I was perhaps more excited to watch Alec Marsh pitch this season than any other prospect in the system. Marsh tweeted a video of himself earlier this year pumping 97 mph, which certainly piqued my interest:

Coming out of college, Marsh was a guy that I expected to sit 92-94 and occasionally flash 95 on the gun. The ability to run your fastball up to 97 is a legitimate skill that should not be overlooked for development purposes.

I think folks overlook Marsh a lot of times because he isn’t a part of that 2018 draft crop, and he was the third player the Royals selected in 2019, and one of the first two guys they drafted got over $7M. Marsh is legitimately a very good pitching prospect. I mentioned previously that he reminds me a bit of Jakob Junis, with a wicked slider and good enough fastball. That will change if he can consistently flash 97’s on the radar gun.

Alec was kind enough to answer some questions for us that I want you to read in full here. Thanks again to Alec for taking time to answer these!

1) I saw a video of you bumping 97 earlier this spring, how do you feel your velocity development has come along in the absence of MiLB this year?

“My velocity development has come a long way since I have started pro ball. I started to emphasize my fastball because it is my best pitch and I watch the most elite starters of today’s game and they dominate with their fastball. When I watch a guy like Gerrit Cole throw and he is shoving 100 down the other team’s throat that is exactly what I want to do and I want to make it as hard as possible on the opposing team. I also have been training a lot harder and prepping my body to carry that kind of workload into a season. Baseball today having a starter go 5-6 innings is considered good, but I want to be a guy that goes 7-8-9 every time I go out and that is the goal. So I had to start training my arm to throw harder and for longer periods of time and that is what I am currently doing right now in this pandemic.”

2) I think we’d both agree that your fastball/slider combo is what we’d call your “bread and butter”, but what would you say is your third best pitch and how comfortable are you with it thus far in your professional career?

“I get this question a lot and it is a very hard answer for me which I consider a good thing. I honestly think my best secondary is my changeup then curve then slider. I think I throw my slider more because it’s a pitch I know I can throw in any count and coming back 3-0 with a slider is easier than using the other pitches. I have worked a lot on my curve and change this “offseason” and I am still working on it but I would say I am most comfortable with my slider, yes but I don’t consider it my best secondary or even third pitch. I am a type of guy who wants all my pitches to be my bread and butter.”

3) The Royals have gone out of their way to load up on college pitching over their last three drafts. How do you go about trying to separate yourself from the pack? What makes Alec Marsh the pitcher unique?

“What separates me is what I bring to the table every single day. I eat, drink, and breathe baseball. It is something I think about all the time and I am constantly trying to improve and compete weather its video games, golf, fishing, or baseball I am always and will always try to win. I also think what makes me different is that I have the talent, but my work ethic is what is going to allow me to make it to the big leagues and stay there for a long time. I want to win, and I want to win a lot.”

4) What big league pitcher would you compare yourself to? Anyone you try to emulate?

“I try to be a cross between Scherzer and Gerrit Cole… pretty big names to try and emulate but it’s not that I want to be them because I don’t. I want to be Alec Marsh and have other people trying to emulate me. The biggest thing I take from those two are there competitiveness and their drive when they are on the mound. The bulldog mentality is something I want to emulate.”

5) I have to ask about your experience with KC BBQ…..

“Sadly it is not great…yet! When the Royals took my draft class to KC for orientation week the big-league chef made us some KC bbq and it was unreal. I would be lying if I said I cannot wait to get there and eat good.”

6) What’s been your favorite part about being a member of the Royals org. so far?

“The atmosphere and friendships I have made thus far have been amazing. The family aspect is something you do not see in every organization and that is emphasized with the Royals. I love that because that is what was emphasized at Arizona State for me and that’s what skyrocketed our team to the best level possible. When everyone pulls for each other that is when winning becomes easy.”

7) Have you made any significant adjustments so far as a professional?

“Not many significant adjustments I would say. The biggest thing that has changed is my drive and passion, it has only gone up. I want this more and more every day and I hope that never stops because I am hungry to win and to get to the big leagues.”