Ryan O'Hearn

O'Hearn had a hot couple months upon arrival to the big leagues in 2018, but that seems like a lifetime ago now, especially given the extent of O'Hearn's struggles the past two seasons. The Royals shifted Hunter Dozier across the diamond amidst O'Hearn's slump last season and brought in Carlos Santana this winter, leaving O'Hearn's future with the club uncertain.

O'Hearn came back down to earth during his first full season in the majors after an impressive MLB debut late in the 2018 season. Slotted into a platoon role, the 26-year-old recorded a lackluster slash line of .195/.281/.369 with only 14 home runs in 105 games after hitting 12 homers in 44 games the year prior. Kauffman Stadium saw the second-fewest home runs in the league last year, but O'Hearn didn't hit for power on the road either. O'Hearn struggled with plate discipline, swinging at 30.7% of pitches outside of the zone and fanning at a 26.8% clip overall. The 26-year-old had only a .230 BABIP and Statcast says he deserved to hit about 30 points higher, but a .227 xBA is nothing to celebrate. While the Royals do not have many quality alternatives, O'Hearn probably won't be assured of anything heading into spring training. It should be an open competition at first base.

Not much was expected from O'Hearn, but he ended up being one of the top power hitters in the entire league after his late-July callup, even boosting some deep-league owners to championships. He mashed 12 homers and posted a ridiculous .336 ISO in 170 plate appearances. The power did come with some swing and miss, although not as much as we see from many other power hitters in their first exposure to big-league pitching (26.5%), and he walked at a very useful 11.8% clip. O'Hearn gave back a lot of that real-world value on the defensive side, but he will have a leg up on the Royals' first-base job heading into 2019 and not many will be on him as a 25-year-old non-prospect on the Royals.

A left-handed power hitter, the 23-year-old O'Hearn got off to a scorching start to begin the 2016 campaign. In 22 games at High-A Wilmington, O'Hearn hit a blistering .352 with seven home runs and 18 RBI. That resulted in a quick promotion to Double-A, where O'Hearn spent the remainder of the 2016 season. He cooled down considerably, but the power numbers remained. O'Hearn hit 15 home runs in 112 games at that level to end the year. He will have to work on his plate discipline as he ascends to the higher levels, though, as well as prove he can hit for average, as he batted just .258 with 131 strikeouts in those 112 games for Double-A Northwest Arkansas. O'Hearn likely will return to Double-A to improve his strike-zone recognition and make more consistent contact.

O’Hearn has above average power from the left side, but as a first base prospect with some legitimate swing-and-miss in his game, he will have to really hit to make it as an everyday player in the majors. An eighth round pick out of Sam Houston State in 2014, O’Hearn was relatively flawless at the plate in 64 games of rookie ball in 2014. Some flaws started to surface, however, after he received his first full-season assignment last season. He clubbed 27 home runs in 127 games across Low-A and High-A, but also struck out 141 times while hitting .263. This illustrates the overall offensive package in a nutshell. There’s no doubt that the power can play against righties in the lower-levels, but his .236 average (.300 BABIP) with a 29.8 percent K-rate in 46 games at High-A suggests his hit tool could be fringe-average at best. The 22-year-old could occupy the strong side of a platoon at first base or DH in the majors if he reaches his ceiling.