Following the draft and the trade deadline, and graduations by Noah Cameron and Jac Caglianone, the Royals’ farm system looks a bit different than it did before the season. The organization is making some gains in building depth, but still lacks high-upside prospects that can move the needle. The first two draft classes under scouting director Brian Bridges look fairly promising and the team seems to be more active in developing international talent.
I wanted to take a stab at ranking the top prospects
in the organization. I’m no scout, and opinions will vary, but I’ve followed the minors and have a good idea of what kind of prospect can reach the big leagues. Here is my list of the top 50 prospects in the Royals organization.
50. LHP Chazz Martinez
The former Oklahoma Sooner is enjoying his best season, dominating Double-A with a 1.85 ERA in 43.2 innings. He has given up a lot of runs in 13 outings at Triple-A, but he is still missing bats. The Royals will have to decide whether or not to protect the 25-year-old for the Rule 5 draft.
49. 1B/3B Jose Cerice
Cerice was signed in 2024 out of Cuba, and hit over .300 in both the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League. The 20-year-old is now at Columbia, where he’s already hit a home run in 19 games, and some feel he could tap into more power as he ages.
48. RHP Henson Leal
Leal was part of the Royals’ 2022 international signing class out of Venezuela. He had a good strikeout rate in 12 games with Columbia last year, and has improved his performance at that level as a 21-year-old reliever this year. He has a terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio, and opponents are hitting just .209/.272/.336 against him since the start of June.
47. RHP Freddy Conteras
I’m not going to pretend I know much about the kids at the Dominican Summer League team. But Contreras is 16 years old and has struck out 37 hitters in 30 innings with a 3.30 ERA and a decent walk rate. That’s something!
46. LHP Mason Miller
Miller got off to a good start with Columbia, but he’s been outstanding upon a promotion to Quad Cities, having yet to allow an earned run in 22.1 innings of work. Pitchers with good curveballs tend to have high strikeout rates in the minors, so it will be interesting to see if Miller can continue to miss bats a higher levels despite some underwhelming velocity.
45. RHP Logan Martin
A former 12th-round pick out of Kentucky, Martin followed up a solid 2024 season in Low-A with a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts at High-A. But his strikeout and walk numbers have worsened a bit this year, and the 23-year-old is a tad old for the level. He seems like a good candidate to move to the bullpen eventually, to allow his mid-90s fastball to play up.
44. RHP Brandon Johnson
Johnson has had terrific strikeout rates as a late-inning reliever through the minors for the Royals. He dominated Double-A this season with a 0.79 ERA in 17 outings, but has struggled after a promotion to Triple-A, with a huge drop in strikeout rate. The 26-year-old has a mid-90s fastball and could be a candidate for the bullpen at some point next season if he can get back to missing bats.
43. C Hyungchan Um
The Royals signed Um out of high school in Korea, and he’s in his second tour with Low-A Columbia at age 21. His bat has slowly progressed, and he shows a pretty good eye with a solid walk rate and strikeout rate. There are good reports about his defense, as he hopes to become the first Korean-born catcher in the big leagues.
42. RHP Dennis Colleran
Originally a seventh-round pick in 2024, Colleran has struck out 60 in 56.1 innings as a reliever across Low-A and High-A. The 21-year-old boasts a high-90s fastball that can hit triple digits with regularity, and could be a late-inning reliever if he can bring the walks down.
41. RHP L.P. Langevin
Quebec-born Louis-Philippe Langevin was a fourth-round pick in 2024 out of Louisiana-Lafayette, boasting a mid-90s fastball with tremendous spin that misses a lot of bats. He missed the first half of the season with an oblique injury, but has returned to action recently. He has faced 41 batters at High-A, striking out 16 so far.
40. LHP Darwin Rodriguez
Rodriguez had 50 strikeouts and just 6 walks in 40.2 innings at the Arizona Complex League, and struck out six in four shutout innings in his Low-A debut. The 21-year-old didn’t walk anyone either, and could quickly rise up prospect lists if he can pitch well at Columbia.
39. RHP Eric Cerantola
Cerantola was added to the 40-man roster last winter, due to intriguing velocity with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can hit upper-90s at times, coupled with a plus slider. But he has been hit with injuries, making 26 relief appearances with a 5.05 ERA in Triple-A. He has a solid strikeout rate, but the 25-year-old will need to stay healthy to be a candidate for the bullpen next year.
38. 3B/RF Trevor Werner
Werner seemed very promising in 2023 when he hit .354 with 8 home runs in 31 games after he was a seventh-round pick. Last year he had some major struggles making contact, and while he has improved a bit this year, he is still striking out 32 percent of the time. He had some injuries this summer and has hit better as of late, but he’ll need to make more contact to tap into his power potential.
37. SS/3B Jhonayker Ugarte
Ugarte was a high bonus signing in 2024 out of Venezuela as a toolsy infielder, but he has struggled with the strike zone early on. The 18-year-old is hitting just .216 in the Arizona Complex League with a 30 percent strikeout rate, but there is still plenty of time for him to develop.
36. RHP A.J. Causey
Causey was a fifth-round pick in 2024 out of Tennessee and has dominated in his first year as a pro. He had a 1.56 ERA in 27 relief outings at High-A, so they moved him up to Double-A where he has a 1.42 ERA in 12 outings. The side armer doesn’t have a ton of velo, but changes speeds with a deceptive delivery. He has a terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio that could earn him a quick ticket to the big leagues.
35. RHP Zachary Cawyer
Cawyer was an 11th-round pick out of TCU, getting a taste of pro action in 2024. He was moved up to High-A this year, where he has 63 strikeouts in 45 innings with a 3.20 ERA, serving as the River Bandits closer. Cawyer has a fastball with some sinking action and a big curve, and the 22-year-old may be due for a promotion.
34. RHP Shane Panzini
Panzini was part of the crop of high school pitchers the Royals drafted in 2021 that included Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna. Panzini had early struggles but has seemed to figure things out this year as a long reliever with a 3.21 ERA over High-A and Double-A, with the best strikeout rate of his career at 10.5 per nine innings. He has put himself on the radar to be added to the 40-man roster this winter.
33. RHP Josh Hansell
Known for a big 12-6 curve, Hansell has pitched better upon a promotion to High-A. In eight starts there he has a 2.81 ERA, but his strikeout and walk numbers have regressed. The 23-year-old has a reliever profile unless he can develop a more effective third pitch.
33. LHP Hunter Patteson
Patteson was pretty old for High-A, but he did dominate with a 1.99 ERA before getting promoted to Duble-A where he has continued to pitch well. Although he doesn’t blow anyone away with his stuff, he just gets results and could force his way into big league action eventually.
32. SS/3B Austin Charles
Charles looked very promising a year ago when he held his own in Low-A ball as a 20-year-old, but he has struggled mightily at High-A this year, hitting just .189 in 37 games. He has missed a lot of time with injuries, so this may be a lost year. But he’s still young and very toolsy, so he could rise up this list next year.
30. RHP Kyle deGroat
The Royals were able to sign deGroat out of high school in 2024 by going well over slot with a bonus of $350,000. He pitched well at the Arizona Complex League this year, and tossed 3.1 innings of no-hit ball in his Low-A debut recently. The 19-year-old has a pretty mature arsenal with good movement.
29. LHP Frank Mozzicato
Everyone agrees Frank Mozzicato has a plus curve that could be a huge out pitch for him at the big league level. But his velocity hasn’t developed as the Royals would have hoped, and he has struggled to throw strikes. Mozz dominated at High-A, as many pitchers with big benders do, but he has been a mess at Double-A with 41 walks in 42.2 innings and an ugly 9.28 ERA. It’s hard to think he can still cut it as a starter, and even as a reliever, he’ll probably need to develop more velo, not to mention better command.
28. RHP Henry Williams
Williams was acquired from the Padres in the Scott Barlow trade in 2023 after overcoming elbow injuries that caused him to miss the 2022 season in college. He was a solid starter at Double-A this year, with a 4.01 ERA in 94.1 innings, but has struggled in two starts at Triple-A. He turns 24 next month, and could get a taste of big league action by next summer.
27. C Moises Marchán
Marchán was part of a terrific international signing class this year by the Royals. He has impressive speed for a catcher, and has hit .302 in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old.
26. SS Ramcell Medina
The Royals signed Medina earlier this year, and he has impressed in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old, earning All-Star honors. He shows a mature approach to the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts, and his exit velocities have scouts thinking he will tap into more power as he ages.
25. SS Daniel Vazquez
Vazquez was the plum of the 2021 international signing class for the Royals with a very slick glove at short. He had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League last year, and is enjoying his best offensive season as a pro, hitting .266/.345/.368 at High-A. He has little power, but can swipe bases and draw a walk at times. Defense will be his calling card, he just has to hit enough to make it worth carrying his glove.
24. RHP Blake Wolters
The Royals grabbed Wolters in the second round of the 2023 draft. He has held his own in two tours at Low-A ball the last two seasons, although his walk rate spiked significantly this year. His velocity sits at 92-94 mph with his fastball, although it has played up at times, and he seems to have a lot of potential with his slider. He has tremendous upside if he can refine his pitches and throw strikes with more consistency.
23. RHP Hiro Wyatt
Wyatt was the other high school arm the Royals took early in 2023, and he has a similar projection to Wolters. Although he has a 4.97 ERA in the pitching-friendly Carolina League, he has a healthy 8.8 strikeouts-per-nine-innings with a decent walk rate. He has some really good vertical action that could yield a lot of groundballs. He has had some minor injury concerns – back issues and shoulder tendinitis, but he has starter potential with a deep arsenal of pitches.
22. LHP Justin Lamkin
Lamkin was selected in the second round out of Texas A&M this summer after a standout career with the Aggies. He’s a strike-thrower with a mature arsenal and deceptive delivery that should enable him to have success in lower levels and be a quick riser.
21. 2B Javier Vaz
Vaz injured his fingers in spring training, pushing the start of his season back. His numbers have regressed in a repeat performance at Double-A, but he continues to show a great eye at the plate. His 7.8 percent strikeout rate is the lowest out of any minor league hitter with at least 300 plate appearances. His high contact rate, solid walk rate, and tremendous base-stealing ability give him a pretty high floor despite a below-average bat, and he could be a useful utility player soon.
20. RF Gavin Cross
I thought Cross would be a quick riser when the Royals selected him ninth overall in 2022, but his career has been filled with setbacks and disappointment so far. He has potentially turned a corner recently, batting .294/.363/.447 with six home runs in his last 43 games. He still has solid power and speed potential, but at age 24, time is running out for him to get his career on track.
19. RHP Michael Lombardi
Lombardi was the Royals’ second-round pick out of Tulane this July after posting a 2.14 ERA for the Green Wave. He has a solid three-pitch mix, giving him starter potential if he can cut down on the walks. He was also used a lot in the outfield and has good athleticism overall.
18. RHP Steven Zobac
Zobac had a very promising 2024 season, and seemed to be on the verge of a possible big league career after a 3.25 ERA in 11 games at Double-A. But he has battled injuries and ineffectiveness this season, taking a step back. Despite an ugly 7.68 ERA at Double-A and an opponents’ average of .346, he has a terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio. If he can rebound next year, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him with the Royals eventually as a strike-throwing reliever with a plus slider.
17. LHP Hunter Owen
Owen was a fourth-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2023, and has significantly improved his strikeout numbers (9.8 per nine innings) and ERA (3.61) at Double-A this year. He has pretty good vertical action that could make him an effective lefty reliever, but his 6’6”, 260-pound frame could allow him to continue starting if he can continue to miss bats like that.
16. RHP Cameron Millar
The Royals selected Millar in the third round of this year’s draft, then paid him $700k overslot to lure him away from college. He has a nice, clean delivery with velo all over the 90s, as well as a changeup with nice sink. The Royals will need to get him to throw with more consistency with his fastball, and develop his slider, but he has excellent upside for that spot in the draft.
15. SS Warren Calcaño
Calcaño was the biggest catch for the Royals in this year’s international free agent class, ranked #7 overall by Baseball America. The 17-year-old is said to be a plus defender at shortstop, but the switch-hitter has impressed with the bat, hitting .346/.514/.538 in nine games in the Dominican Summer League.
14. CF Asbel Gonzalez
The Royals have long valued speed, and Gonzalez has that in spades. He is fourth in all of the minors in stolen bases with 63. He’s also considered a plus defender in center. He’s not a free swinger, showing a strong walk rate and a low strikeout rate. He has very little power, although there is still time for the 19-year-old to bulk up.
13. CF Carson Roccaforte
I was high on Roccaforte after the Royals made him a second-round pick in 2023, but last year was a very disappointing performance. He has bounced back this year to put himself back on the radar, hitting .237/.364/.466 with 13 home runs and 33 steals at High-A, earning a promotion to Double-A where he has continued to hit. His 16 percent walk rate is the highest in the organization for players in A-ball and above. He projects to be a fourth outfielder-type, but it would not be a stretch to see him as a starter, particularly if he can cut down on the strikeouts and tap into more power.
12. RHP Felix Arronde
Arronde has been part of that terrific pitching rotation at Quad Cities this year, posting a 2.69 ERA. That’s pretty similar to the 2.94 ERA he posted last year in 23 games for Low-A Columbia, but his strikeout and walk numbers have both taken a step back. He has a split-fingered change that helps him net a 43 percent groundball rate and has real promise, but he’ll need to improve on his slider to have starter potential.
