4 KC Royals prospects projected to make their debut in 2025

In its listing of the Kansas City Royals top prospects, MLB.com projects four of the organization's top 15 prospects to make their Major League debut in 2025 — LHP Noah Cameron, OF Gavin Cross, RHP Ben Kudrna, and 2B/OF Javier Vaz. With the team now firmly in contention conversations, it's an exciting time to have strong talent waiting in the farm system to move up and make waves, so who are these prospects, and when will they make their debut in the majors?

Kudrna is ranked as the club's No. 3 overall prospect, followed by Cross at No. 6, Cameron at No. 12 and Vaz as the No. 13 overall prospect. Cameron finished up the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Omaha Storm Chasers after spending most of the year in Double-A with Northwest Arkansas, where Cross, Kudrna and Vaz all wrapped up their campaigns. Each player began the season at a lower level in 2024 and steadily progressed up the ladder that could land them on the top rung in Kansas City in 2025.

Noah Cameron, LHP

The Royals used their 2021 seventh round draft pick to select Cameron out of Central Arkansas University, and since making his professional debut in 2022, he has gradually ascended. He was called up to Triple-A Omaha in July and struck out 62 batters across 54.1 innings with a 2.32 ERA.

Cameron made 25 appearances and threw 128.2 innings between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha last season, averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings against 2.5 walks per game. According to FanGraphs, Cameron has an above-average fastball, curveball, and changeup. He posted a 29.0% strikeout rate for the Storm Chasers and a 1.01 WHIP, which should earn him an invitation to big league camp in Spring Training. Even if he doesn't break camp with the Royals, expect to see Cameron at Kauffman Stadium sometime in 2025.

Gavin Cross, OF

The Royals' 2022 first-round pick bounced back from a horrendous 2023 campaign in High-A with a solid season in Double-A, slashing .261/.342/.428 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 101 games. That's an impressive turnaround, considering his .314 wBOA and 27.8% strikeout rate at Quad Cities left many wondering if Cross had the talent to make it to Northwest Arkansas.

His numbers likely would've been much higher this season had he remained healthy. Unfortunately, he was placed on the injured list in early June after slashing .295/.378/.449 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in his first 201 plate appearances. Although he did slug 10 home runs after returning from the IL, his slash line was down across the board from mid-June through the end of August as he continued to battle back issues.

If he can get healthy and rediscover the swing that made him one of the organization's top prospects, Cross could earn a call-up to the big leagues in 2025.

Ben Kudrna, RHP

The Royals' top pitching prospect, Kudrna, began the 2024 season in Quad Cities and ended with Northwest Arkansas, compiling a 4.21 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 119 strikeouts in 115.1 innings. His numbers in Double-A were expectedly slightly up, but his development continued steadily.

Selected in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Kudrna is armed with an above-average fastball and continues to develop a putaway slider and change-up. He saved his best performances of the season for last, putting his full arsenal on display with 9 strikeouts in 5 hitless innings against the Arkansas Travelers in his final start. Kudrna will turn 22 next season, so the Royals will likely continue to bring him along carefully, but an extraordinary start to 2025 may equate with a big league appearance.

Javier Vaz, 2B/OF

Vaz is the Royals' most versatile and athletic prospect. The recipient of the inaugural Alex Gordon Hart & Hustle Award, Vaz played in 115 games with the Naturals last season, slashing .263/.375/.379 with 8 home runs, 80 runs, 16 stolen bases and 73 walks, while striking out just 60 times in 433 at-bats.

Selected out of Vanderbilt in the 15th round of the 2022 Draft, Vaz is one of the best contact hitters in the Royals' farm system, with a 3.3% swinging strike rate, according to Baseball Savant. What he lacks in power, he makes up for with speed. In the past two years, Vaz swiped 46 bases and was caught just six times between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas. He was assigned to Omaha in mid-September, and with his speed and ability to put the ball in play, he may be the Royals' leadoff hitter in the future.