Brewer Hicklen Hits Historic Marks in 2022 Season

From making his MLB debut to revitalizing his career outlook, Hicklen has joined elite company this year.

Kansas City Royals outfield prospect Brewer Hicklen has had an up-and-down few seasons in the team's minor league system. Now, he is joining an elite group of prospects after a breakout 2022 campaign.

On Aug. 28, 2022, Hicklen became just the fourth Royals prospect since 2005 to reach the coveted 20/20/20 mark: at least 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 20 doubles. The last prospect to reach those stats was Bobby Witt Jr. in 2021, but an all-time Royals great (Alex Gordon) did it in 2006.

Brewer Hicklen is the fourth @Royals minor leaguer since 2005 to record a 20-20 season:

Brewer Hicklen, 2022 (AAA): 20 HR, 24 SB
Bobby Witt Jr., 2021 (AA/AAA): 33 HR, 29 SB
Alex Gordon, 2006 (AA): 29 HR, 22 SB
Alan Moye, 2005 (A/A+): 24 HR, 20 SB

— Jake Eisenberg (@JakeEisenberg_) August 11, 2022

Hicklen also has a 30-game on-base streak, tied for the longest by a Storm Chaser since 2011. Following his MLB debut on May 26, 2022, he has absolutely been on a tear. Storm Chasers broadcaster Jake Eisenberg highlighted the 26-year-old prospect, saying that "[Hicklen] impacts the game every way you can think to impact the game."

Hitting the 20/20/20 mark is remarkable for any prospect, but much more so for Hicklen. In 2021, he was struggling a bit with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, pondering his ultimate career outlook. Ultimately, Hicklen didn't need a change of scenery or a mechanical change. His mindset and perspective changed, and so did his on-field performance.

Hicklen had strong August and September performances to close out the 2021 season, even posting a 1.143 OPS in August. He had a scorching seven home runs that month, and that performance clearly carried over to Triple-A Omaha. In 106 games heading into Tuesday's play, Hicklen is slashing .258/.363/.522 with the Strom Chasers and is posting a 132 wRC+ in the process. 

Hicklen doesn't appear in Kansas City's top 30 prospects list from MLB Pipeline. In six games with the big-league club earlier this season, the 26-year-old struck out in all four of his plate appearances. With a strong ending to the 2022 season, however, Hicklen will certainly be a player to watch during the 2023 spring training.