KANSAS CITY -- First baseman Nick Pratto, the Royals' first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2017 MLB Draft, was at Kauffman Stadium before Friday's game against the D-backs along with all the other Minor Leaguers the club recently honored.
Pratto, 18, was chosen as the Royals' player of the year at Rookie League Surprise (Ariz.), where he hit .247 with 22 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs in 52 games.
Jumping from high school baseball directly to professional baseball was about what Pratto expected.
"I knew that it was really going to be challenging," Pratto said. "I expected it to be like that, and moving forward, I'll be better prepared.