Asa Lacy Cruises In Return To Game Action

Lefthander Asa Lacy had yet to pitch against opposing hitters since being drafted with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft from Texas A&M. That is, until he faced the Rangers’ High-A team on April 19.

The 21-year-old Lacy had participated in summer and fall programs at Kaufman Stadium in 2020 before reporting to big league spring training this year, but his only game activity had come in intrasquad contests and live batting practice sessions.

“It felt amazing to get out there with all of my teammates, playing against somebody else for a change,” Lacy said after his two-inning outing. 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Lacy turned in an impressive outing, touching 98 mph with his fastball with sharp downward tilt. He also mixed in a plus changeup and curveball, getting a swing and miss on one of the breaking pitches.

A scout from a rival American League organization called Lacy’s arsenal “weapons-grade and nasty,” commenting that his pure stuff plays in the big leagues now.

While he didn’t get on the mound during big league spring training, Lacy believes the experience was valuable, especially the time he spent around veteran pitchers Mike Minor, Wade Davis and Danny Duffy.

When Lacy played toss with Davis, the veteran reliever showed Lacy the grip he uses with his cutter. It was especially beneficial for Lacy since improving his sharp slider was one of his goals for spring training.

“It was truly an honor just to be in the same company as them and just watching them go about their business every day and how professional they are,” Lacy said.

Lacy will likely break camp with High-A Quad Cities. But if all goes well, he may not be there for long.

“Asa Lacy is a guy who’s not going to be far from the big leagues once he gets his feet under him,” Royals director of pitching performance Paul Gibson said.

“We try to plot a course for each guy individually. In Asa’s case, we’re going to be looking for fastball command and his ability to be able to use all pitches.”

 

 

 

ROYALTIES

— The Royals took part in an informal two-week co-op league prior to the start of minor league spring training for players who were already in camp during big league camp. Other participating organizations included the Rangers, Mariners, Indians, Reds, White Sox and Dodgers. Schedules, game times, locations and team compositions were all fluid, with many last-minute changes to meet each organization’s needs.