As Kansas City maps out a roster for 2027, the Royals may not need to look far for a few possible answers. A trio of prospects already spent 2026 climbing through the system, and each could factor into the conversation next season if the path opens up.
The strongest case might belong to Carson Roccaforte, who put together a huge 2026 and made a little history in the process. The 24-year-old became the first Minor Leaguer in Royals history to post a 30-30 season, finishing with a .257 average, 35 home runs, 96 RBIs and 32 stolen bases across Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha.
Most of that damage came with Northwest Arkansas, where he hit 30 homers in 110 games and slashed .251/.333/.523 with an .856 OPS. Kansas City moved him up to Omaha on Aug. 18, and he kept producing there, batting .284 with five home runs in 28 games.
Roccaforte’s bat was the headliner, but his glove kept showing up too. He won the organization’s Frank White Defensive Player of the Year Award for the third straight season, piling up a career-high 13 outfield assists and going error-free in center across 128 games and 1,105 innings. He can also handle all three outfield spots.
The one blemish is the swing-and-miss. Roccaforte struck out 181 times across both levels, and that remains part of the evaluation.
Even so, with Kansas City trying to get more out of its outfield, he could be in the mix in center field, where Kyle Isbel has been the primary option. Isbel is entering his final year under team control after hitting .224 with a -0.4 bWAR in 2026.
Gavin Cross also made a push late in the season. The former No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft opened his first full year with Omaha and was still searching for timing early on, but his bat came around in the second half. From June 16 through the end of the season, he hit .297/.343/.576, flashing the offensive upside that once pushed him as high as No. 6 on Kansas City’s prospect list in 2025.
Cross finished with a .247 average, 17 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He also dealt with a hamstring strain in August that cost him 12 days. The issue that keeps following him, though, is strikeouts: he struck out 149 times in 2026, the most in any Minor League season of his career and a big reason he eventually dropped out of the Royals’ Top 30.
On the pitching side, Lucas Braun is one to watch because of both his stuff and the uncertainty around the rotation. Injuries have created questions for Kansas City’s starting staff this offseason, and Braun could be one of the internal names the club looks at for 2027.
Before the trade, Braun made 19 appearances, including 17 starts, split between Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett. He posted a 3.53 ERA with 82 strikeouts. After the trade, he logged a 5.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 13 walks in 37 2/3 innings for Omaha.
Braun doesn’t overpower hitters. Instead, he leans on a six-pitch mix, with a fastball that sits around 92 mph and can touch 96.
His slider is his swing-and-miss pitch, and he also throws a cutter, curveball, changeup and sinker. The idea is simple: use command, keep hitters guessing, and avoid giving them a clean look.
Kansas City already has Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron penciled into the rotation, which still leaves two spots to sort out. The Royals are expected to chase arms through free agency and trades, but Braun gives them another internal option as they sort through the depth chart.
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