Track Record:

Singer was another in the long line of highly-acclaimed starting pitchers coming out of the University of Florida. But the righthander's pedigree goes further back then his time in Gainesville. He was a Blue Jays second-round pick out of high school who opted not to sign. The decision to skip pro ball the first time around turned out to be a wise choice by Singer. He was a key member of the Gators' rotation as a sophomore and junior and was the Baseball America College Player of the Year in 2018. Coming into the season, Singer was seen as a potential top-five pick for the 2018 draft. He slid to the 18th pick, but his $4.25 million bonus was nearly $1 million above the slot for that pick and was the 11th richest bonus in the first round. After pitching deep into the College World Series, Singer waited until three days before the deadline to sign. Because of Singer's heavy college workload in addition to a minor hamstring problem after reporting to the Royals' complex this summer, he has yet to make his official pro debut. He did pitch in instructional league.

Scouting Report: The Royals were thrilled to get a near major league-ready pitcher that far into the draft. They see Singer as a starter with a durable body and competitive makeup. He flashes two plus pitches--a fastball and slider--delivered from a lower arm slot. That arm slot concerned some scouts, and they said they felt it limited his ability to consistently throw his changeup. While still a bit rusty during instructional league, Singer looked the part. His fastball sat 91-94 mph, which was close to his college velocity, with good movement down in the zone. His lower arm slot helps him get plenty of run on his fastball. He has good feel for his sharp slider, which comes in around 83 mph. He didn't have to use a changeup much in college and the pitch still is inconsistent for him. Singer has yet to become comfortable throwing it frequently, but it has potential to give him another above-average offspeed weapon. His control grades as above-average.

The Future: Singer will likely start his career in a loaded high Class A Wilmington rotation in 2019. His advanced control and competitiveness give him a chance to be a mid-rotation starter. With his big-game experience and arsenal, Singer will move quickly through the system and could reach Double-A before the end of his first pro season.