The Kansas City Royals are seeing their farm system heat up in a big way, and Baseball America’s latest Hot Sheet put that surge on full display. Three Royals prospects cracked the weekly top 10 after strong stretches that turned heads across the organization.
At the top of the group was Kansas City’s No. 1 prospect, Kendry Chourio, who landed at No. 1 on the Hot Sheet. The 18-year-old helped power the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits to a combined no-hitter on Sunday, opening the game with five hitless innings. He struck out 10, matching a career high, walked two and threw 49 strikes in 77 pitches.
Chourio’s season has been built on that kind of dominance. He carries a 2.11 ERA with 75 strikeouts over 72 2/3 innings, a strong reminder of why he sits at the top of the Royals’ prospect list.
Josh Hammond also made a loud statement. Kansas City’s No. 2 prospect checked in at No. 2 on the Hot Sheet after a huge week at the plate. The 28th overall pick in last year’s draft hit .714/.714/1.000 with 10 hits, two doubles and five runs scored.
The 19-year-old infielder has been producing all season for Single-A Columbia, where he owns a .301/.368/.429 slash line. His bat has quickly made him one of the more intriguing names in the system.
Blake Mitchell rounded out the Royals’ trio, coming in at No. 8 on the Hot Sheet. Kansas City’s No. 4 prospect put together a big week with the River Bandits, hitting .500/.667/1.000 with six runs scored, four RBIs and one home run.
Mitchell, a former first-round pick in 2023, has been a closely watched prospect since he was drafted. Injuries have slowed him before, but he has moved back into rhythm this season. The 21-year-old is hitting .238/.423/.487 with a .910 OPS and 83 walks, numbers that underline just how often he’s reaching base.
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