As the Kansas City Royals attempt to rebuild retool after several disappointing seasons in a row, the development of prospects is going to be as critical as ever. With many expecting a return to competitive baseball as soon as 2021 or 2022, time is ticking.
Right-hander Zach Haake could be a part of that future. The 2018 sixth-round selection breezed through his first few challenges before posting a 2.85 ERA with the Lexington Legends in 2019. That’s nothing to scoff at, as Haake struck out 90 in 75.2 innings of work. Over the last two years, he’s been a key cog in the machine that is the Royals minor league system.