Carson Roccaforte Stats & Scouting Report

AB	183
AVG	.290
OBP	.387
SLG	.475
HR	5

Full name Carson Anthony Roccaforte
Born 03/29/2002 in Beaumont, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Louisiana-Lafayette
Drafted in the CB-B round (66th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2023 (signed for $897,500).

View Draft Report

School: Louisiana-Lafayette Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
BA Grade:40/High
Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 45. Run: 55. Field: 50. Arm: 50.

A 6-foot-1, 195-pound first baseman and outfielder, Roccaforte led Louisiana-Lafayette with a .373 average, 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in a monster 2022 season that also featured 25 stolen bases. His 2023 season wasn’t quite as electric, but he still slashed .318/.426/.538 with eight home runs and a career-best 26 doubles. Roccaforte makes plenty of contact and hits his home runs to the pull side, but he has a tendency to hit around the baseball a bit too often and could do a better job letting the ball travel and using the opposite field. Roccaforte is a versatile defender who has played all three outfield positions. He played in the Cape Cod League in 2022 with Bourne, and struggled to a .182/.241/.234 slash line with 19 strikeouts and five walks.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: Roccaforte’s first full season in 2024 was one of ups and downs, highlighted by the 26 games in August where he hit .280/.357/.550 with four of his 10 home runs for High-A Quad Cities. Even when he’s not producing at the plate, the Royals’ 2023 supplemental second-rounder from Louisiana-Lafayette contributes with his athleticism and glove work, anchoring the defense from the middle of the outfield, drawing walks and stealing 34 bases.

Scouting Report: The key to Roccaforte’s second-half improvement were adjustments he made at the plate. He worked to keep his weight more between his feet which helped him be a little more athletic. He starts his swing in a traditional position with a little leg kick, with good bat speed and torque. Even though he cut the strikeouts during his late-season rush, there’s still plenty of swing-and-miss as he sometimes struggles with pitch recognition and doesn’t always pick up spin well. He had a 35.3% miss rate against breaking balls. Roccaforte is a plus defender in center field, benefiting from a combination of instincts and athleticism. He gets solid reads off the bat and chases down balls in the gap. He’s an above-average runner and better underway.

The Future: Roccaforte has the tools and athleticism to stick in center field, though his offensive game will need to take another step forward even in a fourth outfielder’s role. He may return to High-A Quad Cities to continue building on his late-season improvement before moving up to Double-A.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55.
BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: Roccaforte was a productive hitter and outfielder for three college seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, hitting .325 for his career and setting the school record for doubles in a season with 26 in 2023. That total tied him for fourth in all of Division I. He became the highest Ragin’ Cajun drafted since 1995 when the Royals selected him with a supplemental second-round pick in 2023 and signed him to an $897,500 bonus. Roccaforte started his pro career in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and went 4-for-4 with four stolen bases in his first game. He finished his season with 27 games at Low-A Columbia, where he hit .257/.377/.356 with 11 stolen bases.

Scouting Report: A high in-zone contact hitter with good bat-to-ball skills, Roccaforte starts his swing in a traditional position with a small leg kick. While he hit a combined 28 home runs in his college career, he shows more gap-to-gap power now and could add more juice as he gains experience. In his first pro season, he worked on staying through the middle of the field to keep his bat path in line with the pitch as long as possible. Roccaforte is at least an above-average defender with an average arm who is capable of playing all three outfield positions. He was 16-for-19 in stolen base attempts in his pro debut and should have multiple seasons with 20 or more steals in his career.

The Future: Roccaforte has a chance to break camp with High-A Quad Cities in 2024 after an impressive debut. He projects as a fourth outfielder with a bit more upside because of his makeup.

Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

School: Louisiana-Lafayette Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
BA Grade:40/High
Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 45. Run: 55. Field: 50. Arm: 50.

A 6-foot-1, 195-pound first baseman and outfielder, Roccaforte led Louisiana-Lafayette with a .373 average, 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in a monster 2022 season that also featured 25 stolen bases. His 2023 season wasn’t quite as electric, but he still slashed .318/.426/.538 with eight home runs and a career-best 26 doubles. Roccaforte makes plenty of contact and hits his home runs to the pull side, but he has a tendency to hit around the baseball a bit too often and could do a better job letting the ball travel and using the opposite field. Roccaforte is a versatile defender who has played all three outfield positions. He played in the Cape Cod League in 2022 with Bourne, and struggled to a .182/.241/.234 slash line with 19 strikeouts and five walks.

Career Transactions

OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Surprise Saguaros.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Quad Cities River Bandits.
CF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Kansas City Royals.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to ACL Royals.
Kansas City Royals signed OF Carson Roccaforte.
OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to College Workout.