Checking in on 9 Royals prospects in the middle of Fall League action

For nine Royals prospects, the road to 2027 is running through the Arizona desert.

With the Arizona Fall League season past its halfway point, Kansas City's young talent is taking advantage of the different opportunities that come with playing for the Surprise Saguaros.

Here's a look at how they've fared so far:

OF Angeibel Gomez (Royals' No. 2 prospect/MLB Pipeline’s No. 76 overall)
At just 17 years old, Gomez became the second-youngest player in AFL history, making his stateside debut on Oct. 4 after appearing in 47 Dominican Summer League games earlier this year.

The outfielder, who signed with Kansas City for $2.9 million in January, has impressed against older competition. Through nine games, Gomez is slashing .333/.421/.485 with a .906 OPS, three doubles and one triple. His 70-grade speed has also been on display on the basepaths with four stolen bases.

LHP Justin Lamkin (Royals' No. 8 prospect)
Lamkin was given the AFL’s Pitcher of the Week honor after retiring all 13 batters he faced across 4 1/3 perfect frames against Mesa on Oct. 21. His developing curveball accounted for three of his four strikeouts.

The left-hander sports a 3.52 ERA with 14 strikeouts, an 0.78 WHIP and a .148 opponents’ batting average through four starts.

The 2025 second-round Draft pick is getting additional innings after a left shoulder strain sidelined him in May, interrupting a season in which he posted a 2.04 ERA with 53 strikeouts over 39 2/3 innings between High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

OF Zion Rose (Royals' No. 6 prospect)
Rose has made an impact with his speed and plate discipline, stealing eight bases and drawing 11 walks in 11 AFL games. The 21-year-old is slashing .295/.458/.409 with an .867 OPS, one home run and nine RBIs.

Selected sixth overall in the 2026 Draft, Rose dealt with ankle and hamstring injuries during his final college season at Louisville before making his professional debut with Quad Cities, where he batted .268 with 14 stolen bases in 19 games.

RHP Felix Arronde (Royals' No. 21 prospect)
Arronde encountered difficulties after moving up to Double-A, recording a 6.49 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 54 walks in 105 1/3 innings across 24 appearances (22 starts). The 23-year-old surrendered a career-high 25 home runs and 121 hits after recording a 2.80 ERA with Quad Cities in 2025.

The Cuban right-hander has made just one AFL appearance, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three in one inning.

C/1B Brooks Bryan
Bryan has shown off his power in Arizona, slashing .282/.349/.641 with a .990 OPS, four home runs and 12 RBIs through nine games with Surprise. Six of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases, including two doubles.

The Royals' eighth-round selection in the 2025 Draft hit .319 with three home runs, 12 doubles and 24 RBIs in 33 games with Single-A Columbia before landing on the injured list. The 22-year-old has also gained experience at first base this fall despite primarily playing catcher throughout his career.

SS/3B Austin Charles
Charles was limited to 45 games with Quad Cities because of a core injury, but he showed improvement at the plate, slashing .285/.353/.491 with seven home runs, 25 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

The 6-foot-5 infielder hasn't found the same success in Arizona, hitting .154 with a .483 OPS and 13 strikeouts in 39 at-bats.

The 22-year-old, a 20th-round pick in the 2022 Draft, is Rule 5-eligible this offseason.

RHP Josh Hansell
Hansell has yielded just one run in six AFL appearances, posting a 1.69 ERA with eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The 2023 16th-round Draft pick spent the regular season in High-A, where he recorded a 4.87 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 25 walks in 40 2/3 innings before landing on the injured list in June.

LHP Frank Mozzicato
Mozzicato has seen better results in the Fall League after a challenging season with Northwest Arkansas, where he posted an 8.04 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 37 appearances (11 starts).

The seventh overall pick in the 2021 Draft has recorded a 2.70 ERA with five strikeouts and four walks in five appearances. Opposing hitters are batting .182 against the 23-year-old, though he has worked just 3 1/3 innings.

RHP Hiro Wyatt
Wyatt, a third-round selection in the 2023 Draft, earned a 3.21 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched in Single-A this season before being placed on the injured list in May.

The 22-year-old has allowed nine hits and eight runs (seven earned) across 8 2/3 AFL innings, resulting in a 7.27 ERA. He has struck out six in four appearances.