The Royals will have two of their better prospects on display at MLB’s All-Star weekend.
Pitcher Kendry Chourio and catcher Blake Mitchell were both selected for the MLB Futures Game, set for Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Sunday, July 12 at 11 a.m. CT. Larry Bowa will manage the American League, while Shane Victorino will be in charge of the National League.
Chourio has moved quickly into the spotlight. MLB Pipeline lists him at No. 70, while Baseball America has him at No.
- The 18-year-old right-hander was excellent at Low-A, posting a 1.88 ERA in 11 starts with 44 strikeouts and only 9 walks across 48 innings before earning a promotion to High-A.
He brings mid-90s velocity, a plus changeup, and the kind of command and poise that make scouts take notice.
Mitchell, the eighth-overall pick in the 2023 draft out of high school in Texas, is also making his presence felt again after a hamate bone injury slowed him last year. At High-A this season, he has hit .210/.409/.425 with 13 home runs and 16 steals in 68 games. His calling card remains his plate discipline, and he showed that in a big way in the advanced Arizona Fall League last year with a 24 percent walk rate.
The Futures Game will also spotlight a strong group of prospects across the sport, including Brewers shortstop Jesús Made, Nationals shortstop Eli Willits, Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula, Athletics shortstop Leo De Vries, Mariners pitcher Kade Anderson, and Pirates pitcher Seth Hernandez.
The game will air exclusively on NBC with Melanie Newman, Yonder Alonso, Sam Dykstra and Sande Charles on the call.
In Other News...
Royals Make A Tense Coaching Decision As Season Keeps Sliding
With the Royals still trying to steady a season that has drifted well below expectations, general manager J.J. Picollo made it clear the club is not treating the coaching staff as the first place to look for a fix. Kansas City has been dealing with a 35-50 record and the strain of key injuries, and the front office has continued to lean on the current group while the team searches for better results on the field.
Manager Matt Quatraros recent three-year extension only adds to the sense that this is a club inclined toward patience rather than an abrupt move. The Royals have already made some staffing adjustments around the edges, but for now the broader evaluation appears to be headed toward the end of the season, when the organization can take a longer look at what went wrong and what needs to change. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Pitching Shuffle Raises New Questions About Two Familiar Arms
The Royals went into their game against the Rays with more pitching turnover, activating right-handers Jose Cuas and Randy Dobnak while sending Eric Cerantola to Triple-A Omaha and clearing space by moving Kris Bubic to the 60-day injured list. Cuas is back on a major league roster after a minor league deal and a strong run at Triple-A, while Dobnak is in line to make his 2026 debut if he gets into a game.
The shuffle leaves Kansas City sorting through both present need and longer-term uncertainty on the mound. Connor Seabold landed on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, and Bubic is still being evaluated after getting scratched from a rehab start, leaving the Royals with two familiar arms suddenly at the center of the roster picture again. [Read more 🡒]
Another Ugly Royals Loss Brought A New Pitching Concern
Even in a loss as lopsided as the Royals 10-4 setback to the Rays at Kauffman Stadium, there were at least a couple of familiar positives. Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. each went deep, giving Kansas City something to hang onto offensively while the pitching staff spent most of the night trying to stop Tampa Bay from turning the game into a rout. Unfortunately for the Royals, the margin was already gone early after Noah Cameron and the bullpen let the Rays stack up runs fast enough to take control before the third inning.
What made the night sting a little more was how the pitching picture kept getting worse as it went along. Kansas City was already dealing with a rough outing from the staff when Connor Seabold had to leave the game because of right lat tightness, adding a fresh concern to a club that has spent too much of the season sorting through rotation and relief issues. At 35-51 and sitting last in the American League, the Royals need answers wherever they can find them, and this was another game that offered few of them. [Read more 🡒]