Royals add Raul Mondesi Jr. to World Series roster

The Royals made a fascinating roster move before Game 1 of the World Series, selecting the contract of top infield prospect Raul Mondesi Jr. from Double-A Northern Arkansas. Mondesi, the son of the ex-major leaguer with the same name, would be the first player to debut in the World Series if he sees game action over the next two weeks.

Mondesi, 20, spent his entire season at Double-A, hitting .243/.279/.372 with six home runs in 81 games. He is considered a base-stealing threat and gives the Royals some positional flexibility in the middle infield if manager Ned Yost decides to make double switches during games played at Citi Field.

Mondesi was ranked as the 28th-best prospect in all of baseball heading into the season, and is currently ranked by MLB.com as the team's top overall prospect and the 33rd-best in the game. Only one player in major-league history has made his debut in the postseason, as infielder Mark Kiger saw his only major-league action in the 2006 ALCS with the Athletics. The Mets made a similar move earlier this postseason by promoting prospect Matt Reynolds to their active roster to replace Ruben Tejada, but Reynolds never appeared in a game.