Here are the homegrown Royals who hail from Kansas City area

KANSAS CITY -- In 2025, the Royals welcomed two homegrown players to the big leagues, and by homegrown, we mean it literally: Carter Jensen and Noah Cameron both grew up near the Kansas City area -- Jensen from Park Hill High School and Cameron from up north in St. Joseph, Mo.

Local products have always been fan favorites in Kansas City, whether they’re playing for the Royals or visiting once or a few times a year with opposing teams. In 2026, the Royals have a chance to see two more local products pitch for them, with Ben Kudrna (No. 10 prospect) and Alex Lange on the 40-man roster.

It’s always special when a Kansas City kid makes it to the big leagues, but it’s even more special when they pitch for their hometown team. So far, there have been 23 Royals who have attended Kansas City-area high schools in club history:

Carter Jensen, C
Park Hill HS in Kansas City

Jensen, ranked as the Royals’ No. 1 prospect and No. 16 overall per MLB Pipeline, made his debut in 2025 and performed well during the month of September. He made the ‘26 Opening Day roster and will likely split playing time behind the plate with Salvador Perez -- the catcher Jensen grew up idolizing as a Royals fan.

Noah Cameron, LHP
Central HS in St. Joseph, Mo.

Cameron burst onto the scene in 2025, when he posted a 2.99 ERA across 24 starts. He became just the third Royals rookie (minimum 20 games started) to record a sub-3.00 ERA season, following Royals Hall of Famers Paul Splittorff (2.68 in 1971) and Kevin Appier (2.76 in ‘90). Cameron finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in ‘25 and he earned a rotation spot in ‘26.

Trevor Rosenthal, RHP
Lee’s Summit West HS in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Rosenthal threw just 13 2/3 innings for the Royals in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before they traded him to the Padres, but he posted a 3.29 ERA. This was at the end of his career; Rosenthal made a name for himself across the state as an All-Star reliever for the Cardinals, who selected him in the 21st round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Cowley Community College in Arkansas City, Kan.

Bubba Starling, OF
Gardner-Edgerton HS in Gardner, Kan.

A prep phenom and three-sport athlete at Gardner-Edgerton, Starling never did live up to the hype that was heaped upon him as a prospect after the Royals selected him No. 5 overall in the 2011 Draft. He appeared in parts of two seasons from 2019-20, hitting just .204 with a .544 OPS. After playing for Team USA in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and winning a silver medal, Starling retired from baseball.

Jason Adam, RHP
Blue Valley Northeast HS in Overland Park, Kan.

The Royals selected Adam in the fifth round of the 2010 Draft as a young prep pitcher basically in Kauffman Stadium’s backyard. He played for two other organizations in the Minor Leagues before returning to Kansas City and making his debut in ‘18. Something clicked for Adam in ‘22 with the Rays, and he’s been one of the best relievers in the Majors since.

Mike Morin, RHP
Shawnee Mission South HS in Overland Park, Kan.

Morin elected to go to North Carolina after the Royals selected him in the 40th round of the 2009 Draft, and he was drafted by the Angels in ‘12. Kansas City picked him up on waivers in ‘17, and he threw just 5 2/3 innings for the club.

Tommy Hottovy, LHP
Park Hill South HS in Riverside, Mo.

Drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2004 Draft out of Wichita State, Hottovy debuted in ‘11 with Boston and he then threw 9 1/3 innings for the Royals in ‘12 before his career ended. He’s now the Cubs pitching coach.

Aaron Crow, RHP
Washburn Rural HS in Topeka, Kan.

Crow had all the makings of a local legend, hailing from Topeka and playing in college at Missouri. The Royals selected him No. 12 overall in the 2009 Draft, and Crow was an All-Star reliever in ‘11. It was downhill after that, though, with an ineffective ‘14 season that saw him left off the postseason roster. Derailed by injuries, Crow didn’t pitch in the big leagues after that.

Rick DeHart, LHP
Seaman HS in Topeka, Kan.

DeHart played for parts of three seasons with Montreal -- where he first signed as an undrafted free agent after college at Washburn -- in 1997-99. After injuries and playing in the Minor Leagues, DeHart pitched four innings for the Royals in 2003, the last of his big league career.

Dusty Wathan, C
Blue Springs HS in Blue Springs, Mo.

