The Royal Future: Tracking the Kansas City Prospects in the Arizona Fall League

[Jackson Huxel]

With the offseason underway and the Royals looking to build off their 82-80 season, they look to upgrade the roster through internal and external options before the start of spring training. 

 

With the World Series concluding, it’s time for teams to turn their attention to prospect development in the annual Arizona Fall League. The team sent eight prospects to the Surprise Saguaros, headed by MLB Pipeline's #46 prospect, catcher Blake Mitchell.

 

Vazquez and Roccafarte continue to take big steps in development 

 

Shorstop Daniel Vazquez has turned heads in Arizona. Vazquez, a 2021 internal free signing out of Venezuela, had a productive season in 2025. The agile defensive shortstop has a 40 overall scout rating, headed by 60s in arm and fielding, and a 55 in run. 

 

He started this season in rookie ball before immediately being promoted to the single-A Quad Cities River Bandits. In 404 at-bats with the River Bandits, he slashed a .260 batting average with 29 extra base hits, 42 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. 

 

He’s continued that success in Arizona with a team-leading .329 batting average, 24 hits, and 18 RBIs with a .922 OPS, .466 Slugging percentage, 10 stolen bases, and six extra base hits in 73 at-bats. 

 

As for the Royals’ #20 prospect, Carson Roccaforte, he has continued to impress for Kansas City. The 66th overall pick and the highest drafted player in Louisiana-Lafayette since 1995 in 2023. The defensive specialist, according to the scouting report, sits at a 40 overall with a 55 arm and 60 fielding. He started his career hot in single-A, with a .257 average with 12 RBIs, and eight extra base hits. 

 

This season, after hitting 13 home runs, 33 extra-base hits, and driving in 45 runs in high-A, he was promoted to double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, continuing his offensive success with a .290 average with five homers, 29 RBIs, 22 XBH, and a .410 BABIP.  Roccaforte continued being an extra-base machine, hitting eight extra-base hits and putting together a .459 BABIP, .293 average, and eight doubles. 

 

The #8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Blake Mitchell, will head into 2026 as the team’s #2 prospect. Mitchell’s scouting report rates him at a 55 rating with a 70 arm, 55 fielding, 50 hit, and 60 power. 

 

Mitchell flashed his power in 2024, crushing 18 bombs with 50 RBIs with 79 walks. This season, in 169 at-bats in high-A, hit .207 with two homers and 12 RBIs. He continued to showcase great plate discipline with 45 walks. 

 

As a Saguaro, he hit .232 with a.237 walk percentage and .900 BB/K with a home run and five RBIs in 56 at-bats. 

 

Pitching struggles in limited appearances

 

 The Royals sent four pitchers to Arizona, including the team’s #26 prospect, Hunter Owen. The former Commodore was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft as a versatile starter and reliever. 

 

This season in Double-A in 94.2 innings, he went 5-5 with a 3.8 ERA, 10.17 K/9, a save, and a 1.33 WHIP. He’s struggled in Arizona, allowing 11 hits and six runs in 4.1 innings and four punchouts. 

 

Reliever Dennis Colleran continued to shine out of the pen. The 7th round pick in 2024 out of Northeastern, started his minor league career with the Columbus Fireflies with a 4.06 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 39 whiffs. He continued his success with the River Bandits, going 5-0 with a 0.82 WHIP and a 1.83 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. 

 

In 6.2 innings with Saguero, he has a 1.35 ERA, a hold, 4.5 K/BB, and 12.46 SO/9. and nine strikeouts. 

 

L.P. Langevin and A.J. Causey rounded out the group with a combined 15.1 innings pitched. Starting with Causey, registered a win and save in eight games with 12 strikeouts and a 7.27 ERA. While Langevin went 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in six games with 11 punchouts and a .130 BAA. 

 

The future looks bright for the Royals with great plate discipline in the minors and great versatility in pitching as the team will keep taps on them headed into next season.