Kelvin Gutierrez

Position: 3B
Level: Double-A
Affiliate: Northwest Arkansas Naturals
League: Texas League
Born: 08/28/1994 (Age: 29)
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 215
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as international free agent, 4/10/2013 (WSH); Traded to KCR 6/18/2018

Prospect Spotlight

Gutierrez was one of three prospects the Royals returned from Washington in last season’s trade for Kelvin Herrera. A former shortstop who outgrew the position, Gutierrez is a plus athlete for his size and has surprising quickness in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame. He’s an above-average defender at the hot corner with a cannon arm, whistling lasers across the infield with a 60-grade hose. Despite his size and visible strength, Gutierrez hits like a smaller player with more contact than game power. His level swing-path is geared more towards line drives than loft, though he’s physical enough to potentially bring out more pop with a simple swing change. He’s athletic enough to try other positions if the Royals want to develop his defensive versatility. Gutierrez will need to find more offensive impact to profile as a regular on a corner, but his wide array of skills could still make him a role player.