The Royals announced the best of their farm system today, giving organizational awards for top players at each level.
Brett Squires was given the George Brett Award for the top hitter in the organization. The 26-year-old first baseman hit .277/.351/.549 with 31 home runs and 24 steals split between Double-A and Triple-A. He was one of nine minor leaguers to hit at least 30 home runs and record at least 100 RBI this season, and the first Royals minor leaguer to do it since MJ Melendez in 2021. Squires was also
given the Mike Sweeney Community Impact Award and becomes the first Royals minor leaguer to win multiple organization awards within the same season.
David Shields was named the Paul Splittorff Award winner for the top pitcher in the organization for the second year in a row. He made 25 starts for High-A Quad Cities at age 19 and struck out 139 in 116.2 innings with a 4.01 ERA. He led qualified Midwest League pitchers in wins and ERA and was just seven strikeouts shy of winning the league Triple Crown. Shields is ranked the No. 4 prospect in the farm system by MLB Pipeline.
L.P. Langevin was given the Dan Quisenberry Reliever of the Year Award. The 2024 fourth-round pick struck out an absurd 106 hitters in 55.1 innings, or 45 percent of all hitters he faced. His strikeout rate was the highest among any minor leaguer since 2006. In 40 games for High-A Quad Cities, he had a 3.42 ERA.
Carson Roccaforte was honored with the Frank White Award for top defensive player. Roccaforte played 138 games in the outfield this year between Double-A and Triple-A, collecting 13 assists. He also recorded the first 30/30 season ever by a Royals minor leaguer, hitting 35 home runs with 32 stolen bases. Roccaforte is the No. 17 prospect in the farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Asbel Gonzalez won the Willie Wilson Award for top baserunner in the organization for the second year in a row. His 67 steals were second among all minor leaguers, and he’s the only minor leaguer to steal at least 60 bases in each of the last two seasons, after stealing 78 last year. The 20-year-old outfielder hit .262/.358/.314 in 110 games for High-A Quad Cities. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 15 prospect in the system.
Josh Hammond was given the Alex Gordon Heart & Hustle Award. The 2025 first-round pick hit .286/.354/.389 in his first year of professional baseball, with five home runs and 25 steals in 110 games for Low-A Columbia. Hammond is ranked #2 in the organization by MLB Pipeline.
The Royals also honored Joelvis Gonzalez, the Royals’ coordinator of South American scouting, as the Art Stewart Scout of the Year, awarded annually to the most outstanding scout in the organization.
The winners will be honored before Futures Night at Kauffman Stadium this Friday, and some will participate in an autograph-signing session for fans at Gate A at Kauffman Stadium from 5:00–5:45 p.m., prior to the on-field ceremony.
