The Milwaukee Brewers just won their first ever World Series over a week ago already, man where does the time go? Anyways, we have powered through all the Royals minor league affiliates season in reviews over the past month. Go check them out if you haven’t!
So, in the spirit of fun, I am going to pass out prospect awards – first team, second team and honorable mentions for each position no matter the affiliate. Sorry in advance if you feel someone was snubbed!
Catcher: Blake Mitchell
It has been well documented throughout
the prospects coverage that Blake Mitchell is a fascinating case when it comes to measuring success. Mitchell slashed .234/.414/.459 this season in Quad Cities. He also smashed 17 doubles and 23 homers. He walked 113 times!! However, he struck out 174 times. He also stole 27 bases, which is another positive. So, could you live with all those strikeouts if he produced the other numbers the same? He is also a very solid defensive catcher behind the plate. I truly think he would’ve been promoted this year, had Quad Cities not gone on the run that they did. In the playoff run, he was 4-for-14 with a double, a homer and five walks. That homer was pretty huge too…
Second Team: Ramon Ramirez
Mitchell’s running mate in QC was Ramon Ramirez. The 21-year-old kid from Venezuela did miss a month of time due to injury but still had a solid year. He slashed .279/.362/.477 this season over 323 at bats. He hit 23 doubles, a triple and 13 homers on the season. He walked 39 times, striking out 85. He isn’t as good behind the plate as Mitchell, but he is still a serviceable player back there. I think he and Mitchell start next season in Double-A.
Honorable Mention: Ricson Gonzalez, Hyungchan Um, Omar Hernandez, Luca Tresh
First Base: Brett Squires
Fans debated whether Squires should have gotten a chance in Kansas City this year, especially after Vinnie Pasquantino struggled early in the season, then got hurt. The 26-year-old corner infielder/outfielder from the University of Oklahoma never got the call. Squires started the season in Double-A. While there, he slashed .294/.388/.538 over 119 at bats in 32 games. He hit 11 doubles and 6 homers, while stealing 9 bases. Then he got the call to Omaha. Over his first 100 games, Squires slashed .271/.339/.553. He smashed 23 doubles, 3 triples and 25 homers, while stealing 15 bases. I honestly expect Squires to break camp with the Royals next season, he has been good at every stop, every year for the Royals, consistently getting better.
Defensively, he played most of his games at first base (102) with a little bit of left field sprinkled in (19). He has solid numbers at first, while his performance out in left field leave a lot to be desired.
Second Team: Derlin Figueroa
Figueroa narrowly edges out JC Vanek for the second-team nod. Figueroa was a big part of the championship that Quad Cities brought home this season. On the season, Figueroa, the 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic slashed .252/.324/.515. He hit 24 doubles, 2 triples, 26 homers and stole 18 bases. Figueroa came over to the Royals from the Dodgers in the Ryan Yarbrough trade. He is someone else that probably gets promoted during the season if QC didn’t go on a run. He should be part of the group that moves up to Double-A next year.
Honorable Mention: JC Vanek
Second Base: Peyton Wilson
Wilson, the now 27-year-old second baseman, had a solid year for the Storm Chasers this season. Wilson missed a little over a month with an injury early in the season but still churned out a .276/.358/.433 slash line over 94 games this season. Wilson, who the Royals took in the second round in 2021 out of Alabama has slowly grinded his way through all the minor league affiliates. I feel like he gave himself a chance to be a bench guy next year, being a switch hitter. Wilson cracked 29 doubles and 8 homers this season, while walking 41 times and stealing 17 bags. Defensively, Wilson provides versatility, primarily playing second, but also spending time at third and left field, with strong defensive numbers.
Second Team: Alan Angulo
Angulo is a 19-year-old from Columbia, who just played in the DSL, with the Royals. In 45 games and 133 at bats, Angulo slashed .323/.468/.421. He smacked 6 doubles, 2 triples and a homer, while walking 35 times, to just 14 strikeouts, with 14 steals. The Royals signed him when he was just 17. Defensively, he can play any infield spot but first but has primarily been played at second base. He has some work to do defensively, but I expect him to come along. I’d like to see him with the Fireflies next season.
