The Royals are opting for a clean slate with top prospect Bubba Starling.
The club officially promoted the outfielder to Class AAA Omaha Saturday after a frustrating season at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.
Starling, a first-round pick in 2011, was batting .185 with a .251 on-base percentage and five homers in 62 games for the Naturals. He missed 11 days in late May after suffering a heel contusion.
The performance represents a disappointing step back for Starling, a 23-year-old native of Gardner who displayed signs of his offensive potential in 2015. Starling posted a .785 on-base plus slugging percentage while splitting time between two levels in 2015, his best offensive numbers since 2012.