Cross off another! Royals' 2022 first-rounder extends HR streak
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Gavin Cross more than doubled his 2026 home run total in one week.
The Royals' No. 25 prospect left the yard for a sixth consecutive game Tuesday. The left-handed-hitting outfielder smacked a two-run shot in the third inning of a 6-3 victory for Triple-A Omaha over St. Paul at Werner Park.
Following a 330-foot flyout to right field in the first, Cross managed an eight-pitch at-bat against righty Rick Castro (Twins), resulting in his 11th homer of the season. The left fielder cranked a high fastball 389 feet at 108.9 mph.
Even after the Minor Leagues' universal off day Monday, Cross stayed hot at the dish. He has one roundtripper in each of his past six games, marking his longest streak as a professional. In 2023 at High-A Quad Cities, the Virginia Tech product homered in four consecutive games (May 16-19) for his previous career long.
"Whenever I did it that time, I was like, 'I'll probably never hit four home runs in a row ever again,'" Cross said. "Baseball's a funny game. It's not like I'm trying to hit homers. I'm just trying to take a good swing, and the last six games, it's working out for me."
While on the road in late May against the Saints, Cross made a slight adjustment. The lefty struggled to fill up space through the load of his swing, and with the help of veteran John Rave, Cross added a slight toe tap, while still hovering over home plate.
"'When you play whiffle ball, how have you played it?'" Cross recounted from Storm Chasers hitting coach Bijan Rademacher. "I was like, 'Well, as a kid, I've always just kind of toe tapped.' I went into BP, and it felt alright. It didn't feel amazing or anything, but I tried it out that day. I had three or four knocks, and then I just ran with it from there. And hitting us such a rhythm and confidence thing."
Over his past 10 games with the Storm Chasers, Cross has slashed .395/.435/.953 with 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs. The 25-year-old is riding a 19-game hitting streak in July, while logging a knock in every game except for the first of the month.
"I feel like an athlete again," Cross said. "There's not much thought. When I start and then once I make that first move, I'm seeing the ball, reacting and hitting. There's not a lot of thoughts or mental cues that I have. It's just go up there and play baseball like you're 12 again."
The ninth overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Cross has been slowed by injury and illness. He suffered from Rocky Mountain spotted Fever in 2023 before missing time in June 2025 with a back ailment. But with his power still in play, the 25-year-old has put himself in contention to contribute to Kansas City’s outfield in the near future.
"In my baseball life, I've never really struggled," Cross said. "I struggled a little bit in '23, and then I got bit by the tick, which was surreal and weird all in of itself.
"Mentally, it was hard to attack the day and feel confident about what I was doing while I was struggling. But learning how to struggle, how to fight through it, that it's a long year and nothing's really handed to you was a life lesson of itself. I wouldn't change it for anything. Obviously, I wish I would have raked every year and been in the big league by now. I'm not gonna sit here and lie, but not everybody's path is the same. I'm just excited of where I'm at now and where my story's going."