KANSAS CITY -- While the Royals are wrapping up the season at the Major League level, down in the Minor Leagues -- the party is just getting started.
The Royals hosted their annual Futures Night on Friday prior to the opener against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, where an impressive bunch from the High-A Quad Cities club, which took home the Midwest League Championship, was heavily represented in the pregame ceremony that included Hall of Famer George Brett handing out the hardware.
Starter David Shields (No. 4 Royals prospect) was named the Paul Splittorff Award winner, given to the top pitcher in the Royals organization. He’s the first two-time winner in club history after compiling an 11-6 record with a 4.06 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 10.7 K/9 -- all Midwest League bests. He made 25 starts and tossed a career-high 116 2/3 innings, striking out 139 batters and walking only 28.
“That was by far the most I have ever thrown in my life, so as we started to get through the season I pulled back on things a little bit, maybe not throwing as much between starts. But I had a very consistent routine throughout the whole year, which I think helps me immensely,” said Shields, who also took hom...