Kendry Chourio didn’t need much time to make his mark at the Futures Game. The Royals’ top prospect stepped in during the fourth inning on Sunday and, in just 0.2 innings of work, delivered the kind of moment that turns heads fast: a 98.2 mph fastball past Colorado Rockies prospect Charlie Condon for his lone strikeout.
Chourio did allow a hit, but the heater was the headline. For Royals fans watching the next generation take over All-Star weekend, the 18-year-old’s cameo was the loudest statement of the day. He was the second-youngest player in the Futures Game and the youngest pitcher on the field.
The performance fit the broader picture around Chourio, who has surged through the Royals system since debuting as a 17-year-old last season. This year, in his first full season across the top four minor league levels, he has posted a 2.26 ERA between Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities. His 1.88 ERA earned him the move to High-A, and he has kept rolling there with a 3.20 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and .194 BAA in his first four starts for the River Bandits.
That rise has pushed him into the top spot in the Royals’ prospect hierarchy, a title he took from Futures Game teammate Blake Mitchell. MLB Pipeline has him ranked No. 66 overall, and the long-term hope is obvious: a frontline starter down the road.
Sunday’s showing also arrived at a time when Kansas City’s rotation is looking for exactly that kind of arm. Kris Bubic’s season has been derailed by injuries, and Cole Ragans had his year cut short by UCL surgery this month, with a return not expected until mid-2027 at the earliest.
Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo will be even further on the wrong side of 35 next season if they’re still on the roster after the trade deadline, while Noah Cameron’s season has not matched his 2025 debut. After a sub-3.00 ERA last year, he’s at a 4.89 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and .267 BAA this season.
Pipeline’s scouting report gives Chourio 60 grades for both his fastball and control, and at 18, he already looks like a pitcher with the ingredients to be both overpowering and polished. A big-league debut in the next few seasons is still far from a sure thing, but he has impressed at every stop so far and keeps giving the Royals reasons to believe the next step will come when he’s ready.
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The best swing of the night came when one of his drives kept carrying all the way to the third deck, a reminder of just how loud his contact can be when he squares one up. Caglianone finished with eight homers in the opening round, and even without a trip to the next stage, the debut reinforced why his bat has become such a big draw for Kansas City. [Read more 🡒]