Royals' Tresh jumps from NCAA to AFL

Let’s just say Luca Tresh has ridden the roller coaster in the past 12 months.

The right-handed-hitting catcher showed above-average power with 15 homers as a junior at North Carolina State and led the Wolfpack to a third-place finish in the College World Series. But concerns over his overall hit tool, raw ability behind the plate and potential to head back to school dropped him all the way to the 17th round of the Draft. The Royals took him there and signed him for $423,000, equal to a fourth-round pick.

Kansas City has followed up its enthusiasm for Tresh with another push up the hill -- specifically to the Arizona Fall League -- making him one of the rare players to see the NCAA and the AFL in the same calendar year.

• AFL stats | Surprise roster | Arizona Fall League coverage

“I'm just taking it all in,” Tresh said. “I’m not taking a day for granted and going about my business. I've been really excited and am just having fun here.”

It’s understandable that the backstop is still in the wide-eyed portion of his career. He only got in 16 games during the Minor League season, six with the Royals’ Arizona Complex League affiliate and 10 with Low-A Columbia. He went 12-for-53 (.226) with a homer and four doubles.

The jump from low-level pitching to Fall League arms will test just how far along Tresh’s hit tool really is.

“Just my pitch selection,” the catcher said of his AFL focus. “Not chasing, not getting too big in there and just being myself. I think that's really all I can do.”

Tresh’s playing time has been limited in the early days of the Fall League calendar. He’s technically on Surprise’s taxi squad as catching depth behind Yankees first-rounder Austin Wells and Nationals Top 30 prospects Drew Millas and Israel Pineda.

But when Tresh gets playing time, don’t expect him to be too overwhelmed by the experience. After all, his June 12 homer helped the Wolfpack upset No. 1 Arkansas in the super regionals, and he proceeded to catch all three of NC State’s games in Omaha. A pair of wins over Stanford and Vanderbilt had Tresh and his teammates thinking of glory before a loss to the Commodores and a COVID-related no-contest ended their season short of a title.

Tresh gave a long thought to going back to Raleigh as his name dropped in the Draft to close out his unfinished business, but the Royals’ willingness to invest in him -- a notion backed up by his AFL assignment -- was too good to overlook.

“After the first couple days went by, I was really set on going back to school,” Tresh said. “Then I just fell in love with the Royals. … I really liked what they do, their values and how they treat people. That was just a given, so I really liked that and that’s what made me come here.”

Royals hitters in the AFL

Nathan Eaton, 3B/OF: The Royals liked Eaton coming out of VMI more than his 21st-round selection in 2018 would suggest, noting his potential combo of good power and speed, and even announced him as a catcher at the time. He has moved around the diamond but hasn’t caught on officially in the Minors, sticking mostly to third base and the corner outfield spots. After playing 70 games at High-A this season, the 24-year-old got off to a hot AFL start and entered Thursday 13-for-31 (.419) with six extra-base hits and three steals in seven games.

Seuly Matias, OF: The 23-year-old slugger is a prime example of a boom-or-bust prospect. With his mighty hacks, he’s capable of hitting the longest homers in the Fall League, like the 462-foot shot he crushed Monday in Surprise. Those same hacks also make him strike out 36.4 percent of the time, as he did over 64 games this season between High-A and Double-A. In danger of going unprotected and unpicked again in the Rule 5 Draft, Matias needs to show he can make a little more contact against upper-level pitching to become even a right-handed-hitting bench option for Kansas City.

Jake Means, 1B/3B: Late picks are the theme here with Kansas City’s hitting contingent. Means -- the brother of Orioles pitcher John Means -- was taken in the 22nd round of the 2019 Draft and proceeded to hit .222/.343/.429 with 16 homers in 97 games at Low-A and High-A in his first “full” season. The 25-year-old has played both corner infield spots in the Minors but has focused more on first with Surprise.

Royals pitchers in the AFL

Asa Lacy, LHP (No. 3, MLB No. 66): The 2020 fourth overall pick will be the most closely watched Royals prospect in Surprise this autumn. Lacy dealt with a shoulder injury in his first full season that limited him to 52 High-A innings and was inconsistent when he was on the mound with a 5.19 ERA and 41 walks in that span. The Royals remain high on his overall arsenal which includes three plus pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup and believe his 2021 is part of the developmental learning curve. There have been promising signs early in the Fall League; Lacy struck out 10 of the 20 batters he has faced, entering Thursday.

Zach Haake, RHP (No. 30): Haake was a bigger name entering 2021, but injuries have continued to pile up, putting into question just how much of an impact he can have in the future. This fall, he’s shown glimpses of what makes him a promising pitcher when healthy. His sinking fastball has sat in the 94- to 95-mph range, and he’s mixed in an upper-80s changeup and mid-80s slider to solid effect. Entering Thursday, Haake has allowed three earned runs on only six hits and four walks while fanning 10 in his first nine AFL innings.

Mitch Ellis, RHP: The Australia native signed as an undrafted 24-year-old in February 2020 after spending time as a position player stateside at Western Illinois. The Royals liked him on the mound, however, and they’ll get a closer look at his fastball-slider-splitter mix in the Fall League. Ellis posted a 4.83 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP with 62 strikeouts in 54 innings, predominantly at High-A.

Stephen Woods Jr., RHP: Folks might remember Woods as Kansas City’s Rule 5 pick last year. He never pitched in the Majors, but instead of being sent back to the Rays, the 6-foot-2 right-hander was acquired by Kansas City in a July trade. Woods can throw a mid-90s fastball with a good curveball but really struggles in the control department. He posted a 7.42 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 45 walks in 47 1/3 innings at Double-A this season.