3 Red-Hot Royals Prospects Who Clearly Got Screwed by Delayed MLB Season

Every team has their fair share of elite prospects and the Kansas City Royals are no different. Bobby Witt Jr. is their prized possession, but nothing is going to set him off the track of being a top prospect and joining the MLB team in a few years.

There are multiple other talented prospects, however, and the coronavirus outbreak has put a halt on their rapid rises. These three guys have seemingly been the most impacted.

3. Khalil Lee

Khalil Lee was supposed to make his debut in 2020, but the coronavirus might have thrown a wrench in that. / Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Khalil Lee, a 2016 MLB Draft pick, finished second in the entire MiLB in stolen bases in 2019. He has shown good ability to get on base, as his lowest on-base percentage in his career was .330 during his first stint in Double-A. Lee is projected to be a mainstay at the top of the Royals lineup for the next few years, and Royals fans were preparing to see him as soon as this summer. They'll have to wait a little bit now.

2. Jackson Kowar

Jackson Kowar was on a fast track to a 2020 MLB debut until the pandemic struck. / Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Jackson Kowar was a highly-touted pitching prospect out of the University of Florida and was the Royals' 33rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Since then, Kowar has been on a fast track to the majors, skyrocketing to Double-A in only his second year with the organization. Across 74 innings in both Single- and Double-A, he maintained a 3.52 ERA and looked to be on track to break into Triple-A in 2020. He only got an underwhelming 3.1 innings of action during Spring Training before everything got postponed.

1. Brady Singer

Another Florida product, Brady Singer, was projected to make his MLB start in 2020. / Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Brady Singer arguably has the highest floor of any Royals prospect. As another University of Florida product, Singer was drafted 18th overall by the Royals in 2018. The 2019 season was his first in the organization and he skyrocketed to Double-A. In High-A he had an outstanding 1.87 ERA and then maintained a 3.47 mark in Double-A. Singer's MLB debut will likely have to wait, especially after many expected it to come in 2020. He would have been on the fast track assuming his start in Double-A this year went well, which would've been a safe bet.