Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Double-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Tickets & Groups
Individual Game Tickets Access My Tickets Season Tickets Mini Packs Flex Packs Family Pack Kids Club Memberships Group Outings Party Areas Suite Rentals
Schedule & Promotions
Game Schedule Downloadable Schedule Promotional Schedule Silver Sluggers Club 2025 Education Day Games Field of Dreams Program Birthday Parties 2025 Scout Nights - May 10 & August 22 Military Appreciation Sundays First Responders Appreciation
Shop
Apparel Men Women Kids Caps Novelties Growlin' Chickens Los Naturales Kansas City Royals Gift Cards
Fan Zone
Fan Survey Partner With Us Donations & Appearances Community Partners Naturals Newsletter Know Before You Go Ballpark Guide (A-Z) Arvest Ballpark Map Concessions Fan Code of Conduct
Team
Team Roster Game-by-Game Results Naturals Radio 2025 Game Program 2025 Media Guide MLB Alumni All-Time Roster Front Office Contact Us Employment Opportunities
Stats & Scores
Scoreboard Standings Team Stats Individual Stats MiLB Stats Royals affiliates Transactions
News
Sweepstakes & Contests
(479) 927-4900

Royals Name Cross, Zobac 2024 Naturals of the Year

Cross awarded Player of the Year, Zobac named Pitcher of the Year
March 15, 2025

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Kansas City Royals announced the 2024 Pitcher and Player of the Year for each of their minor league affiliates on Saturday during a ceremony in Surprise, Arizona at their Spring Training complex. Outfielder Gavin Cross earned the Player of the Year Award while starting pitcher Steven

SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Kansas City Royals announced the 2024 Pitcher and Player of the Year for each of their minor league affiliates on Saturday during a ceremony in Surprise, Arizona at their Spring Training complex. Outfielder Gavin Cross earned the Player of the Year Award while starting pitcher Steven Zobac took home the Pitcher of the Year honor for the Naturals.

Gavin Cross, the Royals’ #6 prospect according to MLB.com, had a bounce-back season in 2024 while spending the entire year in Northwest Arkansas. The slugger bashed 15 home runs while stealing 30 bases, the second-most on the team and fifth-most amongst Royals minor leaguers. Cross slashed .261/.342/.428 over 101 games in NWA, driving in 59 RBI while posting a .770 OPS. Gavin was also a non-roster invitee to the Royals camp this spring.

Steven Zobac, KC’s #7 prospect, was also extended a non-roster invite this season following an impressive 2025 campaign. The righty started the year in Quad Cities, where he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Midwest League. He moved on to NWA where Zobac made 11 appearances and 10 starts, averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings and holding opponents to a .222 batting average. The 24-year-old was the recipient of the 2024 Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year Award and made Naturals history last season in his fourth appearance for NWA. The righty struck out 12 in Amarillo, falling one shy of the franchise record while needing just 80 pitches over 7.0 innings of work.

The Naturals will host the Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers) on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:05 p.m. for Opening Night at Arvest Ballpark. The team begins the season in Tulsa against the Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers) on Friday, April 4th.

The Naturals are the Double-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas. For more information, including tickets, group outings, promotions, and more, visit NWANaturals.com, and follow us @NWANaturals (X/Instagram) and Facebook.com/Naturals.

-Naturals-

Read More: