Undrafted out of a Tennessee high school, Gentry spent his freshman season at Walters State (Tenn.) CC and helped the Senators reach the finals of the 2018 Junior College World Series. He topped Alabama in most offensive categories in 2019 and again this spring, when he ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in all three slash stats (.429/.554/.750) during the shortened season. He could go as early as the second round, which would make him the Crimson Tide's highest pick since Mikey White went there in 2015.
Gentry's most attractive tool is his right-handed power, which carries to all fields and played against top competition in the Southeastern Conference and the Cape Cod League. He has an aggressive swing and approach, though he did a better job of controlling the strike zone during the brief 2020 season. He shows the ability to hit for both average and power if he maintains his plate discipline.
Though it's his bat that will get him drafted, Gentry also offers some underrated athleticism. He has solid speed and arm strength, enabling him to provide quality defense in right field. He's capable of playing all three outfield positions and profiles best in right.
After a college career that began at Walters State (Tenn.) CC followed by two seasons at Alabama, Gentry became the Royals’ third-round pick in the shortened 2020 Draft. He had an inconsistent start to his pro career because of the pandemic and a knee injury that shortened his first full season. He took a big jump in ‘22 but had a slow start to ‘23 before getting back on track, leading to the Royals adding him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason. From June 15 to the end of the year with Triple-A Omaha, Gentry hit .266 with an .851 OPS and 119 wRC+, cutting his strikeouts down; he finished the year with 16 homers and 28 doubles.
Gentry made several adjustments to his swing that helped him break out in ‘22, taking to the Royals’ hitting department philosophy of hunting drivable pitches in the zone. In the second half of last year, Gentry made better swing decisions and simplified his mechanics to get back to his smooth, efficient right-handed swing. He’s strong and physical with average power. Gentry has one of the strongest arms in the Royals’ system and brings solid and aggressive defense to right field, although it would be good to see more power from him for his profile to fit the position.
Eyeing his Major League debut at some point in 2024, Gentry got off to a rough start back in Omaha to begin the season but proved, once again, to be a second-half performer with strong showings from July onward. On one hand, that speaks well to his ability to make adjustments. On the other, he'll need to be more consistent to carve out a potential everyday role at some point behind his age-26 season.
After he began his college career at Walters State (Tenn.) CC, Gentry led Alabama in most offensive categories his final two seasons. His professional career started when the Royals drafted him in the third round of the 2020 Draft. A knee injury ended Gentry’s first full season in ‘21 early, but he was 2022’s breakout player of the year in the Royals system. He beat High-A quickly by slashing .336/.434/.516, then was promoted to Double-A on June 14. He was even better there, crushing 16 homers and posting a .972 OPS.
Another product of the Royals’ successful hitting development program, Gentry’s improvement in 2022 was not just health -- it was his approach. Gentry slashed his strikeout rate from 25.7% at High-A to 19.9% at Double-A. Gentry became more patient and learned the best pitches to drive and the best part of the zone to do damage. Big, strong and physical, Gentry generates solid power from his right-handed smooth swing. He displays solid defense in right field and has one of the strongest arms in the Royals system. Speed won’t be a major part of Gentry’s game, but his instincts will allow him to swipe a bag here and there.
No Royals prospect took a bigger step forward in 2022 than Gentry. He went from a fringe-prospect and likely fourth outfielder to someone who could hit his way into a starting outfield job in the big leagues by the end of 2023. After a slow start at Triple-A Omaha, he began to look more like himself in the second half, showing both a high OBP and good power. If Gentry doesn’t become an everyday player, he could provide value as a lefty-masher off the bench. He profiles best in right field but will see time in both corner outfield spots.
Gentry’s college career began at Walters State (Tenn.) CC and ended at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide in most offensive categories his final two years. His bat led the Royals to taking him in the third round of the 2020 Draft, and he joined their Arizona instructional league in the fall. In his first full season, Gentry continued his momentum for the first part of the year. He posted a .844 OPS with six homers in 44 games for High-A Quad Cities before knee injuries shut him down in August.
Big, strong and physical, Gentry’s best tool is his right-handed pop with a smooth swing that carries the ball to all fields. The swing is also aggressive, so he’ll have to maintain better plate discipline. But if he does that, he could hit for both average and power in the big leagues. Gentry displays solid defense in right field with one of the stronger arms in the Royals' system. With solid speed, he profiles best as a right fielder, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in left field, either, given how the Royals value left field defense at Kauffman Stadium.
Fully healthy in 2022, Gentry has also been fully productive with consistent results at both High-A and Double-A this season. He turns 24 in February, and given the way he’s put the pedal to the metal of late, his mix of hit and power tools could send have him knocking on Kansas City’s door by the middle of next season.
After hitting 18 home runs as a freshman at Walters State (Tenn.) CC in 2018, Gentry led Alabama in most offensive categories the past two years. He hit .429/.554/.750 in the shortened 2020 season, ranking among NCAA Division I leaders in all three stats. That led the Royals to taking him in the third round, and he joined their Arizona instructional league in the fall for his first look at the organization.
A big, strong and physical player, Gentry’s offensive profile stands out the most. His right-handed pop is his best tool. The ball carries to all fields, but he has an aggressive swing and approach and will have to maintain the improved plate disciple he showed during the shortened college season last year. If he can do that, Gentry could hit for both average and power. Gentry’s defense is solid, too, with one of the stronger arms in the Royals system.
Gentry profiles best in right field with his bat and arm strength. Like all the 2020 Draft picks, this year has been important for Gentry to get onto the field and see how his raw power holds up against opposing pitchers. Early reviews from High-A Quad Cities are solid, though not stellar in that regard. Gentry has solid speed, but his success as a big leaguer is going to come down to his bat and how productive it can be.
Undrafted out of a Tennessee high school, Gentry smashed 18 homers as a freshman at Walters State (Tenn.) CC and helped the Senators reach the finals of the 2018 Junior College World Series. He paced Alabama in most offensive categories in 2019 and again this spring, ranking among the NCAA Division I leaders in all three slash stats (.429/.554/.750) during the shortened 2020 season. The Royals drafted him in the third round and signed him for $750,000.
Gentry's most attractive tool is his right-handed pop, which carries to all fields and was evident against top competition in the Southeastern Conference and the Cape Cod League. He has an aggressive swing and approach, though he did a better job of managing the strike zone during his brief junior season. If he can maintain that improved plate discipline, he could hit for both average and power.
Though his offensive upside got him drafted, Gentry also offers some underrated athleticism. He has solid speed and arm strength, enabling him to provide quality defense in right field. He has a chance to play center field and definitely could handle left, but he profiles best in right.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
