Royals' Top Pitching Prospect Asa Lacy Wows in Arizona Fall League Debut

The top-ranked Royals pitching prospect lived up to his billing, leading the Surprise Saguaros to a win.

Left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy is a headline prospect in the 2021 Arizona Fall League (AFL), keeping Kansas City Royals baseball alive in October.

Lacy started the opening game for the Surprise Saguaros, and could not have asked for a stronger start. Pitching two innings, Lacy surrendered one hit while striking out four in 25 pitches. He only had one walk and threw 17 strikes. His performance in the opening innings propelled Surprise to a 5-0 win over the Mesa Solar Sox.

“The fastball was good. The slider was good,” Lacy said. “I’m still making the adjustments to the big league ball. My curveball and changeup, you’ll probably see more of those the next outing. Overall, it felt pretty good.”

Asa Lacy, the #Royals' 2020 first-rounder, is off to a good start. He struck out two batters in the first inning on six pitches. Seven total pitches in the frame. @MLBPipeline @MLBazFallLeague pic.twitter.com/XJD60PkqAM

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) October 13, 2021

Lacy's 2021 season left much to be desired, as he posted a 5.19 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 52 innings in High-A. He was shut down in July with a shoulder injury. The injury certainly hindered Lacy during the 2021 campaign but did not in his AFL debut.

“I was very motivated just considering how the season went,” Lacy said. “I knew I was a lot better than that. It’s been fun so far, and I look to keep building on it. They told me, 'we are going into 2022 and we want to end [2021] on a good note.'”

Lacy rose to the Royals' third-best prospect and top pitching prospect overall following the 2021 season. The Royals selected him fourth overall in 2020, and Lacy looks to live up to his draft pedigree.

“I just want to go out there and work on my pitches and give my team the best chance to win,” Lacy said. “That’s what we are here to do.”

Lacy is currently MLB.com's 66th overall prospect and has a chance to face fellow top prospects. Sixteen players in MLB.com's Top 100 are in the AFL this year, including three of the top six. Lacy is one of many Royals prospects in the AFL, joined by catcher Luca Tresh, right-handed pitchers Zach Haake and Stephen Woods Jr., infielders Nathan Eaton and Jake Means and outfielder Seuly Matias. Means, Eaton and Matias all recording a hit in Surprise's opening game. 

The Saguaros are made up of prospects from the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Royals and New York Yankees. The AFL is a key stepping stone for players, as 60% of those players reach the major-league level. 321 All-Stars, 21 MVPs, six Cy Young Award winners and 32 Rookies of the Year have appeared in the AFL since 1992.

The Saguaros look to continue their winning ways against the Salt River Rafters on Oct. 14. The Rafters include prospects from the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers. Infielder Spencer Torkelson is Salt River's leading prospect, ranking fourth in MLB.com's Top 100.

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