Longtime Royals infield prospect could finally get his long-awaited call-up in 2026

Progress is not linear, and neither are most minor-league careers in professional baseball. A few players take the clean, one-year, one-level climb until they reach the promised land of an MLB promotion.

But that is the exception, not the rule. Many players move through a farm system in a much messier way, and utilityman Peyton Wilson fits that mold.

Since the Royals drafted him out of Alabama in 2021, his path has been anything but straightforward. But the versatile player may have parlayed his first big-league spring training, and a strong one at that, into the inside track as the next man up for the Kansas City Royals.

Royals fans may not have to wait long to see Peyton Wilson get his shot in the big leagues

While most Royals fans were locked in on Jac Caglianone’s performance at Double-A Northwest Arkansas to start last season, it was Wilson who was actually the team’s best hitter.

Wilson opened his third consecutive season in Double-A and torched the competition with a 1.194 OPS in his first 19 games. His 14 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases helped fuel both Texas League and Naturals Player of the Month honors in April. The Royals quickly rewarded Wilson with a promotion to Triple-A Omaha, but that next level was where he hit a wall.

After posting a 226 wRC+ in Double-A, Wilson managed just a 65 wRC+ across 84 games for the Storm Chasers. It was a broad regression at the plate, evident in lower walk rates, higher strikeout rates, and extra-base production that fell off a cliff.

Much of the progress Wilson made after two so-so seasons in Arkansas was sapped in the latter portion of the 2025 season, leaving the Alabama native feeling just as far away from the big-league club.

Still, Kansas City gave the 26-year-old his first big-league camp invite this spring, helping round out the roster in Arizona. Wilson was worth the look, especially now that he is primarily a center fielder or second baseman. He also has some limited experience at third base and in left field, and Kansas City could always look to expand that versatility further as players like Nick Loftin get closer to arbitration years.

Wilson is also a noted basestealer and could find his way to the majors that way. After all, Tyler Tolbert did not look like a player ready for the majors at this point last year, but similar traits helped fuel his rise onto the big-league roster.

Versatility and speed aside, Wilson also put up good results at the plate in Cactus League action. His .892 OPS, three home runs, and three stolen bases all ranked among the best marks for Royals hitters and far exceeded spring expectations.

The process was still flawed, considering his 78.4% in-zone contact rate and subpar 38.1% hard-hit rate. But Wilson found plenty of stat-line success by pulling the ball more, something he already did well in Triple-A and something that helped him get more out of his present power. While he did strike out at a 28.2% clip, Wilson still walked 17.9% of the time across his 19 games and 39 plate appearances.

The quality of opponents Wilson faced on average was not far off what the Royals’ regulars saw, which lends his results a little more credibility. But he still feels like a prime example of a player who does not hit the ball especially hard and may have benefited from playing in Arizona, where baseballs carry farther and hang longer.

Considering that it was the power production that spiked for him, that does raise a red flag for now. Wilson will likely get a chance to prove whether his Cactus League stats were a blip or a sign of something more once Triple-A season begins.

Kansas City did add plenty of right-handed utility types this offseason on minor-league deals, like Brandon Drury or Kevin Newman. But Wilson is younger than that field and likely offers more on the basepaths in 2026.

Wilson needs to learn from his struggles in 2025 and carry over the solid showing earlier this spring to be a serious promotion candidate for the Royals. He's had a turbulent career in recent years, but learning from his mistakes last year could lead to a new mountaintop this coming season