This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The Royals are about to have a couple of their MLB Draft picks enter the Top 30 rankings, per MLB Pipeline. Nineteen new players entered the organization earlier this week and most will stay in Arizona to get ready for instructional camp this fall, while some might make their professional debut in Single-A Columbia to round out the season.
Here are some players standing out on the farm:
Triple-A Omaha
Infielder Nick Loftin is back on the field after surgery on his right knee led to him missing a month and a half. Loftin has an .837 OPS with 10 homers this season. Getting a look at the Royals’ No. 3 prospect in Kansas City this year isn’t out of the question, even with that missed time, especially because he has to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
Other names in Omaha who will likely get a chance with Kansas City as the season winds down: Reliever Will Klein, the Royals’ All-Star Futures Game representative this summer, and lefty starter Anthony Veneziano, who has a 2.75 ERA across two levels this year -- including a 3.47 ERA in Triple-A.
Oh, and check out this walk-off from catcher Logan Porter on Friday:
Double-A Northwest Arkansas
Keep an eye out for reliever John McMillon, who struck out the world in Single-A and High-A before getting the bump to NWA in late June. He’s now struck out 19 in 13 innings for the Naturals, but the walk rate has increased slightly from 10.4% in High-A to 13.7% in Double-A. If he keeps throwing strikes, McMillon could finish the year in Omaha. The Royals acquired the 25-year-old back in 2020 on a Minor League free agent contract. Three years later, he’s having a breakout season.
Chandler Champlain had a rough transition to Double-A in late June, but he’s settled in. He has allowed one run in 12 innings and logged eight strikeouts and three walks in his past two starts. Champlain is looking more like the durable, backend starter scouts pegged him for when the Royals acquired him in the Andrew Benintendi trade last season with the Yankees.
High-A Quad Cities
No. 2 prospect Ben Kudrna had an impressive High-A debut. He tossed six shutout innings for the River Bandits on Thursday, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six. Kudrna, who is from the Kansas City area, generated 16 swings and misses and was around the zone all night, with 54 of his 80 pitches landing for strikes.
The 20-year-old has a 3.27 ERA this year now between Columbia and Quad Cities.
Another pitcher impressing scouts is Mason Barnett, the Royals’ No. 16 prospect. A third-round Draft pick out of Auburn last year, Barnett has a 3.47 ERA in his first full season. He has recorded 79 strikeouts in 70 innings (14 starts) and he’s thrown four straight quality starts. The 22-year-old has a quality fastball that will carry him up levels. Scouts see him as a starter with reliever risk, but he has the mindset and stuff -- he shows four pitches -- to work his way into a backend rotation role. The reliability of his slider and throwing strikes will make or break how far he goes.
Single-A Columbia
Columbia is a very young team with a lot to dream about, including 19-year-old shortstop Daniel Vazquez, who had a six-game hit streak this week before walking three times on Saturday.
Along with some draftees, it will soon be time to send a couple Arizona Complex League players to Columbia to end the season, like outfielder Milo Rushford. He is slashing .362/.471/.580 in 19 games with the Surprise Royals. The 19-year-old was the Royals’ 18th round Draft pick last season and elected to sign instead of going the college route.