Carson Roccaforte has spent his breakout season turning the Royals’ minor league system into a power show, and now the outfielder is starting to look like a real candidate for Kansas City’s 2027 roster.
The 24-year-old has already hammered 35 home runs in the minors this year, including 30 in just 110 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. After his August promotion to Triple-A Omaha, the power kept coming. That surge has drawn notice from scouts and could force the Royals to think seriously about Roccaforte as part of their next wave.
Kansas City has built some encouraging young talent around Bobby Witt Jr., with names like Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone giving the organization a much better future feel. Even after a 2026 season that didn’t go as planned, there’s still a foundation there for a bounce-back. Roccaforte’s bat might be one of the most obvious internal answers.
Since the Royals took him in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the left-handed hitter has been viewed as a player with real pop. Scouts liked the smoothness of his swing and believed he could develop into a 20-plus homer threat.
For most of his climb through the system, that promise showed up in flashes. This year, it has become much more than that.
His previous career high was 18 home runs in 2025. He has nearly doubled that total already in 2026.
The Royals could use the help. Through 146 games, they have scored 624 runs, below the league average of 651.
The long ball has been an issue too, with the club sitting at 152 home runs. Even more telling, 40 percent of those homers have come from Witt Jr., Jensen, and Caglianone.
That lack of balance has been part of a difficult season. Injuries in the pitching staff created problems from the start, and rough years from relievers Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm cost Kansas City more than a few winnable games. If the Royals move toward an offense-first approach next season, adding another source of power would make plenty of sense.
Roccaforte’s bat could fit that need. The Royals already rode out Caglianone’s major struggles in 2025, and he responded with a breakout in 2026. Kansas City may be better off leaning into that kind of patience again if it means finding more impact offense.
The broader picture still leaves room for optimism. The AL Central remains a division the Royals can realistically win, and that keeps the path to the postseason open.
J.J. Picollo tried veteran outfielders last offseason to fill out the roster and provide production, but that plan did not work.
This time, the smarter move may be to look inside the organization. Roccaforte is making a strong case that he belongs in the conversation.
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Jac Caglianone Is Back But Royals Still Have A Lineup Problem
Jac Caglianone is back in the Royals lineup, and that alone is a welcome development for a club trying to keep its offense moving. After recovering from a Grade 1 left elbow flexor strain, the slugger returned as the designated hitter against the Boston Red Sox, giving Kansas City another middle-of-the-order bat at a time when every bit of production matters. He has put together a strong season, hitting .282 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs.
The catch is that his return does not fully solve the Royals bigger lineup puzzle. Matt Quatraro said the team is being careful with Caglianones throwing arm, which means DH work is expected to be shared with Salvador Perez rather than opening up the kind of flexibility Kansas City would like to have. The bat is back, but the roster still has to figure out how to maximize it without asking too much of his health. [Read more 🡒]