SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A first full professional season brings plenty of challenges and learning experiences, but Gavin Cross’ journey in 2023 was more unique than most.

Cross, the Royals’ No. 8 prospect, along with No. 1 prospect Blake Mitchell got their first Cactus League start of the spring in Friday’s 6-1 Cactus League loss to the Guardians at Surprise Stadium, and they’re both on the roster for Sunday’s Spring Breakout game against the Brewers’ prospects.

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After struggles on the field and a serious illness off it, Cross couldn’t be more excited for a fresh start in 2024.

“I’m more than ready,” Cross said. “And very excited.”

Hype surrounded the Royals’ 2022 first-rounder ahead of his first full pro season last year, but Cross got off to a rough start in High-A Quad Cities, hitting just .206 with a .683 OPS in 94 games.

Cross’ swing was off mechanically, and the slump started to wear on him, he admitted. But his work never wavered, and the Royals promoted him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas at the beginning of August.

Things got worse -- but for a whole different reason.

As he was beginning his Double-A stint, Cross fell ill with a 103 degree temperature and mental and physical fatigue. After three separate trips to the emergency room, doctors finally diagnosed Cross with a serious tick-borne illness called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Cross was immediately treated with antibiotics, but the disease left him wiped out and ended up wrecking the rest of his season. While sick, he wasn’t able to run or throw, and he didn’t swing a bat for almost two months.

“It was tough to come back from,” Cross said. “My body was worn out because of the first half of the season, and then [the illness] hits me, and it was just an extra wave. I never had any anxiety, but after that, the smallest thing would be hurting, and it’s the end of the world. It was definitely weird trying to come back from it.”

When Cross was able to return to baseball, he went to the Royals’ complex in Surprise to get ready for the Arizona Fall League. Triple-A Omaha hitting coach Bijan Rademacher, who was a coach for the Surprise Saguaros last fall, worked closely with Cross to get his swing in a better spot than it was in High-A.

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Before Cross started swinging, he and Rademacher analyzed film for a few days. Then, they began attacking one thing at a time. Cross only played in eight Fall League games because of a minor tweak with his hamstring, but that didn’t limit him in the cage.

“Bijan had one focus that we worked on for two weeks,” Cross said. “And then it was another thing for two weeks. So it wasn’t all these things at one time, which I thought he did a good job with. Then I got to work on that in the offseason.”

Several bad habits had crept into his mechanics, including getting out of his landing spot. This spring, he’s more focused with a plan during batting practice and extra work to ensure those habits don’t come back.

“At times it sort of got away from me, and it was like, ‘Oh, here we go again,’” Cross said. “I had to go try to hit that day and I was thinking too much in the box rather than just going out there and playing. The challenge will be keeping it there for a whole year. Which I didn’t do last year.

“… Every day, make sure you’ve got things where you want them. Regardless of the results, what it looks like visually to me is a big thing.”

Cross has regained the strength he lost because of the illness last year, although he’s still working through some effects. There are days when “something feels off,” he said, and he has to go about his work differently. He’s had appointments with cardiologists and neurologists who have cleared him to continue playing with no limitations.

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This year is a clean slate for Cross, who still has high upside as a hitter and outfielder. He feels freer on the field than he did all of last year, and that has come through in his work and performance, especially in the last couple of days.

“It’s a game of confidence, and I feel confident right now,” Cross said. “Last year, I wasn’t. I can say I was, but it wasn’t like that. I feel like I’m back to doing what I’ve always done.”

And he won’t forget all that he went through last year.

The perspective he gained has gone a long way toward his mentality this spring.

“In college and even the high school guys, we never truly struggle,” Cross said. “Last year, I definitely struggled. It was eye-opening for me, for everyone involved.”

He added later: “I’ve always enjoyed working hard. But now there’s an added incentive. I always thought that good hitters hit even if they’re in a bad spot. And it was like, ‘Maybe not.’ But it’s exciting now. It showed me something that is real and that can happen. And I’m excited to get past it.”