Nick Leto scrolls through his computer and pulls up the notes he jotted down during a scouting trip in 2018. Before reading them, Leto decides to test himself first to see how much he can remember from that day. It does not require much effort.



Leto’s title with the Kansas City Royals is Manager of Arizona Operations. He manages the Royals’ complex in Surprise, Ariz., but really he does so much more. Leto watches the development of players who play for the Royals’ Arizona Rookie League team. He scouts opposing talent, and occasionally, during the summers, he accepts international scouting assignments and flies across the pond.



Back to Leto’s memory test.



It was the fall of 2018. Leto was in Rotterdam to see Darryl Collins, a 16-year-old who was already competing for Neptunus, the most successful team in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top level of professional baseball in the Netherlands. Leto arrived during the week and stayed through...