Royals’ Teen Pitching Phenom Kendry Chourio Turning Heads Ahead of 2026 Season
With spring training just around the corner, prospect rankings are flying off the shelves as analysts size up the next wave of big-league talent. And while the Kansas City Royals’ farm system might not be topping organizational rankings, there are a few names in their pipeline that continue to generate real buzz - none more intriguing right now than 18-year-old right-hander Kendry Chourio.
Chourio, fresh off a strong showing with Low-A Columbia and a brief but electric playoff appearance, has been the talk of Royals prospect circles this offseason. While top catching prospects Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell have been the more familiar faces in Kansas City’s minor league conversation, Chourio is quickly forcing his way into the spotlight.
And it’s not just Royals fans taking notice.
Even though he didn’t crack ESPN’s Top 100 prospect list, Chourio landed at No. 124 - putting him in the top quarter of their extended 101-200 rankings. More importantly, he earned high praise from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, who singled him out as the player most likely to develop into a front-line starter among those just outside the Top 100.
“Chourio has the elements to become a front-line starter I’m looking for: enough velocity, plenty of command, the potential for three above-average pitch shapes and surface number performance,” McDaniel wrote.
That’s not faint praise. That’s someone saying: keep your eyes on this kid.
McDaniel did explain why Chourio didn’t quite make the cut - noting that he’s not the most physically projectable arm and still needs to refine his breaking ball shapes. But the raw tools are there. Spin rates and movement profiles suggest the potential is real, and the tweaks needed are within reach.
For Royals fans, that’s music to the ears.
Chourio’s 2025 season told a compelling story of a young pitcher making rapid strides. After dominating in the Dominican Summer League with a 2.04 ERA over 17.1 innings, he moved stateside and kept the momentum going in the Arizona Complex League, posting a 2.45 ERA in three starts. That earned him a promotion to Low-A Columbia - a big leap for a 17-year-old - where the raw numbers (5.16 ERA in six starts) might not jump off the page, but the underlying metrics tell a different story.
His strikeout rate was an impressive 25.0%, paired with a minuscule 4.2% walk rate. That kind of command at his age is rare.
Add in a 1.06 WHIP and a .227 batting average against, and you start to see the foundation of a legitimate pitching prospect. His 3.66 FIP also suggests he ran into some bad luck during that Low-A stint - not uncommon for young arms adjusting to a new level.
Then came the postseason. In his playoff debut for Columbia, Chourio delivered five innings of one-run ball - again, still just 17 at the time. That performance only added fuel to the growing belief that he’s on a fast track through the Royals’ system.
What stands out most about Chourio isn’t just the numbers - it’s the poise, the polish, and the projection. He’s showing the kind of early command and pitchability that scouts look for in future rotation anchors. And while he may not have cracked every Top 100 list yet, the industry consensus is clear: he’s not far off.
The Royals have work to do to climb back into postseason contention, but prospects like Chourio offer more than just hope - they offer a glimpse at a future rotation with real upside. If he continues to develop at this pace, it won’t be long before his name is etched into every Top 100 list out there - and maybe even penciled into a big-league rotation spot down the line.
For now, Chourio remains one of the most exciting under-the-radar arms in the minors. But don’t expect him to stay under the radar for long.