SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Shortstop Daniel Vazquez arrived at his first Major League camp this spring carrying momentum from a breakout season in the Arizona Fall League.
Playing for the Surprise Saguaros, Vazquez finished third in the AFL with 21 RBIs while posting a .329/.459/.468 slash line and swiping 11 bases across 22 games. He also led Royals hitters in OPS with a .927 mark and drew 19 walks, earning recognition as an American League Fall Star.
“That was my best year in baseball,” Vazquez said in Spanish. “Year by year my development as a player has been based on improving my physical condition.”
The Royals invited Vazquez to Major League Spring Training on Jan. 27, and on March 5, he was assigned to the club’s Spring Breakout roster as Kansas City’s No. 26 prospect.
In his first big league camp, he said the biggest lesson has been observing how Major League players prepare and carry themselves each day.
Vazquez said he is focusing less on results and more on the daily process that could shape the next step in his development. That includes physical conditioning, discipline and mental preparation — the same elements that fueled his surge last season.
“I’ve taken a lot from that,” Vazquez said. “Always respect the game, always play hard. And everything is about winning.”
Vazquez first drew attention in 2021, when he ranked No. 11 on MLB Pipeline’s International Top 30 Prospects list and signed with the Royals for a $1.5 million bonus.
He spent parts of three seasons with Single-A Columbia before moving to High-A Quad Cities last year, posting a .260/.333/.351 slash line across 116 games, including brief stints in the Arizona Complex League and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Defense has been a steady part of Vazquez’s profile. Across his Minor League career at shortstop, he has recorded a .940 fielding percentage with 460 putouts. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Vazquez’s growth has been noticeable this spring.
“He’s done a good job. He’s come a long way,” Quatraro said. “He looks very comfortable. He throws the ball well and he’s got good footwork.”
The Villa Mella, D.R., native has appeared in seven Cactus League games, including Saturday's 6-2 win over the Reds. In 30 innings, he has recorded 12 assists and three putouts without committing an error. For Vazquez, practice and game situations are approached the same way this spring.
“In the good moments when everything is going well — not just in baseball, but in life — you don’t really think too much about discipline,” Vazquez said. “For me, I want to stay focused, whether things are going well or going bad.”