Frank

Mozzicato

Going unprotected here are left-hander Frank Mozzicato, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, and outfielder Gavin Cross, the ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft. They both needed to be protected from the Rule 5 draft for the first time, but the Royals are exposing them. It was a pretty obvious call in Cross’s case, but there might be a slight chance of Mozzicato getting taken. Kurdna figures to make his major league debut at some point during 2026, and he has a chance to be a back-end starter. Zobac had a mess of a 2025 season, and while he’s still starting now, he projects better as a reliever.

Mostly because of control issues, Mozzicato had been stuck in high-A ball since his initial promotion in July 2023. He’s opened this year with a 1.24 ERA in seven starts, though he had still walked 22 in 36 1/3 innings. The Royals need to start pushing him some now, since he’ll be Rule 5 eligible for the first time this winter. They might want to take a look at him as a reliever later this year before deciding whether to add him to the 40-man.

Mozzicato was the Royals’ first-round pick during the 2021 draft out of East Catholic High School. The 20-year-old has an above-average fastball and curveball and dominated Low-A batters all year. While he still has a long road ahead, Mozzicato has a promising future if he can fix his inconsistent delivery, which has led to high walk totals in the minors.

Mozzicato gets 3.55 million, which is well below the $5,432,400 slot assigned to the seventh pick. The left-hander has two plus pitches and offers some projection from his 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame. He profiles as a mid-rotation starter, but if the fastball takes another step, Mozzicato could pitch at or near the top of the rotation if everything goes right.

The biggest surprise of the draft so far. Mozzicato went from being a virtual unknown to one of the better pitching prospects in this class, but this does seem like a pretty substantial reach. He has two plus pitches in his fastball and curveball -- the former being more projection from a 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame -- and he’s making headway with his change. Expect the Royals to attack upside later in this draft, but Mozzicato seems like a fairly safe prep pitcher -- if there is such a thing -- who can be a mid-rotation starter if he maxes out.