The River Bandits kept rolling, and around the rest of the Royals’ system there were plenty of other players turning in useful weeks as August pushed on.
Triple-A Omaha had a rough trip through Rochester, dropping five of six to the Red Wings, but there were still some bright spots on the mound. Nolan Hoffman worked 2.2 innings and allowed two hits and one run, though it was unearned, while walking one and striking out six.
Ben Sears followed with 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and fanning four. Lucas Erceg also kept things clean over two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Beck Way, back on rehab and splitting time last week between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, tossed a scoreless inning of relief and struck out one. Hunter Patteson, recently promoted, made his first Triple-A start and went five innings, giving up seven hits and three runs, two earned, while walking two and striking out four.
The offense had a couple of steady weeks as well. Abraham Toro finished 9 for 22 with a double and six runs scored.
Peyton Wilson went 6 for 18 and did real damage, launching two doubles and two homers. Carson Roccaforte, another fresh promotion, went 3 for 17, but he drew six walks, stole two bases and drove in two runs even while striking out 10 times.
Northwest Arkansas came away with a split in its six-game set against San Antonio, and the Naturals got plenty from both the lineup and the pitching staff. Colton Becker went 7 for 19 with a homer and three RBIs.
Spencer Nivens matched that hit total, going 7 for 20 with a double, a triple and five RBIs. Daniel Vazquez added a 7-for-22 week with two doubles, and Luke Pelzer reached base often, going 6 for 18 with five walks and five stolen bases.
Grant Gambrell was excellent across two starts, covering 10 innings and allowing just five hits and no runs while walking one and striking out 12. Hunter Owen made one start and fired 6.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight. Dennis Colleran, Chase Jessee, Anthony Simonelli, Tyson Guerrero, Brandon Johnson, Caden Monke and Zachary Cawyer all turned in scoreless outings for Northwest Arkansas.
Quad Cities was the loudest story of the week. The River Bandits won five of six from Dayton, have taken nine of their last 10, and are sitting at 33-19 in the second half, best in their division.
They’ve also gone 15-4 in August. Jordan Woods made one start and threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out six.
Ethan McElvain, the Royals’ fifth-round pick a month ago out of Arkansas, made two appearances and worked 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit, walking three and striking out three. He also picked up his first professional win.
Kendry Chourio had one start and went three innings, giving up two hits and one run while striking out three; the Royals continue to keep an eye on his innings late in the year. David Shields logged five innings, allowing four hits and two runs with six strikeouts.
Yimi Presinal was sharp in relief, throwing 2.1 hitless, scoreless innings and striking out seven.
At the plate, Ben North went 5 for 11 with a double, two homers and five RBIs. Asbel Gonzalez finished 6 for 21 with two doubles and four runs scored, and he swiped five more bases to push his season total to 60. Zion Rose also contributed, going 4 for 15 with a homer, three RBIs and two stolen bases.
Columbia lost four of seven against Augusta, but there were still a few encouraging performances. Tyson Moran, a 20-year-old infielder who recently arrived from the ACL after being drafted by the Royals in the 13th round in 2025, went 7 for 17 with two RBIs and two stolen bases.
Sean Gamble went 4 for 18 with a double and three steals. Yandel Ricardo added a 6-for-21 week with two RBIs.
On the mound, Moises Amezquita, a 22-year-old left-hander who recently moved up to Columbia from the ACL, threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking three and striking out four. The Royals signed him at 19 out of Venezuela.
Randy Ramnarace worked two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out four. Jose Gutierrez made one start and went seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out three.
Yeri Perez threw 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing no hits, walking two and striking out five.
This week, Omaha heads to Iowa for a Tuesday-through-Sunday series against the Cubs. Northwest Arkansas returns home to face Frisco over the same stretch.
Quad Cities is back home for a big series against Beloit, and that one carries real weight in the standings. Columbia also comes home, with a Tuesday-through-Sunday set ahead.
In Other News...
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Around the team, though, the bigger fight may be happening off the field. Broadcast chatter has continued to swirl, with analyst Rex Hudler drawing mixed reviews even as sideline reporter Bridget Howard has been well received, and the stadium debate in downtown Kansas City is moving into another key phase with a funding proposal under review by the Tax Increment Financing commission. The Missouri Supreme Court is also set to hear arguments tied to the stadium funding bill, which means the Royals future in the city remains part baseball, part civic test. [Read more 🡒]
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Royals Have A Tony Gonsolin Decision That Could Matter Later
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Kansas Citys long view on Gonsolin is where this gets interesting. His contract includes a club option for the 2027 season, so every inning he throws in Triple-A carries some future weight for the Royals as they decide not only how soon he can help, but how much value he might still have down the line. [Read more 🡒]