That said, he bounced back in 2024 in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In 431 plate appearances, he slashed .261/.342/.428 with a 114 wRC+. He also hit 15 home runs and stole 30 bases. Thus, it seemed like a possibility that he could make his debut at some point in 2025. However, he regressed in 2025 back in Northwest Arkansas, slashing .241/.291/.413 with a 92 wRC+.
On a positive note, he did hit 17 home runs and stole 23 bases in 507 plate appearances. Cross also did much better in the second half. From July first until the end of the year, the Virginia Tech product hit .297 with nine home runs, 41 runs scored, 33 RBI, 19 stolen bases (on 21 attempts), and a 133 wRC+.
Cross was Rule 5 Draft-eligible, yet he went unselected. That could be a blessing for the Royals, for if he mashes in Triple-A (which is his likely starting level), he could matriculate to the majors, especially if the Royals’ outfield situation doesn’t improve.
Cross may not be a star, but he’s totally capable of being a 15 HR-15 SB player if healthy.
RHP Dennis Colleran
Dennis Colleran was drafted in the seventh round out of Northeastern University in the 2024 MLB Draft. Considering he came from a mid-major college and his draft-round status, he wasn’t initially seen as a high-level prospect. However, he’s done his part to prove that he can be a contributor at the MLB level.
The 22-year-old moved quickly in the Royals’ system, pitching 66.1 innings across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A ball. Over those three levels, he posted a 2.85 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 27.1% K%, and 14.3% K-BB%. He also sported a 40% GB%, 13.2% SwStr%, and 29.5% CSW, all solid metrics for a pitcher in his professional debut.
Colleran’s solid performance last year earned him an invite to the Arizona Fall League, and he held his own. In seven appearances and 7.2 IP, he posted a 1.17 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and only three walks. That helped him garner a non-roster invite to spring training, where he’s already been turning heads in camp in Surprise.
The Northeastern product features a four-pitch mix, including a cutter, sinker, four-seamer, and slider. His cutter, four-seamer, and slider are all impressive swing-and-miss pitches, as they generated whiff rates of 30% or above in the AFL. He could stand to improve the movement on the four-seamer and sinker, but they are at least high-velocity pitches that average 95-96 mph.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.justbaseball.com ’
