Baseball America tabs KC Royals outfield prospect as future lineup fix

Everyone knows the Royals’ biggest problem in 2025: they simply aren’t scoring. It’s not bad matchups or flawed tactics—it’s anemic run production. Even after a series sweep over the Rockies, Kansas City still sits in the top five of MLB in futility, averaging just 3.23 runs per game. No position group has suffered more than the outfield, where the club can’t find a dependable bat at any spot. If the Royals want to break out of this slump, they’ll need either a blockbuster trade or to lean on their farm system—and prospect believers have already got their eyes on Baseball America’s top target.

A KC Royals prospect is turning heads, and fans should notice.

Baseball America excels at uncovering prospects at every level, so when writer Geoff Pontes highlights his “off-the-radar” names to watch this season, fans know it’s must-read. He kicks off the list with outfielder Asbel Gonzalez, a member of Kansas City’s 2023 international free-agent class. Though Baseball America ranks the Venezuelan 25th in the Royals’ system (MLB Pipeline slots him at 23rd), Gonzalez’s red-hot start suggests he could surge up those prospect boards in no time.

"Over the opening weeks of the season, Gonzalez has been an excellent table setter for Low-A Columbia. He’s racked up hits and run wild on the bases so far, hitting .407/.514/.441 over 59 at bats with 16 runs and 22 stolen bases. He currently has nine walks to four strikeouts and shows excellent underlying skill metrics. Though Gonzalez lacks game power, exit velocity data shows some projection. He’s a heavy groundball hitter (49.1% in 2025) and looks to line drives to all fields."

Geoff Pontes, Baseball America

Gonzalez has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games and has already posted nine multi-steal games this season. His 22 stolen bases pace the minor leagues and showcase the elite speed that makes him such a threat on the basepaths. He flashed those same strengths last year when, at just 18, he earned a surprise promotion to Double-A.

What makes Gonzalez’s hot start even more exciting is that it isn’t driven by raw power—he’s a true glove-and-run weapon. For years he’s flashed plus defense, roaming center field with effortless range, and that skill alone could carry him all the way. Geoff Pontes even likened his profile to the Tampa Bay Rays’ Chandler Simpson and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Victor Scott—watch him track down fly balls for the Fireflies, and those comparisons suddenly feel spot on.

At just 19 and still in Low-A, Gonzalez has plenty of room to grow—but he’s already flashing one or two MLB-caliber tools. If he can build on this hot start by sharpening his plate discipline and contact skills, his ceiling could soar—and he might soon be a difference-maker for Kansas City.