Cayden Wallace

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #9 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
  
  Track Record: Wallace is one of the few pro players who can say he got to play with his brother. His older brother Paxton was his teammate with the Royals’ High-A Quad Cities affiliate for much of the 2023 season before Cayden was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in August. The 2024 season was a frustrating one for Cayden. An oblique injury sent him to the injured list in May. He was working back to full strength on a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League when the Royals traded him to the Nationals for reliever Hunter Harvey. After a tune-up at High-A Wilmington, Wallace finished the season at Double-A Harrisburg.
  
  Scouting Report: Wallace has a simple, smooth, righthanded swing and quick hands that are set just outside of his torso and allow him to adeptly control the barrel. His swing and skill set are geared to hitting for average more than power. He has a line-drive swing suited for finding the gaps, which will yield more doubles than home runs. Defensively, Wallace is an above-average third baseman. He has a plus arm with solid accuracy, even if his throwing motion is often a lengthy one. He is an average runner but has solid baserunning instincts that could lead to more steals. He swiped 18 bases in 130 games in the Royals’ system in 2023.
  
  The Future: Wallace joined the Nationals’ contingent in the Arizona Fall League to make up for at-bats he missed during 2024. He should head to Triple-A Rochester to start 2025. With a strong start, he could end up in D.C. before long. He projects as an everyday third baseman and could provide the Nationals an answer at the position by mid 2025, though Brady House and Trey Lipscomb will also be making their case.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Wallace reached Double-A before the end of his second pro season after the Royals drafted him in the second round in 2022 following two seasons at Arkansas. He comes from an athletic family, with his father having been a college quarterback and his older brother Paxton a first baseman in the Royals organization in 2023. Wallace opened 2023 as the regular third baseman at High-A Quad Cities, where he hit a solid .261/.341/.431 before returning to his home state for 33 games following a promotion to Double-A northwest Arkansas.
  
  Scouting Report: Wallace goes to the plate with a simple, easy operation in terms of swing mechanics. He has a calm demeanor and consistently makes quality contact. Wallace’s hands are set just outside his torso, with a quick trigger allowing him to see the ball longer and get the barrel to the ball. While he doesn’t make consistent loud contact and is more of a gap hitter, Wallace has strength in his swing and could get to his above-average raw power with more experience. Wallace is a natural third baseman. He’s an above-average, reliable defender with a plus arm featuring an unorthodox circular windmill throwing motion. His throws are accurate with good carry and he gets plenty of zip on throws even when he is off-balance. An average runner, Wallace is capable of double-digit stolen base totals thanks to his solid baserunning instincts.
  
  The Future: Wallace most likely will return to northwest Arkansas for more seasoning to open 2024, but he should make it to Triple-A during the season. Wallace projects as the regular third baseman the Royals have been seeking for much of the past decade, teaming with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to man the left side of the infield for the foreseeable future.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Wallace had a strong two-year career at Arkansas, hitting for both average and power. He was already a notable name upon arriving in Fayetteville because he was the top high school prospect in the state of Arkansas in 2020. He gained further exposure by playing in most of the major showcase events. Wallace comes from a sports-minded family. His father was a college quarterback and a brother played in the Angels organization and independent ball. The Royals drafted the righthanded-hitting Wallace in the second round in 2022 as an eligible sophomore. He began his pro career with three games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before moving up to Low-A Columbia for 27 games and hitting a combined .293/.379/.466. He participated in the Royals instructional league program in the fall.
  
  Scouting Report: Wallace has strong wrists and a compact stroke at the plate, with good torque in his swing. Those qualities help him project to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. Wallace uses a traditional stance with a lower hand set just below his shoulder line, which helps him create plenty of power from an easy, efficient swing. Wallace's double-plus arm should help him stick at third base, where he is a potentially above-average defender. His arm strength is big enough that he can get plenty of zip on his throws even when he doesn't have time to set his feet. Wallace is no more than an average runner but steals bases on instincts.
  
