Here are the Royals' 2026 Top 30 prospects

The 2025 Royals debuted two of their top hitters in the system last year with Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen, and now the two homegrown sluggers are going to get the opportunity to establish themselves in '26 as a crucial part of this core that the Royals want to win with now and in the future.

While Caglianone graduated from prospect status with his 62 games last year, Jensen tops the Royals' Top 30 preseason rankings this year and sits at No. 18 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list. Depending on how the season shakes out, the 22-year-old catcher could be a frontrunner for American League Rookie of the Year this year.

Beyond Jensen, the Royals' system is very young with a lot of upside. Kansas City has done a tremendous job with recent international signing periods, and their MLB Draft classes have been filled with ultra-athletic and higher-ceiling players.

That's a testament to the core the Royals' have in the Major Leagues right now, a group they believe they can rely on for the next several years supplemented by a and a commitment to add externally where it's needed. But the Royals will never stray far from relying heavily on their farm system to supply talent to the Major League team, and if anything, this list showcases the potential that could arrive in Kansas City a few years in the future.

Here's a look at the Royals' top prospects:

1. Carter Jensen, C (MLB No. 18)
2. Blake Mitchell, C (MLB No. 75)
3. Kendry Chourio, RHP
4. David Shields, LHP
5. Sean Gamble, OF
Complete Top 30 list »

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2025 preseason list to the 2026 preseason list:

Jump: Kendry Chourio, RHP (2025: NR | 2026: 3)

We admit we were being cautious with Chourio in our '25 preseason list because he had just been signed and was going to start the year in the Dominican Summer League. But all the reports about him came true last year. He spent his entire first professional season as a 17-year-old and moved up three levels, ending the year in Single-A Columbia. He dominated the DSL (2.04 ERA) and Arizona Complex League (2.45 ERA). Chourio sits 94-97 mph with his fastball, has a downer curveball and a kick-changeup. Oh, and he has excellent command, especially for how young he is. He skyrocketed up our list throughout '25 and is now ranked as the best pitcher in the org.

Fall: Gavin Cross, OF (2025: 7 | 2026: 27)

Last spring, Cross was coming off a pretty good year at Double-A and still getting his feet under him after a bout with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – a tick-borne illness that zapped his strength and had some lasting effects. But then he repeated Double-A in '25 and saw a drop in production, with a .241/.291/.413 slash line – although he hit a career-high 17 homers. The Royals didn't protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason. The book is not closed on the 24-year-old Cross; he's in the upper levels and could get to the big leagues as a role player or fourth outfielder. But he hasn't been the hitter the Royals envisioned when they took him as a college bat with a track record at No. 9 overall in the 2022 Draft.

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools – 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 55 – Jensen (Gamble)
Power: 60 – Jensen
Run: 70 – Angeibel Gomez
Arm: 65 – Josh Hammond
Defense: 65 – Asbel Gonzalez
Fastball: 70 – Dennis Colleran
Curveball: 65 – Michael Lombardi
Slider: 55 – David Shields (Steven Zobac, Justin Lamkin)
Changeup: 60 – Ben Kudrna (Hunter Patteson)
Cutter: 60 – Colleran
Control: 60 – Chourio

How they were built
Draft: 19 | International: 11

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Breakdown by ETA
2026: 6 | 2027: 7 | 2028: 6 | 2029: 6 | 2030: 2 | 2031: 3

Breakdown by position
C: 3 | 1B: 0 | 2B: 0 | 3B: 1 | SS: 4 | OF: 5 | RHP: 13 | LHP: 4