As the Kansas City Royals attempt to rebuild retool after several disappointing seasons in a row, the development of young players is going to be as critical as ever. With many expecting a return to competitive baseball as soon as 2021 or 2022, time is ticking.
First baseman Ryan O’Hearn was selected in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft by the Royals. In 2018, his rookie season, the lefty hit for a .262/.353/.597 line with 12 home runs in just 44 games. His production was phenomenal, albeit the same size was small.
2019 was a humbling season for the infielder.