Honorable Mention: Pedro Roque, Roy Rivero, Connor Rasmussen
Shortstop: Jack Pineda
Pineda, the 27-year-old shortstop, gets the slight nod over Josh Hammond for the first team selection. He missed a month due to injury but still played in 81 games between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha. In those 296 at bats, he slashed .351/.413/.530 with 20 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, and 18 steals. Pineda bounced back after a rough campaign in Northwest Arkansas the year previous. He is a solid depth piece and has a chance to break camp with the team next spring. Defensively, he is solid all across the infield diamond.
Second Team: Josh Hammond
Hammond takes this spot over fellow teammate, Yandel Ricardo. The Royals took Hammond 28th overall in 2025 out of Wesleyan Christian High School in North Carolina. In his first season of pro ball, Hammond slashed .286/.354/.389. He hit 24 doubles, 3 triples and 5 homers. He stole 25 bases and walked 46 times, compared to 94 strikeouts. It was a great first campaign for the young man. On defense, he split time between short and 3rd, with Ricardo also being uber talented, but was better at third. This is an issue I think he can rectify rather easily.
Honorable Mention: Yandel Ricardo, Maicoll Rondon, Jaider Suárez, Austin Charles
Third Base: Jose Cerice
Cerice was great this year for the champion Quad Cities River Bandits. The 21-year-old kid from Cuba slashed .272/.391/.371 this season in 345 at bats. He had 12 doubles, 2 triples and 6 homers, with 39 walks to 60 strikeouts, and 19 steals. Cerice was signed by the Royals in January of 2024 when he was just 18. He has already passed through the DSL, ACL and Columbia. In his third year with the organization and first in High-A he showed that he belonged. He looks like a solid player the Royals are developing. He can play either corner infield spot well.
Second Team: Sam Kulasingam
Kulasingam is a 25-year-old from the United States Air Force Academy. He was taken in the 13th round by the Royals in 2024. He has slowly moved from affiliate to affiliate every year. This was a step back numbers wise, but in his first action in Double-A it was a decent showing from Kulasingam. He slashed .249/.370/.396 in 465 at bats. He hit 24 doubles, 4 triples and 12 homers. He walked 85 times to 113 strikeouts, while stealing 30 bases. He is very good defensively everywhere he plays, and he is capable of playing all over the diamond.
Honorable Mention: Abraham Toro, Colton Becker, Camden Johnson, Jhonayker Ugarte, Luis Steven King
Outfielders
Carson Roccaforte had a great season. The 24-year-old out of Louisiana-Lafayette in the third round of the 2023 draft was smoking hot all season. He slashed .257/.338/.519 over 540 at bats. He hit 26 doubles, 5 triples and 35 homers between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha this past season. He also walked 65 times, stole 32 bases and struck out 181 times. Similar to Blake Mitchell those strikeout numbers are alarming, but everything else is good. Oh, and he is unbelievably good in the outfield, winning a minor league Gold Glove Award. He should be in the outfield mix with the Royals in 2027.
Luke Pelzer wouldn’t stop hitting this season, slashing .337/.408/.467 over 424 at bats between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas this season. Pelzer hit a whopping .446 in 65 at bats in Columbia in 2025. The Royals took the 23-year-old outfielder out of Illinois-Chicago in the 17th round of the 2025 draft. Man, what a steal he appears to be. Defensively, he plays all three spots very well. I think he is someone that could easily be in Omaha by the middle of next year. Buy your stock in this kid right now.
Angeibel Gomez is who I had to save the last spot on the first team outfield for. The 17-year-old kid from Venezuela is downright unreal. He is going to be the Royals’ top prospect soon. In his first season in the DSL, Gomez slashed .361/.467/.653 in 144 at bats. He hit 13 doubles, a triple and 9 homers. He walked 28 times to just 15 strikeouts, while swiping 15 bags. These are straight up video game numbers. Defensively, he is very good as well in centerfield. He should be in Columbia to start next season. Oh yeah, he is killing it in the Arizona Fall League right now too.
