MLB.com handed out two Royals Prospect of the Year honors, and both names point to just how much talent Kansas City has bubbling under the surface.
Angeibel Gomez took home the organization’s hitter award after a Dominican Summer League season that was impossible to ignore. He hit .361/.467/.653 with a 156 wRC+, production strong enough to stand out even in a format where big offensive numbers can sometimes get lost in the noise. The Royals liked him enough to send him to the Arizona Fall League, where he became the second-youngest player ever to take part.
On the pitching side, Kendry Chourio got the nod, and the numbers explain why. As an 18-year-old working across two levels of A ball, he led Royals pitchers with at least 90 innings in ERA at 2.48, batting average against at .193, WHIP at 0.89, and K/BB at 5.35. That’s the kind of line that gets attention fast.
Carter Jensen also landed on MLB.com’s first team All-Rookie squad after a big debut season. He broke camp with the Royals as MLB’s No. 18 overall prospect and wasted no time proving he belonged.
Jensen finished third among all catchers with 3.7 WAR and fourth among rookies with 27 homers while hitting .239/.323/.467. The Kansas City native also made clear progress behind the plate, where his framing and pop times drew notice.
Elsewhere around the Royals, David Lesky examined what went right for the club in 2026, while Philip Ruo of Royals Keep revisited last year’s pitching additions. Kevin O’Brien also handed out his awards for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
The playoff picture elsewhere kept spinning, too. The Brewers and Dodgers are set to meet in the NLCS again this season, Manny Machado was robbed of a potential tying homer, and the Rays swept the Yankees.
Anthony Volpe was maybe robbed of a potential tying homer by a fan, and the Yankees’ World Series drought is now up to 17 straight years. José Ramírez delivered when the Guardians needed it most, helping keep their season alive as the final divisional series continues.
In Other News...
Royals Stadium Push Is Now Part Of A Much Bigger Debate
The push for a new Royals stadium district has quickly become part of a much larger conversation about where downtown Kansas City is headed. At the Downtown Councils annual State of Downtown event, civic leaders put the teams proposed $3 billion project alongside other major developments, including Childrens Mercys new Acute Care Tower, as examples of how much is changing in the urban core. The discussion stretched beyond baseball, with the Kansas City Streetcar Authority emphasizing how public transportation fits into future growth and local business owners weighing what a bigger, busier downtown could mean for them.
The scale of the momentum was hard to miss. The Downtown Council said completed projects since 2000 have brought $10.3 billion in investment, and planned developments are expected to add another $9.8 billion. For the Royals, that means the stadium debate is no longer just about where the team plays, but about how a major public-private project would fit into a district already competing with health care, transit and private development for attention and support. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Finally Have A Breakout Bat Fans Can Build Around
Carter Jensens first full big-league season gave the Royals something they have been searching for, a young bat they can reasonably point to as part of the long-term core. The catcher was named to MLB Pipelines All-Rookie First Team for his 2026 performance, and the recognition fits the production he put on display while helping anchor Kansas Citys offense.
Jensen led all rookie catchers in home runs, hits, fWAR and RBIs, while also finishing atop the Royals in home runs and RBIs. He paired a .239/.323/.467 line with a 91.5 mph average exit velocity and a 10.8% walk rate, the kind of underlying profile that gives the club real reason to believe the breakout was more than a hot stretch. The bigger question now is how Kansas City builds around a catcher who has already established himself as one of the lineups most important pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Already Face A Bigger Isaac Collins Question Than Expected
When the Royals brought in Isaac Collins from the Brewers before the 2026 season, it was the sort of move meant to add a useful, versatile piece without making much noise. Angel Zerpa went the other way, and Kansas City was betting Collins could fit in as a steady everyday option or at least a valuable role player. Instead, the early returns have made him one of the more uncomfortable subplots on the roster, because the reasons the Royals liked him have not translated cleanly so far.
Collins has not provided enough impact with the bat to ease the concern, and the picture in the field has been more mixed than expected. His arm has stood out, but his range at Kauffman Stadium has been a real issue, dragging down his overall defensive value. For a player the Royals acquired to be more than just filler, the bigger question now is whether they have enough from him in either phase to justify the trades long-term shape. [Read more 🡒]