The son of former Royals manager John Wathan, Dusty played 14 seasons in the Minor Leagues. His only big league action was with the Royals: Three games in 2002, in which he went 3-for-5 at the plate. Wathan began his coaching career in ‘08.

Kit Pellow, INF/OF
North HS in Olathe, Kan.

The Royals drafted Pellow twice -- once in the 60th round of the 1994 Draft out of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., and again in the 22nd round of the ‘96 Draft out of Arkansas. Pellow made his debut in 2002, hitting .238 with a .644 OPS in 29 games. Pellow’s final two years in the big leagues were with Colorado in 2003-04.

Kevin Young, OF
Washington HS in Kansas City, Kan.

Young spent most of his 12-year career with the Pirates, the team that took him in the seventh round of the 1990 Draft out of Southern Mississippi. But he returned to his hometown in ‘96 to play for the Royals, posting a .770 OPS in 55 games. Young won the ‘97 Roberto Clemente Award with Pittsburgh.

Steve Shifflett, RHP
Pleasant Hill HS in Pleasant Hill, Mo.

In his one and only season in the Major Leagues, Shifflett posted a 2.60 ERA out of the Royals’ bullpen in 1992.

Brian McRae OF
Blue Springs HS in Blue Springs, Mo.

McRae attended two high schools -- Blue Springs and Manatee HS in Bradenton, Fla. The latter is where the Royals drafted the center fielder out of the first round in 1985. McRae made his Major League debut in ‘90, and a year later, his dad, Hal, took over as manager of the club. Hal managed the team (and Brian) until ‘94, which was Brian’s last year as a Royal. Brian played in parts of 10 seasons in the Major Leagues.

Russ Morman, INF/OF
William Chrisman HS in Independence, Mo.

Morman was drafted by the White Sox in 1981, and he played parts of three seasons in Chicago before signing with the Royals in ‘90. He appeared in just 24 games for them over two seasons.

Steve Jeltz, INF
Lawrence HS in Lawrence, Kan.

Most of Jeltz’s eight-year career came in Philadelphia, the team that drafted him out of Kansas in 1980. But Jeltz’s final year in the big leagues was with the Royals in ‘90, although he batted just .155 in 74 games.

David Cone, RHP
Rockhurst HS in Kansas City

Royals fans always welcomed Cone back warmly when he returned to Kauffman Stadium, even when he was pitching for the Mets and Yankees. Cone debuted with the Royals in 1986 and he then returned to his hometown team from 1993-94. He was spectacular especially in ‘94, when he won the AL Cy Young Award with a 2.94 ERA.

Steve Renko, RHP
Wyandotte HS in Kansas City, Kan.

Renko attended the University of Kansas and followed it with a long Major League career spanning 15 years with the Expos, Cubs, White Sox, A’s, Red Sox, Angels and finally, the Royals for one season. He posted a 4.30 ERA in 1983, the last season of his big league career.

Jim Wright, RHP
Benton HS in St. Joseph, Mo.

The only two seasons of Wright’s career came with the Royals in 1981-82. He had a career 4.04 ERA and became a pitching coach following his playing career.

Ray Sadecki, LHP
Ward HS in Kansas City, Kan.

Sadecki pitched for 18 seasons and won the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals, the team that he first signed with out of high school. His stint with the Royals came near the end of his career, but he only appeared in eight games for his hometown club between 1975-76.

Frank White, INF
Lincoln HS in Kansas City

The best second baseman in club history, White grew up on the east side of Kansas City and he was one of the best success stories from the Royals Academy, former owner Ewing Kauffman’s short-lived but impactful player development projects. White played his entire 18-year career with the Royals, earning eight Gold Gloves and five All-Star selections and winning the 1985 World Series with his hometown team. White’s No. 20 is one of just three retired numbers in the franchise, and he’s in the Royals Hall of Fame.

Steve Mingori, LHP
Rockhurst HS in Kansas City

Mingori came to the Royals in 1973, three years after his big league career began with Cleveland. The Royals acquired him in a trade, interested in him because he was a Kansas City native, and “Mingo” was a standout reliever for them, posting a 3.05 ERA across 264 career appearances in his six and a half seasons.

Don O’Riley, RHP
Northeast HS in Kansas City

Part of the very first season of Royals baseball in 1969, O’Riley appeared in 18 games that first year and nine in ‘70 before he was traded to the White Sox.