Are the Top 5 KC Royals prospects showing progress?

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Just 32 games into a new season, and as they prepare for this weekend's three-game visit from World Series champion Texas, one thing is perfectly clear about the 2024 KC Royals.

They are, to be sure, much better than last season, when they thoroughly embarrassed themselves by losing 106 games, an astonishingly bad total that tied the franchise single-season record.

But today, the Royals are to be reckoned with, winners of 19 games who'll begin tonight's series opener in sole possession of second place in the American League Central. Beating Texas tonight would give Kansas City its 20th win, a milestone the club didn't reach last season until June 20.

The refreshing early success speaks for itself. But what of the organization's top prospects toiling in the minors? How are they doing?

Let's check in on the five minor leaguers at the top of MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Kansas City prospects.

No. 5 — Mason Barnett (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)

Barnett, a righthanded starter the Royals chose in the third round of the 2022 amateur draft, pitched well enough to win for Northwest Arkansas Wednesday night. He struck out seven, walked one, gave Wichita only two runs, and left after five innings with a three-run lead. Unfortunately, the Naturals eventually lost, but Barnett's latest performance proved once again he's a KC up-and-comer.

That he's performed well at every level explains why the Royals invited Barnett to spring training this year. He pitched only twice, yielding four runs in 2.1 innings, but is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in four regular season starts for the Naturals. It's a good bet he'll wind up pitching at Triple-A Omaha before long.

No. 4...

No. 4 — Frank Mozzicato (High-A Quad Cities)

Many were surprised, if not shocked, when the Royals passed on Kumar Rocker and other big names and instead grabbed prep pitcher Mozzicato with their first pick in the 2021 draft. Only draft insiders seemed to know who he was, where he'd pitched, and that he'd thrown four consecutive no-hitters in high school. And his rocky first two professional seasons — he went 2-6 with a 4.30 ERA at Single-A Columbia two years ago, and 2-9, 4.65 while splitting last season between Columbia and High-A Quad Cities — left some still questioning why the Royals chose him.

This year, however, Mozzicato is doing his best to defy the skeptics. He hasn't given up a run yet, and in three starts and 14 innings for the River Bandits he's fanned 17 and surrendered only three hits; his six walks are acceptable, and his 3.86 BB/9 is a vast improvement over the 6.65 and 6.48 marks of his first two campaigns.

Double-A will be Mozzicato's next minor league stop and, after making nine starts at Quad Cities last year and three so far this season, look for the Royals to consider bumping him to the Naturals by midseason.

Moving on to No. 3...

No. 3 — Ben Kudrna (High-A Quad Cities)

Kudrna, like Mozzicato a product of the 2021 draft and now a River Bandit, pitched his worst game of the young season Wednesday night. Working six innings against Beloit, he gave up four runs and suffered the loss against the Sky Carp, who beat Quad Cities 6-5.

The four runs Kudrna yielded on the first day of May equaled the total he surrendered in all of April, when he pitched 19.2 innings and held opponents scoreless in two of his four starts. He's now 2-2, his ERA is, despite Wednesday's subpar outing, an excellent 2.45, and the four hits and two walks he gave the Sky Carp raised his WHIP to only 0.92.

One disappointing performance out of five is nothing to panic about; in fact, and although it's too early to conclude this season will be his best so far, the start he's off to suggests he could improve significantly over his 2-5, 3.48 2022 campaign and the 5-7, 4.22 record he had between Coumbia and Quad Cities last year.

Kudrna, a righthander from the Royals' own backyard — he hails from Blue Valley Southwest High School in nearby Overland Park, Kansas — appears on track for a 2026 major league debut.

No. 2 — Cayden Wallace (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)

Barring injuries to Kansas City's major league and Triple-A third basemen, don't look for Wallace in a Royals uniform anytime soon. Thursday night's contest against Wichita marked his 52nd at Double-A Northwest Arkansas (19 this year and 33 last season); he needs more time at that level, and then a season at Triple-A Omaha, before the Royals should consider him for much more than a short-term injury replacement, if even that.

His numbers also reflect Wallace isn't yet ready for the major leagues. Although he's slashing .264/.357/.431 after going 1-for-4 with his second homer of the season Thursday against the Wind Surge, he slumped from a .261/.341/.431 High-A line to .236/.300/.362 at Northwest Arkansas following last year's late-season promotion to Double-A. He'll probably warrant a promotion to Omaha before this season concludes, but a call-up to Kansas City when rosters expand in September should be reserved for someone else.

But the potential is there. He's handling third base well, his short-career .342 OBP is good, he stole 18 bases last season, and his 13 homers in 2023 prove he has some power.

Wallace will probably make it to Kansas City. It's just going to take time.

And the No. 1 Kansas City prospect…

No. 1 — Blake Mitchell (Single-A Columbia)

Almost a year later, is there any Kansas City follower who doesn't know how much fan discontent the Royals triggered when they used their first 2023 draft pick on Blake Mitchell? That he was (and is) a catcher seemed to have little to do with the anger — instead, the fact Mitchell had no college experience behind the plate fueled the fire. High school catchers simply don't cut it often enough, said the detractors.

And he probably didn't win over any of the disgruntled when, after signing, he hit .147 (5-for-34) in the Arizona Complex League. Overlooked, however, was his eye at the plate — Mitchell walked 32.7% of the time (17 times in 54 plate appearances) and ended his short professional debut with a .423 OBP.

And in the middle of it all, before his first season had even ended, Mitchell found himself at the head of the class when MLB Pipeline shuffled its rankings and named him KC's No. 1 prospect.

He's still at the top of Pipeline's list, and slowly beginning to improve at the plate. Through Thursday, Mitchell is batting only .250 but slashed .275/.444/.507 in April, and his OBP is again high at .420. Among Columbia players, his three home runs are second only to Erick Peña's four.

Mitchell has a long journey ahead of him. Don't be surprised to see him really catch fire soon.

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