Hit: 30/55
Game Power: 30/50
Raw Power: 30/50
Glove: 45/50
Speed: 45/45
Arm: 45/45
Spencer Nivens was drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Missouri State University. He was born in Columbia, MO, and played for Rock Bridge High School, adding him to the list of Royals’ prospects that are “homegrown”. He was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2022 and was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2023. He boasts a career line of .343/.440/.594 with a 1.034 OPS in two collegiate seasons.
Nivens struggled to get the bat going in his first professional season, slashing .202/.338/.316 in 139 plate appearances. This is not particularly abnormal for a player’s first taste of professional ball, especially in a limited sample size. His .316 slugging percentage showed an overall lack of power as he only tallied seven doubles and two home runs on the season. However, he showed a disciplined approach at the plate, drawing 24 walks while only striking out 22 times. He ended his season in Low-A Columbia, and it was likely assumed he would begin the 2024 season there.
2024 season stats (A+): .243/.333/.475, .808 OPS, 20 HR, 58 RBIs, 7 SB, 26.9 K%, 11.7 BB%
It may have been a surprise to some that Nivens started the 2024 season in High-A Quad Cities despite the lack of production in 2023. The Royals believed that Nivens was ready for the jump, but it took an extended period for Nivens to find his groove with the River Bandits.
Month-by-month breakdown:
April: .158/.346/.211, .557 OPS
May: .042/.179/.063, .242 OPS
June: .200/.289/.325, .614 OPS
July: .263/.337/.434, .771 OPS
August: .352/.427/.806, .1.233 OPS
September: .296/.333/.630, .963
The growth that Nivens experienced from May to August cannot be overstated. He consistently got better each month until he went absolutely nuclear last month. He unsurprisingly won the Midwest League Player of the Month for August and was also announced as the Midwest League Player of the Week for the first week of September. He is on a tear that no one in all levels of baseball has matched: