In the 2022 MLB Draft, Gavin Cross was taken ninth overall by the Kansas City Royals. The Virginia Tech outfielder had just wrapped up an outstanding three-year career with the Hokies.
In his “freshman” season in 2020, he started all 16 games and hit .369, recording seven multi-hit performances before the pandemic cut the season short.
His next season was considered his true freshman campaign, and he became the first freshman in program history to earn All-ACC First Team honors. He also led the team
with a .345 batting average. The talent was obvious, and he looked destined for the big leagues. After another strong season, the Royals selected him ninth overall.
Cross carried that success into his first professional season, slashing .312/.437/.633 between the ACL and Columbia with the Fireflies.
At that point, he appeared to be moving quickly through the minors, with the potential to become the next big thing in Kansas City. He opened the 2023 season in High-A Quad Cities and even reached Double-A Northwest Arkansas by year’s end. However, he struggled mightily, hitting just .206/.300/.383.
It didn’t add up. How does a hitter who had posted .300-plus seasons for four straight years suddenly look lost at the plate?
The answer came later. Cross made three separate trips to the emergency room before doctors diagnosed him with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a serious tick-borne illness. Though he was treated with antibiotics, the disease left him physically drained and effectively derailed his season.
The illness is relatively rare, affecting only a few thousand people in the United States each year, according to the CDC.
In other words, a rare condition cost Cross one of the most important developmental seasons of his career and set him back on his path to the majors.
Since then, Cross has somewhat rebounded, spending the last two seasons in Double-A and putting together respectable numbers, hitting .261 and .241 with 32 combined home runs.
Now entering his age-25 season, time is beginning to feel like a factor. Prospects such as Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen have surged up the system, and Cross has faded from the spotlight.
However, with players away for the World Baseball Classic this spring, Cross received an extended opportunity in Arizona—and he made the most of it. He hit .281/.324/.500 with two home runs. The 14 strikeouts are a concern, but elevated strikeout rates are common in today’s game.
He won’t open the season in Kansas City. More likely, he returns to Double-A, though he seems close to breaking through to Triple-A Omaha.
And given the Royals’ outfield struggles over the past two seasons, opportunities could arise. If players like Starling Marte or Lane Thomas fail to produce, or if injuries hit, Cross could finally get his chance to reach the majors and live up to his draft status.
It would make for a compelling comeback story, especially after the lost season caused by Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The earliest realistic timeline for a call-up would be late July or early August, but he’s an easy player to root for, and one who still has a chance to fulfill the expectations placed on him four years ago.
