Austin Charles

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #14 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Charles was one of the top two-way players in the 2022 draft but had to wait until the final round to hear his name called. He was expected to fulfill his commitment to UC Santa Barbara, but the Royals inked him to an over-slot $429,500 bonus right before the signing deadline after bringing him to their Arizona complex for a visit. Charles briefly debuted in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in 2022 and spent the bulk of 2023 with Low-A Columbia, where he impressed observers with his size, athleticism and makeup.
  
  Scouting Report: The report on Charles’ hitting ability always starts with his 6-foot-6 height and long levers. He still presents swing-and-miss issues, especially against breaking balls out of the zone, but Charles has plus raw power and has worked hard to develop his game. He gets leverage from his long arms and has gotten stronger since joining the organization, while showing the ability to hit velocity. Evaluators are impressed by his ability to handle shortstop despite his size. His soft hands, limber movements, instincts, internal clock, extreme athleticism and plus arm provide the framework for an above-average defender on the left side of the infield.
  
  The Future: There’s a lot to dream on with Charles, who is one of the most intriguing prospects in the Royals’ system. He likely will return to Low-A for more seasoning to open the 2024 season but could push himself to High-A Quad Cities with a strong showing.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #21 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: One of the top two-way players in the 2022 draft, Charles popped onto the radar with a promising showing during the 2021 WWBA World Championships. After expecting to be taken on Day 2 of the draft, Charles had to wait until the final round to hear his name called--with his commitment to UC Santa Barbara looking more likely. The Royals brought him in for a visit to their complex in Surprise, Ariz., just before the signing deadline, after which he agreed to a well above-slot bonus of $429,500.
  
  Scouting Report: Charles will move slowly through the system to fully develop his impressive set of tools. Because of the long levers from his 6-foot-6 frame, Charles is susceptible to breaking balls away from the plate, but he has the strength to hit balls far when he connects. Right now, his best swings come in batting practice, but he's a hard worker and shows the ability to take instruction to turn that into in-game production. Charles will continually face questions whether he can stay at shortstop, but for now he has the athleticism, the feel, the instincts and the internal clock for the position. He gets good first step reads and creates good angles to the ball. Charles sports a plus arm and is an average runner.
  
  The Future: With a return to rookie ball likely, there's a lot to dream on with this kind of size and athleticism, but it will take time to see just what kind of ballplayer Charles turns into.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #102 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Stockdale HS, Bakersfield, Calif. Committed/Drafted: UC Santa Barbara
  Age At Draft: 18.7
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: - | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: | Control: 45
  The younger brother of former Phillies minor leaguer Art Charles, Austin established himself as one of the top two-way players in the draft with a standout showing playing both ways at the WWBA World Championships last fall. He primarily played shortstop this spring to prove he could be a position player at higher levels, but he projects better as a pitcher. Charles stands 6-foot-7 and is uniquely athletic and coordinated for his size. He has a fast, loose arm and generates excellent downhill plane on his fastball. Charles’ fastball velocity varies widely from 88-95 mph, in part because his delivery is raw and inconsistent, but he has a chance to reach triple-digits as he improves his delivery and gets stronger in his projectable frame. Charles complements his fastball with an above-average, 78-80 mph curveball with solid depth and has a good feel for throwing strikes. He needs to develop his below-average changeup. Charles requires a lot of projection, but his size, stuff and athleticism earn comparisons to Mets starter Taijuan Walker on the mound. As a position player, Charles lacks the quickness to stay at shortstop with his large frame and may have to move off the infield altogether. He has plus-plus raw power, but his long arms and funky swing mechanics make it unlikely he’ll make enough contact against better pitching. Charles rarely started games on the mound this spring because of his desire to play the field, giving teams only a brief look at what he does best. His lack of innings this spring may cause him to reach campus at UC Santa Barbara.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: One of the top two-way players in the 2022 draft, Charles popped onto the radar with a promising showing during the 2021 WWBA World Championships. After expecting to be taken on Day 2 of the draft, Charles had to wait until the final round to hear his name called--with his commitment to UC Santa Barbara looking more likely. The Royals brought him in for a visit to their complex in Surprise, Ariz., just before the signing deadline, after which he agreed to a well above-slot bonus of $429,500.
  
  Scouting Report: Charles will move slowly through the system to fully develop his impressive set of tools. Because of the long levers from his 6-foot-6 frame, Charles is susceptible to breaking balls away from the plate, but he has the strength to hit balls far when he connects. Right now, his best swings come in batting practice, but he's a hard worker and shows the ability to take instruction to turn that into in-game production. Charles will continually face questions whether he can stay at shortstop, but for now he has the athleticism, the feel, the instincts and the internal clock for the position. He gets good first step reads and creates good angles to the ball. Charles sports a plus arm and is an average runner.
  
  The Future: With a return to rookie ball likely, there's a lot to dream on with this kind of size and athleticism, but it will take time to see just what kind of ballplayer Charles turns into.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: One of the top two-way players in the 2022 draft, Charles popped onto the radar with a promising showing during the 2021 WWBA World Championships. After expecting to be taken on Day 2 of the draft, Charles had to wait until the final round to hear his name called--with his commitment to UC Santa Barbara looking more likely. The Royals brought him in for a visit to their complex in Surprise, Ariz., just before the signing deadline, after which he agreed to a well above-slot bonus of $429,500.
  
  Scouting Report: Charles will move slowly through the system to fully develop his impressive set of tools. Because of the long levers from his 6-foot-6 frame, Charles is susceptible to breaking balls away from the plate, but he has the strength to hit balls far when he connects. Right now, his best swings come in batting practice, but he's a hard worker and shows the ability to take instruction to turn that into in-game production. Charles will continually face questions whether he can stay at shortstop, but for now he has the athleticism, the feel, the instincts and the internal clock for the position. He gets good first step reads and creates good angles to the ball. Charles sports a plus arm and is an average runner.
  
  The Future: With a return to rookie ball likely, there's a lot to dream on with this kind of size and athleticism, but it will take time to see just what kind of ballplayer Charles turns into.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 60. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  August Update: The younger brother of former Phillies minor leaguer Art Charles, Austin established himself as one of the top two-way players in the draft with a standout showing playing both ways at the WWBA World Championships last fall. He primarily played shortstop this spring to prove he could be a position player at higher levels, but he projects better as a pitcher. Charles stands 6-foot-7 and is uniquely athletic and coordinated for his size. He has a fast, loose arm and generates excellent downhill plane on his fastball. Charles&#39 fastball velocity varies widely from 88-95 mph, in part because his delivery is raw and inconsistent, but he has a chance to reach triple-digits as he improves his delivery and gets stronger in his projectable frame. Charles complements his fastball with an above-average, 78-80 mph curveball with solid depth and has a good feel for throwing strikes. He needs to develop his below-average changeup. Charles requires a lot of projection, but his size, stuff and athleticism earn comparisons to Mets starter Taijuan Walker on the mound. As a position player, Charles lacks the quickness to stay at shortstop with his large frame and may have to move off the infield altogether. He has plus-plus raw power, but his long arms and funky swing mechanics make it unlikely he&#39ll make enough contact against better pitching. Charles rarely started games on the mound this spring because of his desire to play the field, giving teams only a brief look at what he does best.