Teenaged Royals pitching prospect named team's biggest breakout in debut season

The Kansas City Royals have hit a home run with their latest acquisition in the international free agent market. Kendry Chourio has impressed onlookers since he first joined the organization, and he's continued to show the kind of stuff that's made him one of the best young flame throwers in the game.

Just 17 years old, Chourio has even been rising through the ranks rather quickly. In fact, at the end of July, he was promoted to Low-A. The righthander, who turns 18 on October 1, was dominant in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 2.04 ERA over 17.2 innings with 22 strikeouts.

That performance earned him a promotion to the Arizona Complex League, where he continued to impress, allowing just three runs over 11 innings in three starts. Most notably, Chourio has issued only one walk all season while striking out 43.

Rapid promotions for the Royals prospect follow a dominant DSL and ACL stint with elite strikeout-to-walk rates for Kendry Chourio

Now, the Kansas City Royals' minor leaguer has been named as the biggest breakout in the club's farm system by MLB Pipeline. The list, put together by Sam Dykstra, Jim Calis, and Jonathan Mayo, lists the guys who are the most significant breakout for all 30 Major League teams.

"Kansas City has done exceptionally well with its '25 international class," they wrote about Chourio. "While he wasn’t a headliner at the time of his $247,500 signing in January, Chourio surged both up the rankings and the actual Minor Leagues, reaching Low-A Columbia already at just 17."

"The 6-foot righty works in the mid-90s with his heater, and he could build on that velo as he matures more physically," they wrote. "His upper-70s curveball already looks like a potential plus pitch, and his mid-80s changeup is no slouch either."

Chourio's rapid ascension through Kansas City's system recently landed him within the Top 10 prospects in the organization in Pipeline's latest update, as he currently sits at 10th.

Now, at 17 with a current 2029 ETA, it will obviously be quite a while before Kendry Chourio even sniffs the possibility of joining the Kansas City Royals' active roster. However, the future is clearly bright.