Second Team: John Rave, Spencer Nivens, Asbel Gonzalez
John Rave got another chance with the Royals later in the season and had some nice numbers. But he was once again really good in Omaha. I like his game and think he could push for more playing time in KC next season. The 28-year-old from Illinois State, a fifth round pick in the 2019 draft slashed .285/.396/.481 in 291 at bats in Omaha this past season. He hit 14 doubles, 2 triples and 13 homers, while walking 54 times to 65 strikeouts. He also nabbed 18 stolen bases.
Spencer Nivens carved out a nice season in Double-A. The 24-year-old out of Missouri State in the 5th round of the 2023 draft, missed the first month of the season with an injury, but battled back. In 104 games and 386 at bats, he slashed .280/.365/.446. He hit 29 doubles, 4 triples and 9 homers, while walking 55 times to 75 strikeouts, with 17 steals. It was Nivens second straight year in Northwest Arkansas and I think he improved. I believe he earned a spot in Omaha to start next season. He plays solid defense in all three outfield spots.
Asbel Gonzalez wins out the last second team spot after a wonderful year in Quad Cities. Gonzalez is just 20 years old out of Venezuela. He was signed by the Royals when he was just 17 years old. He has grinded through the DSL, ACL and Columbia to get here. In 110 games and 427 at bats this season, he slashed .262/.358/.314. He had just 9 doubles, 2 triples and 3 homers. The big thing for Gonzalez was that he stole 67 bases this season. Defensively, he was great in centerfield.
Honorable Mention: Gavin Cross, Nolan Sailors, Erick Torres, Zion Rose, Angel Ramirez, Daniel Lopez, Robinson Chacon
Starting Pitchers
David Shields was fantastic for the Quad Cities River Bandits this season. The former second round pick made 25 starts, he threw 116.2 innings, with a 4.01 ERA, striking out 139 hitters. His WHIP was 1.08 and opponents hit just .231 off him. He will be a Natural to start next season.
Kendry Chourio was awesome as well. The prodigy, who the Royals signed in 2025 when he was just 17, has been great. He is just a 19-year-old right hander, who was in the Futures Game this year. Between Columbia and Quad Cities, he threw 90.2 innings (innings limit toward end of season.) He struck out 91 batters, with a 2.48 ERA, his WHIP was 0.89. Opponents hit just .195 off him. He and Shields are the future. He should be a Natural to start next season as well.
Justin Lamkin is a 22-year-old left hander, who the Royals took in 2025 as a Comp-B pick out of Texas A&M. Despite getting hurt early in the year and missing the rest of the season, Lamkin was good enough to earn a first team nod. He threw just 39.2 innings, with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 53 hitters, with a 0.93 WHIP, and opponents hit just .200 off him. He is pitching well in the Arizona Fall League as well. He will start next year in Double-A, wow what a 1-2-3 in Shields, Chourio and Lamkin. He has a legit chance to be in Omaha some point next season.
Michael Lombardi is a 23-year-old right hander, who the Royals took in the second round of the 2025 draft out of Tulane. 2026 was a solid season in Columbia for Lombardi, who threw 88 innings, striking out 124 hitters, with a 3.68 ERA. He had a 1.42 WHIP and opponents hit .223 off him. He should move up and start next year in Quad Cities. He could be a fast mover though, so keep an eye on him.
Jose Gutierrez is a 23-year-old right hander out of Venezuela. The Royals signed him when he was just 19 years old. He has grinded through the DSL and ACL to get to Columbia. After getting a handful of appearances in 2025, he had a full season in A-Ball. He threw 114.1 innings, striking out 98 batters to the tune of a 3.62 ERA. His WHIP was 1.32 with opponents hitting .256 off him. Overall, it was a solid year for Gutierrez.
Second Team:
Melvin Robles
Samuel Carmona
Hunter Owen
Drew Beam
Hunter Patteson
Relief Pitcher Honorable Mentions
Ben Sears
Carlos Duran
Justin Topa
L.P. Langevin
Kamden Edge
Dash Albus
Max Martin
Randy Ramnarace
