MLB Pipeline's latest prospect update spells great things for Royals' future

Jac Caglianone has held the top spot in Kansas City’s prospect list since he was drafted in 2024. With his graduation to the major leagues, it was up for debate who the new owner of the number one spot as the Royals' best prospect would be. 

With the trade deadline less than a week away, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the Royals’ farm system. Prospects are a hot commodity for teams attempting to restock their minor league systems. The Royals received high praise for replenishing their system with the help of their 2025 draft class.

While the latest Top 30 Royals prospect list from MLB Pipeline won't include draft picks, it's just a refresh to adjust for call-ups and season performance. You can expect a full re-ranking in August, including 2025 draft picks.

Blake Mitchell slides to the top of Royals' prospect ranks

Catcher Blake Mitchell ranks as the organization's new No. 1 prospect and also climbed to MLB's 27th-ranked prospect in Pipeline's updated Top 100, a spot he has earned through his tantalizing potential and his production on the field. He was the Royals' 2024 George Brett Hitter of the Year after slashing .238/.376/.439 with 18 home runs in Single-A.

Mitchell had to deal with some adversity to start 2025, recovering from a hamate bone injury. Since returning earlier this month, Mitchell has picked up right where he left off in 2024.

He homered for his first hit of 2025 and is slashing .224/.367/.388 with a .755 OPS and a 114 wRC+ at High-A Quad Cities. 

Scouts love his athleticism and power potential, although he’s off to a slow start this year. There are still signs of his advanced tools showcased by his three-hit performance on July 24. His best tool is his plus-plus arm strength, which grades at a 70 according to MLB Pipeline. 

Arm strength that produced 97 mph from the mound in high school, he only threw out 14.4% of runners in 2014, so he will need to develop further on his defense on his road to Kansas City. 

Royals have budding teenage talent in Yandel Ricardo and Kendry Chourio

Carter Jensen, Yandel Ricardo, Ben Kudrna, and David Shields round out the rest of the top five. Jensen climbs up to No. 67 in the Top 100 and is the closest to the big leagues out of the Royals' top 10 prospects.

However, the biggest risers in the Royals’ system have to be No. 3 prospect SS Yandel Ricardo and No. 10 prospect RHP Kendry Chourio. 

Ricardo, a switch-hitter previously ranked 10th, jumped to No. 3 in the newest rankings. Chourio was not ranked at all. 

The slick fielding shortstop caught evaluators' attention in the Dominican Summer League, but his expectations were quickly adjusted by becoming one of the best hitters in the Arizona Complex League. He slashed .342/.438/.533 with a .971 OPS in 33 games. 

Ricardo was promoted to Single-A Columbia earlier this summer, but hasn’t found the same success he had in the Arizona Complex League. He’s hitting .209 with a .525 OPS and a 54 wRC+. He’s just 18-years-old, which is why the industry and the Royals are so high on him.

Kendry Chourio is a fairly new name to Royals fans, as he just started pitching stateside on July 8. The Royals signed him out of Venezuela in January, and Chourio made five appearances (four starts) in the DSL before arriving in the ACL.

He pitched to a 2.04 ERA in the DSL and a 2.45 ERA in the ACL, with 17 strikeouts in 11 innings. Scouts love his fastball, which sits 93-97 and grades at 60. 

The hype around Chourio is real, and he has the stuff to back it up. He’s racked up 39 strikeouts to just one walk in 28.2 innings. 

He also works in a changeup and a curveball, and looks like a frontline starter when he matures. He’s even drawn comparisons to Royals legend Yordano Ventura.

What was once considered a farm system with little depth and limited resources is now flush with young talent at all levels of the minors. Once the draft picks are added to the mix, we will really see just how deep this organization is.