Alan Eskew

The Royals added the 21-year-old lefthander to the 40-man roster so as not to risk losing another promising young arm in the Rule 5 draft.

The 2020 first-rounder spent the fall in Kansas City, working with many of the Royals’ other top pitching prospects at instructional league.

Brady Singer won the Royals’ first and last games of 2020, which was a fitting accomplishment for the face of the club’s trio of promising rookie arms.

The No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft has hit well during summer camp and at the team’s alternate site.

Despite never pitching above Double-A, Singer proved ready for his initial challenge in the big leagues.

The 22-year-old lefthander used a variety of pitches and approaches to baffle Class A hitters and lead the minors in strikeouts last season.

The organization made an effort to improve its pitching depth in the 2018 draft, and the results were apparent in the Carolina League in 2019.

The Royals have mined for pitchers in the Rule 5 draft in recent seasons and this time came away with Stephen Woods.

The Royals aren’t taking chances with their speedy, slick-fielding shortstop, whom they shielded from the Rule 5 draft.

Kyle Isbel missed three months with injuries, but he shined early in the Carolina League and late in the Arizona Fall League.

Although the big league team is in flux, the Royals’ minor leagues are bursting with pitching prospects who helped their teams win four championships.

The former Stanford southpaw had dramatically improved one of his secondary pitches, setting him on a path to dominate two Class A levels.

The Royals believe prospects Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez and Seuly Matias will learn from their struggles in the Carolina League.

The Royals had scouted the five-tool Witt for more than a year before using the No. 2 overall pick to draft him.

Though he may have been a 21st-round pick, Eaton supplies athleticism, power, speed and versatility the Royals covet.

The lefty reliever took criticism to heart and created his unusual delivery, complete with low three-quarters arm slot.

Chosen 18th overall in 2018, Singer did not pitch after signing, but used his down time to regroup and add new pitches to his arsenal.

The Royals stuck with the 2012 first-rounder through a litany of injuries; now Zimmer can repay that loyalty after an intense offseason training regimen.

The Royals doubled up on Rule 5 picks, taking Sam McWilliams and Chris Ellis, with the hope that one or both can duplicate the results of Brad Keller.

The Kansas City native grew up a Royals fan and took another step toward his goal of pitching off the Kauffman Stadium mound in 2018.