  The Future: Wallace may be the regular third baseman the Royals have sought for much of the past decade, assuming Bobby Witt Jr. moves back to his natural shortstop position. Like 2022 first-rounder Gavin Cross, Wallace should move quickly through the system and will likely reach Double-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #53 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Arkansas Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21
  BA Grade: 50/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 70
  The younger brother of former Angels infielder Paxton Wallace and the son of a college quarterback, Cayden Wallace has one of the best infield arms in college baseball. He doesn’t need to set his feet to get something on his throws, which makes him a wiz at charging into bare-hand bunts. When he does set his feet, his throws seem rocket powered. He is comfortable leaving his feet, knowing he has the arm to pop up and make the play. In addition to having a plus-plus arm and above-average defense at third, Wallace is a heady baserunner. He has average speed, but he swiped a team-best 11 stolen bases in 12 tries. Wallace has above-average bat speed and has shown he can catch up to velocity. He has an average bat with average power. He hit .299/.394/.561. He likes to drop the bat head to pull the ball, but he also has shown he can drive the ball to right-center. He can be busted up and in on his hands. Wallace had an up-arrow as the draft neared—he hit nine of his 15 home runs in Arkansas’ last 11 games of the season and hit better during the conference schedule than he did during the non-conference slate.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Wallace had a strong two-year career at Arkansas, hitting for both average and power. He was already a notable name upon arriving in Fayetteville because he was the top high school prospect in the state of Arkansas in 2020. He gained further exposure by playing in most of the major showcase events. Wallace comes from a sports-minded family. His father was a college quarterback and a brother played in the Angels organization and independent ball. The Royals drafted the righthanded-hitting Wallace in the second round in 2022 as an eligible sophomore. He began his pro career with three games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before moving up to Low-A Columbia for 27 games and hitting a combined .293/.379/.466. He participated in the Royals instructional league program in the fall.
  
  Scouting Report: Wallace has strong wrists and a compact stroke at the plate, with good torque in his swing. Those qualities help him project to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. Wallace uses a traditional stance with a lower hand set just below his shoulder line, which helps him create plenty of power from an easy, efficient swing. Wallace's double-plus arm should help him stick at third base, where he is a potentially above-average defender. His arm strength is big enough that he can get plenty of zip on his throws even when he doesn't have time to set his feet. Wallace is no more than an average runner but steals bases on instincts.
  
  The Future: Wallace may be the regular third baseman the Royals have sought for much of the past decade, assuming Bobby Witt Jr. moves back to his natural shortstop position. Like 2022 first-rounder Gavin Cross, Wallace should move quickly through the system and will likely reach Double-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Wallace had a strong two-year career at Arkansas, hitting for both average and power. He was already a notable name upon arriving in Fayetteville because he was the top high school prospect in the state of Arkansas in 2020. He gained further exposure by playing in most of the major showcase events. Wallace comes from a sports-minded family. His father was a college quarterback and a brother played in the Angels organization and independent ball. The Royals drafted the righthanded-hitting Wallace in the second round in 2022 as an eligible sophomore. He began his pro career with three games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before moving up to Low-A Columbia for 27 games and hitting a combined .293/.379/.466. He participated in the Royals instructional league program in the fall.
  
  Scouting Report: Wallace has strong wrists and a compact stroke at the plate, with good torque in his swing. Those qualities help him project to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. Wallace uses a traditional stance with a lower hand set just below his shoulder line, which helps him create plenty of power from an easy, efficient swing. Wallace's double-plus arm should help him stick at third base, where he is a potentially above-average defender. His arm strength is big enough that he can get plenty of zip on his throws even when he doesn't have time to set his feet. Wallace is no more than an average runner but steals bases on instincts.
  
  The Future: Wallace may be the regular third baseman the Royals have sought for much of the past decade, assuming Bobby Witt Jr. moves back to his natural shortstop position. Like 2022 first-rounder Gavin Cross, Wallace should move quickly through the system and will likely reach Double-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  August Update: The younger brother of former Angels infielder Paxton Wallace and the son of a college quarterback, Cayden Wallace has one of the best infield arms in college baseball. He doesn&#39t need to set his feet to get something on his throws, which makes him a whiz at charging into bare-hand bunts. When he does set his feet, his throws seem rocket powered. He is comfortable leaving his feet, knowing he has the arm to pop up and make the play. In addition to having a plus-plus arm and above-average defense at third, Wallace is a heady baserunner. He has average speed, but he swiped a team-best 11 stolen bases in 12 tries. Wallace has above-average bat speed and has shown he can catch up to velocity. He has an average bat with average power. He hit .299/.394/.561. He likes to drop the bat head to pull the ball, but he also has shown he can drive the ball to right-center. He can be busted up and in on his hands. Wallace had an up-arrow as the draft neared—he hit nine of his 15 home runs in Arkansas&#39 last 11 games of the season and hit better during the conference schedule than he did during the non-conference slate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 70.