Carson Roccaforte's breakout season gives Royals an easy offseason decision

For the third season in a row, Carson Roccaforte has received Defensive Player of the Year honors inside the Kansas City Royals organization. It’s quite a run from a player that has continuously improved his game and impressed scouts around baseball. And thanks to Roccaforte's breakout season in 2026, you just might see him in a Royals’ uniform next year.

When the Royals selected Roccaforte in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the organization knew that the defensively-gifted outfielder had the potential to become an everyday player in the big leagues. The only question was whether or not his bat would be able to fully round out throughout his development. Roccaforte has appeared to have answered that question this season.  

Roccaforte will be 25 years old at the start of next season. By no means is he knocking on the door of old age, but he’s not exactly getting any younger either. He’s now spent three full seasons in the Royals minor league system, and by the looks of it, he’s itching to not spend another second down there.

As the Royals look to shed their roster of deadweight and take that next step into a yearly contender, the organization may look to its next crop of exciting, young talent in the minors. Roccaforte is making a compelling case to be included in that next crop. 

Carson Roccaforte could be a complete player for the Royals in 2027

As the back-to-back-to-back award dominance would suggest, Roccaforte is a very gifted defender. With an elite ability to track fly balls and a plus arm to go alongside it, Roccaforte could instantly become the best glove in the Royals’ outfield. Although he lacks game-changing speed, he is quick enough to steal his fair share of bags too. But with a swing with a bit of a hole in it, he has been prone to the strikeout throughout his minor league career.  

In his first full season in the Royals system in 2024, Roccaforte struggled to really find his rhythm at the plate. Though he hit 10 home runs in High-A, the rest of his offensive game lagged behind. He struck out 139 times in 471 at-bats. In 2025, Roccaforte saw his strikeout rate climb up to an alarming 35%. However, he also had a modest boost in his offensive production, tacking on 18 taters.  

This year, Roccaforte took that next step the Royals had been waiting for. While spending the majority of the 2026 season at Double-A, Roccaforte saw an even greater boost in his power. He belted 30 home runs and drove in 80 runs before being promoted to Triple-A Omaha in August, where he continued to rake. In 28 games for the Storm Chasers, Roccaforte put up an .862 OPS. 

There is just one flaw that is holding back his offensive game. Like in his previous seasons, Roccaforte has continued to fall victim to the K. In 540 at-bats this season, he struck out 181 times. But as his power stroke develops at an encouraging clip, it may be something that the Royals will be able to live with. 

With bats like Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and Bobby Witt Jr. already in the lineup, Royals fans could see an exciting change coming in 2027. Paired with fellow prospect Blake Mitchell, the addition of Roccaforte could transform the ball club into an explosive offensive powerhouse. The Royals could be young enough and good enough to compete with the Chicago White Sox as the team to watch out for in the AL Central over the next several years.  

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