11. RHP Luinder Avila
Avila was called up briefly in the bullpen for the Royals, and I think that’s where he will eventually find his place in the big leagues. The 23-year-old had a 4.67 ERA in 44.1 innings for Omaha this year, missing some time with injury. A move to the pen could help his mid-90s fastball play up, as he has good extension, and his curve fits better as a nice out pitch. He will need to bring the walks down, but he has made steady progress at each level.
10. SS Yandel Ricardo
Ricardo was signed out of Cuba as the #9 prospect in the international signing class of 2024, according to Baseball America. The Dominican switch-hitter tore up the Arizona Complex League with a .342 average this summer, and has held his own as an 18-year-old at Low-A so far. His size causes observers to think he will develop more power and eventually move off shortstop. He shows good speed and has made pretty good contact for such a young player, but he’s a long way from the big leagues.
9. RHP Drew Beam
Beam was a third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2024, and was aggressively sent to High-A to begin his pro career this year. He has held his own with a 3.98 ERA, although he has hit a rough stretch lately with a 6.40 ERA over his last seven starts. He can throw strikes, posting the lowest walk rate in the Midwest League. The 22-year-old has a solid arsenal of pitches with good velo, with the potential to be a mid-rotation starter.
8. C Ramon Ramirez
Despite being just 20 years old, Ramirez has been a man among boys at Low-A Columbia. He leads the team with 10 home runs despite missing nearly two months with an injury. His .781 OPS is ninth-best in the Carolina League among players with at least 250 plate appearances. He has great power potential with a pretty good eye at the plate. He’s still fairly new to catching and could eventually move to first base. If he sticks at catcher, he gives the Royals some tremendous depth at the position.
7. RHP Ben Kudrna
Kudrna is a Kansas City-area native who the Royals signed to a $3 million bonus as a draft pick in 2021. He got off to a bit of a rough start at Double-A this year, but has pitched well lately with a 2.36 over his last nine starts. Overall, he has a 4.21 ERA, but a solid strikeout rate, and he has improved his walk rate as well this year. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter, but there is still some projectability in the 22-year-old that Brian Sweeney could unlock.
6. 2B/OF Sean Gamble
I think there is a big gap between the top six Royals prospects and the rest of the system. Selected #23 overall, Gamble is a speedy left-handed bat who could be a future lead-off hitter. His power is limited, and he will need to cut down on his swing-and-miss, but the upside is a high-average hitter who will probably end up in centerfield. I don’t think his upside is super-high for a high school hitter selected in the first round, but that doesn’t mean Gamble can’t be a solid starter at the big league level.
5. RHP Kendry Chourio
Chourio signed with the Royals earlier this year, but he’s already in Low-A as a 17-year-old. He had an impressive debut with four strikeouts in four innings, allowing just two hits with no walks. Chourio features a mid-90s fastball with a plus curve and a decent change, with an ability to throw strikes. It would not be a surprise at all to see Chourio begin to pop up on top 100 prospect lists by next summer.
4. LHP David Shields
The Royals revamped their minor league pitching development, and Shields could become the feather in their cap. The second-round pick in 2024 was aggressively promoted to Low-A this year as an 18-year-old and has flourished with a 2.04 ERA in 16 starts with a ridiculous strikeout-to-walk ratio of 72-to-11. Shields isn’t a big velo guy, although that could improve as he matures. But he has developed a plus slider with a solid change up, yielding a 44 percent groundball rate. He seems to have a deep arsenal for such a young player with a good feel for pitching that could make him a rotation candidate someday.
3. C Blake Mitchell
Mitchell suffered a wrist injury this spring, costing him the first half of the season. He returned in July and continued to show a great eye at the plate, but he hasn’t yet hit for the power he showed off last year. Mitchell has good speed and a patient eye, but will need to cut down on the strikeouts. If he can get back on track next year, the 21-year-old could rise up top prospect lists.
2. SS/3B Josh Hammond
Hammond was the 28th player selected in the draft this summer as a two-way player out of North Carolina. He brings tremendous power potential as an infielder, likely at third base. He reminds me a bit of a right-handed Mike Moustakas, and he has some of the biggest upside in the system.
1. C Carter Jensen
Jensen was already held in high regard, but he has improved as the season has progressed. His power numbers spiked upon a promotion to Triple-A, and he’s hitting .320/.438/.720 with 10 home runs in 29 games since the start of July. He has a solid 11.1 percent walk rate that has improved upon his promotion. Reports on his defense are positive, so if he can cut down on his strikeouts a bit, the Kansas City native could very well be a successor to Salvador Perez behind the plate.
