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Charles slashed .257/.353/.386 with 10 home runs and 36 steals in 117 games for Single-A Columbia and was promoted to High-A Quad Cities on Sept. 12.
Charles, who turns 21 in November, logged 186 games at Single-A across the past two seasons before earning the bump to High-A. He entered pro ball as a very raw hitter, which is why he lags behind other position players from his class, but Charles has the type of upside worth waiting on. A 6-foot-5 infielder who split time at third base and shortstop this season, Charles is a plus runner who could grow into plus raw power as he continues to fill out his frame and improve his craft as a hitter. His 25.8 percent strikeout rate and 69.5 percent contact rate at Single-A are still relatively poor, given his age, so Charles may spend significant time at High-A before getting a bump to Double-A.
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Royals' Austin Charles: Bumped to Single-A
Rotowire
Charles was promoted from the Arizona Complex League to Single-A Columbia on Thursday.
The 6-foot-4 shortstop got over $400,000 from Kansas City in the 20th round of last year's draft based on his upside on both sides of the ball. At 19 years old, he was old for the complex level, but Charles' game needs some refinement. He hit .455 with one home run in 11 at-bats before the promotion.
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