The Royals have a good problem on their hands with Kendry Chourio, but it’s still a problem.
Kansas City’s No. 1 prospect has spent this season carving up hitters at Low-A and High-A, and the numbers explain why he’s become one of the most talked-about arms in the system. The 18-year-old has logged 78 2/3 innings across 17 starts, put up a 2.06 ERA, and struck out 79 batters. In July, he was even named Midwest League Pitcher of the Month after turning in a 0.90 ERA over four starts, allowing just three walks while punching out 21.
The issue isn’t whether Chourio has been good enough. It’s how much the Royals have asked of him.
On a recent episode of “Royals Pipeline” on KC Sports Network, hosts Jared Perkins and Kevin O’Brien talked through the farm system after the trade deadline and zeroed in on Chourio’s workload. Their concern was simple: Kansas City may not need to keep sending an 18-year-old out there for more innings late in the minor league season if the tradeoff is added injury risk.
They also noted that Chourio has already thrown 37 1/3 more innings than he did last season, which only adds to the case for caution.
At the same time, neither host was arguing for a hard stop. The idea is to protect Chourio without freezing his development, which leaves the Royals in search of the right middle ground. Skipping some starts or trimming his workload would keep him on track while taking some pressure off his arm.
There’s also a bigger picture here. If Chourio keeps rolling, Double-A could be next in short order, and if he keeps dominating there too, a major league debut may not be far behind.
For now, though, the smartest play may be to ease off rather than shut him down entirely. Chourio has already made plenty of noise inside the Royals organization, and the next step is managing that rise carefully.
In Other News...
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The next step comes as the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee takes up the proposal at City Hall, with the political clock now working against everyone involved. A local group is pressing for a public vote before any city money is committed, and the council has a late-August deadline to act if it wants to keep the question from landing on November ballots. [Read more 🡒]
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That latest surge showed up again at Angel Stadium, where Caglianone went 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs in the Royals 7-6 win, highlighted by a two-run homer off a left-hander. He has been driving the ball with authority all month, hitting .446 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 49 plate appearances, and the question now is less about whether he belongs in the lineup than how much more damage he can keep doing as the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Cannot Ignore This Lineup Need If They Want To Contend
The Royals have spent much of this season sorting through where the roster still falls short of a true contender, and second base has become one of the clearest spots on the checklist. Michael Massey has handled the position most of the year and has taken a step forward from last season, but the overall production still looks like something Kansas City will have to address if it wants to move beyond simply staying in the mix.
Pitching will get plenty of offseason attention, but the middle infield cannot be treated as a minor detail. The Royals need more certainty and more impact at second base than they have gotten so far, which leaves the front office weighing how aggressive it wants to be in finding an upgrade and how to best manage Massey's role as the roster gets reshaped for a more serious push. [Read more 🡒]