s a promising right fielder who could be a fast mover in an organization that could use help in the outfield.