Royals top draft choice Frank Mozzicato blooming in the desert

Mar. 26—Frank Mozzicato experienced the glamorous side of professional baseball in the summer of 2021 when the Kansas City Royals selected him in the top 10 of the MLB amateur draft and handed him a seven-figure signing bonus soon after.

Now, the 18-year old from Ellington and East Catholic High grad is experiencing the daily grind of workouts in his first professional spring training at the team's facilities in Surprise, Arizona.

"It's been a really good time," said Mozzicato, a 6-foot-3 left handed pitcher. "I've learned a lot in Arizona with so many great coaches working with me. You learn something new every day, which is awesome."

Mozzicato rose up draft boards quickly after going 9-0 with an earned run average of 0.13 in leading East Catholic to a 25-0 season, the CCC East title, and the Class M state tournament championship as a senior in 2021.

In 55Î innings, he allowed nine hits and two runs (one earned). He walked 22, hit one batter, and struck out 135. In East Catholic's 7-0 win over Northwestern in the Class M final at Palmer Field in Middletown, he retired 21 of the 22 batters he faced — allowing one hit — and struck out 17. Mozzicato threw 30 innings from April 26 to May 5 without allowing a hit and did not allow a run in his final 49Î innings.

Mozzicato was widely projected to be a late first round or competitive balance round pick. He was the 21st ranked prospect in ESPN draft analyst Kiley McDaniel's rankings and the 39th ranked prospect in MLB.com's rankings.

But the Royals defied those expectations when they took Mozzicato seventh overall in July's amateur draft, the highest a Connecticut high school player has been selected since Scott Burrell of Hamden went 26th to the Blue Jays in 1989. Bobby Valentine of Rippowam-Stamford went fifth to the Dodgers in 1968.

Mozzicato had been committed to coach Jim Penders and UConn since the 10th grade but decided to make the jump to the pros and inked a deal with the Royals six days after being drafted. He received a $3.55 million signing bonus and flew out to Kansas City to meet his future teammates and the team's front office personnel.

"When you get the opportunity to bring this kind of talent into your organization with this kind of make-up and character, and all the attributes that we look for, he checks all the boxes," Royals scouting director Lonnie Goldberg said on a Zoom call with reporters after Mozzicato had signed his contract. "He's going to be an exciting player for everyone in Kansas City to follow. We're extremely grateful and honored that he's a Kansas City Royal."

The Royals did not have Mozzicato or any of their other high school draft picks pitch in minor league games in the summer of 2021, instead having them work individually with Paul Gibson, Mitch Stetter and Mark Davis, three former major league left-handers working as pitching coaches in the organization.

"They told me, 'just do you and we'll work with you,'" Mozzicato said. "They want to guide me. If they see something, they're going to make suggestions, but they're not going to try to change me."

In Mozzicato's first start in the fall instructional league, he missed a spot and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced.

"I just said to myself, 'ok, this is the big leagues now, you can't miss any spots,'" Mozzicato said.

He made a few more starts before returning home with a training schedule that included throwing, conditioning, and weight training in the winter.

Mozzicato returned to the Royals' training facility on Jan. 30 for a short winter camp and has remained in Arizona ever since. Minor league pitchers and catchers reported for spring training on Feb. 24.

He is working on improving his command with his fastball and curveball, staying low in the strike zone, and incorporating a changeup into his arsenal. Once spring training has ended, the Royals will likely assign Mozzicato to one of their two Arizona League rookie teams.

"Baseball is such a mental game," Mozzicato said. "If you put a lot of pressure on yourself, your mind starts racing. You have to stay calm."

Mozzicato is not worried about the scrutiny that comes with being a top 10 draft pick. He is thrilled to be living out his childhood dream.

"I don't put any pressure on myself," Mozzicato said. "I just go out there and work hard and have fun. Just like the high school season, I love playing baseball, I love going out on the mound and pitching. I want to enjoy and embrace the process."

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