KC Royals farm system continues positive rise in newest MLB rankings

In a chart-topping hit from 2013, Drake boasts about how he "started from the bottom, now we're here." For the Kansas City Royals, them starting from the bottom could reasonably describe their farm system two years ago. Now, their "here" is still far from the top, but the Royals prospect power is on the rise over the past two years and MLB Pipeline's latest farm system rankings put that in black and white.

The MLB Pipeline brain trust that is Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra released their 2025 preseason farm rankings on March 7, just a week before top prospects take center stage in the Spring Breakout event. For the first time in years, the Baltimore Orioles no longer hold the top spot. Instead, the Royals' AL Central rival, the Detroit Tigers, now own the No. 1 ranking, powered by two of MLB Pipeline's top six prospects and six total in the top 100. Meanwhile, Royals fans will have to scroll a bit further to find their team’s placement in this year’s rankings.

KC Royals farm system still considered below average, but trending up

Kansas City checks in at 23rd this preseason — an improvement from recent years. After ranking 29th in 2023, the Royals have steadily climbed thanks to a trio of top 100 prospects: first baseman Jac Caglianone and catchers Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen. MLB Pipeline also highlighted rising arms like Noah Cameron and Steven Zobac, though they tempered expectations, noting that "there aren’t many prospects who look like surefire starting position players or much beyond the No. 4 spot in future MLB rotations."

Still, there’s reason to believe Kansas City could make a significant leap in the coming years. Detroit, the Chicago White Sox, and the Seattle Mariners all jumped from bottom-10 farm systems in 2023 to top-10 rankings in 2025. The Tigers, in particular, were ranked 25th just two years ago before surging to the top. Their rise is a reminder of how much a strong draft class — or two — can reshape an entire organization’s trajectory.

The Royals last cracked the farm system’s top 10 in 2022, ranking eighth in the preseason. From 2020 to early 2022, Kansas City consistently had a top-10 system, but a wave of graduations took a heavy toll. The organization is still recovering from several mid-2010s draft misses, and former first-round picks Gavin Cross and Frank Mozzicato remain far from household names.

The climb back isn’t finished, but the Royals’ farm system is moving in the right direction.