Royals' top prospects continue to rise with standout performances

Kansas City Royals On SI · Jul 21, 2026 15:51 · 2 min read

Royals' Top Prospects Continue to Rise With Standout Performances — Aug 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detailed view of a Kansas City Royals hat and glove before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Three Kansas City Royals prospects earned spots on Baseball America's Top 10 Hot Sheet following impressive performances last week.

The Kansas City Royals have a number of talented prospects throughout their farm system, with several players who could make an impact in both the lineup and the pitching staff in the coming years.

Recently, a few Royals prospects have been catching fire and turning heads with their performance on the field. Their strong play has even started to earn them recognition.

Baseball America released its latest Hot Sheet, a weekly ranking of the top 10 hottest MLB prospects. Not one, but three Royals prospects earned a spot on the list after their impressive performances over the past week.

Kendry Chourio

Kansas City's No. 1 prospect, Kendry Chourio, also claimed the top spot on Baseball America's Hot Sheet. The 18-year-old played a key role in the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits' combined no-hitter on Sunday.

The right-hander started the game by tossing five hitless innings, highlighted by 10 strikeouts that tied a career high. He walked just two batters, and 49 of his 77 pitches were strikes.

Chourio is the Royals' No. 1 prospect for a reason. He has been dominant on the mound all season. This year, he owns a 2.11 ERA with 75 strikeouts across 72 2/3 innings. The future is bright for the young right-hander.

Josh Hammond

The Royals' No. 2 prospect, Josh Hammond, also checked in at No. 2 on Baseball America's Hot Sheet. The 28th overall pick in last year's draft turned in a monster week at the plate.

Hammond slashed .714/.714/1.000 with 10 hits, two doubles and five runs scored. The infielder has quickly started to make a name for himself within the Royals organization with his production at the plate.

With Single-A Columbia, the 19-year-old owns a .301/.368/.429 slash line this season and has shown no signs of slowing down. Hammond has quickly become one of the most entertaining prospects to watch in the Royals farm.

Blake Mitchell

The third and final Royals prospect featured on the list is Kansas City’s No. 4 prospect, Blake Mitchell, who landed in the No. 8 spot on the Hot Sheet. Like Hammond, Mitchell put together a very productive week at the plate.

In the previous week with the River Bandits, Mitchell slashed .500/.667/1.000 with six runs scored, four RBIs and one home run. The former first-round draft pick has been a highly talked-about prospect ever since getting drafted in 2023.

The 21-year-old has had some setbacks with injuries in the past but has quickly gotten back on pace. He holds a .238/.423/.487 slash line with a .910 OPS and an impressive 83 walks this season. Mitchell is an on-base machine and will continue to work his way up the ladder.