Carson Roccaforte was taken with the 66th overall pick by the Royals in the 2023 draft. Royals Director of Scouting, Danny Ontiveros, called him a “potential five-tool player” in center field and some of that showed up in 2023. He will almost certainly stick in center and offers plus defensive value with a good bat as well.
Season Stats:
Before a slump took away some of the shine in the last week of the season, Carson Roccaforte looked like an early steal from the 2023 MLB Draft. He reached base in his first 23 games for the Low-A Columbia Fireflies, a streak that was only broken when he recorded an out as a late-inning pinch hitter. He showed up with outstanding defense in center field, great speed on the basepaths, and a nice propensity for creating good contact with the baseball.
The only aspect of Roccaforte’s game that didn’t truly shine through in a limited sample at Low-A in 2023 was his power. In college, he slugged .551 over 178 games with 28 home runs and 47 doubles. The Royals seem to believe they can get even more power out of Roccaforte as he matures at the plate. If so, the path to becoming a five-tool center fielder is there. His stance and game remind of a young Cody Bellinger.
I think Carson Roccaforte becomes a top-100 prospect. He just does so many things well and hasn’t skipped a beat since turning pro.
He’s the best CF prospect in the system right now, for me. pic.twitter.com/pSKUSloKLF