The Top 25 Kansas City Royals Player Assets of 2026: Part 4 (10-6)

[Kevin O'Brien]

Image courtesy of DiamondCentric via Peter Aiken, Jay Biggerstaff, and Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In part four of our countdown of the Royals’ assets, we will be talking about the 10th through 6th most valuable player assets. If you missed the previous three lists, they are listed here. 

• Part 1: #21-25
• Part 2: #16-20
• Part 3: #11-15

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10. David Shields, LHP

Age: 19

Controlled Through 2031+

Shields may be the best young pitching prospect in the Royals system right now, impressive since he is still a teenager.

In his first season as a professional, between the Complex League in Arizona and Single-A Columbia, he posted a 2.38 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 2.75 FIP in 75.2 IP. He also showed impeccable command with a 31.9% CSW, 28.5% K rate, and 27.5% K-BB%. The lefty out of Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh primarily pitched with the Fireflies in 2025 and earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors by the end of the season.

 

Even though he hasn't advanced beyond Single-A ball, Shields is seen as one of the top pitchers in the Royals' farm system and one of the more underrated pitchers in the Minor Leagues. Baseball America notes that Shields has the best control of any pitcher in the Kansas City system, and MLB Pipeline had this to say in their most recent scouting report of the 2024 second-round pick.

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Shields already shows good command and is a great athlete with a projectable body and a clean and simple delivery. His makeup is strong, and he's already growing into a mature pro and competitor. He has upside as a starter, potentially even a No. 2 or 3, and the Royals will develop him as such.

While he's not a high-velocity arm now, many scouts note that he likely will gain more as he moves up and gets older. Shields has a top-of-the-rotation projection, which makes him a Top-10 asset for the Royals right now.

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9. Kendry Chourio, RHP

 

Age: 18

Controllable Through 2031+

Shields and Chourio both pitched in Single-A Columbia last year, but the Venezuelan-born righty slightly edges out the Connecticut lefty in terms of asset value. 

One reason is age: Chourio is nearly a full year younger than Shields. The second reason is stuff: Chourio sports a mid- to upper-90s fastball. That ability gives him a higher ceiling than Shields, though Chourio's command and control lag a little bit behind the Pittsburgh area product. Baseball America is also incredibly optimistic about Chourio's stuff and repertoire, especially for a pitcher without intimidating size.

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Chourio's four-seam fastball averaged 95 mph and touched 98 with riding life, which is especially impressive considering his smaller 6-foot, 160-pound stature. He uses his lean strength and athleticism to consistently throw strikes, and he pounded the zone with his heater in 2025.

 

The 18-year-old Venezuelan played at three levels as a 17-year-old last season: the Dominican Summer League, the Complex League, and the Carolina League (Single-A). Across those three stops, Chourio accumulated 51.1 IP and posted a 3.51 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 2.68 FIP. He also sported a 30.8% CSW, 29,9% K rate, and 27.5% K-BB%, thus illustrating he has the command and swing-and-miss ability to thrive as a top-of-the-rotation starter at the Major League level.

 

Chourio's more dynamic profile makes him a slightly more valuable asset than Shields. A standard comp for Chourio is Royals legend Yordano Ventura, and when watching him pitch on tape, it's easy to see why: his easy motion and knack for getting hitters to swing and miss. 

 

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8. Blake Mitchell, C

 

Age: 21

Controllable Through 2031+

Mitchell is an interesting asset for the Royals because he's coming off a rough, injury-plagued 2025 season. After breaking a hamate bone in his hand in Spring Training, Mitchell struggled to get going with the River Bandits last season.

In 255 plate appearances, he only hit .218, posted a 111 wRC+, and launched three home runs, scored 28 runs, and stole 12 bases. He's got an athletic profile for a catcher with strong HR-SB ability. That was especially evident in 2024 with the Fireflies, as he hit 18 home runs and stole 26 bases in 486 plate appearances. And this is despite his primary position being catcher. 

A positive development for Mitchell is that he's coming off a strong Arizona Fall League campaign, which I believe has helped him recoup some of his value. In 83 plate appearances, he slashed .218/.390/.320 with a homer and five RBI. He also made the AFL All-Star team and led the Surprise Saguaros to an AFL Championship.

 

There's a lot of swing-and-miss in Mitchell's profile, as he sported a 66.7% contact rate last year in High-A Quad Cities. However, he has strong plate discipline and athleticism and has demonstrated significant improvement defensively since being drafted in 2023. He's ranked No. 62 overall by MLB Pipeline, making him one of the top assets in the Royals system without MLB experience. 

With catching a source of organizational depth for the Royals, Mitchell is likely a prospect the Royals are floating in many trade talks this offseason. 

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7. Noah Cameron, LHP

 

Age: 26

Controllable Through 2031

Cameron had a renaissance last year in his MLB rookie debut. The lefty out of St. Joseph, Missouri, posted a 2.99 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 24 starts and 138.1 IP. His FIP was a little high at 4.18, and his fWAR wasn't as impressive at 1.8. Nonetheless, Cameron posted a rookie debut to remember, which also included him finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

 

The Royals have a ton of control over Cameron. He won't be eligible for arbitration until 2029 and won't be a free agent until 2032. That makes him a valuable asset, even if he may profile more as an end-of-the-rotation arm long term. While his K/BB ratio was strong at 2.65, his K rate was only 20.5%, his K-BB% was 12.8%, and CSW was 26.9%. Those are good numbers, especially for a starter. However, they are not elite, which could be why his name is not generating a ton of interest around the league in trade talks this offseason.

Still, with excellent command, poise, and stability, Cameron has significant value to this Royals organization internally. He showed that he could take the mound and be competitive in many starts, as illustrated by his 10 quality starts last season. He also stayed healthy, which was a concern when he was initially drafted in the seventh round in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Central Arkansas. He had Tommy John surgery in college, but thankfully, he hasn't had any injury issues as a professional, which only adds to his long-term value to this Royals organization.

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6. Kris Bubic, LHP

 

Age: 28

Controllable Through 2026

Bubic will be a free agent after this season, which prevents him from ranking any higher than sixth. That said, he's one of the most talented pitchers on the Royals roster, and he illustrated last year that he could be a Cy Young candidate when healthy.

After primarily pitching in the bullpen in 2024 (due to recovery from Tommy John in 2023 and the Royals' desire to "ease him" back to the mound), Bubic made 20 starts and pitched 116.1 innings last season. In that sample, he accumulated 11 quality starts, posted a 2.55 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 2.89 FIP. He also sported a 24.4% K rate, a 16.2% K-BB%, and 30.1% CSW. Of Royals starting pitchers with 10 or more IP, only Cole Ragans posted a better CSW. 

As a result of these solid metrics, Bubic earned his first All-Star appearance in 2025. 

 

Unfortunately, injury issues came up in the second half, as a shoulder injury (similar to Ragans') shut him down for the remainder of the season. That said, Ragans' positive recovery should be an encouraging sign for Bubic and his health outlook for 2026.

 

While Cameron holds more value to the Royals internally than with other clubs on the trade market, the inverse may be true for Bubic.

It seems like Bubic may be Kansas City's best "realistic" trade asset right now. JJ Picollo has said they are not interested in trading away Ragans, Michael Wacha, or Seth Lugo. Furthermore, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has reported that the Royals remain "open" to trading Bubic, a sign that they're almost preparing to part ways with him should the right offer come along this offseason. 

 

It seems like Bubic could be the key to a trade involving Jarren Duran of the Red Sox or Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals. That kind of trade value is what makes him such an essential asset in the Royals organization, even though he will be eligible for free agency next offseason. 

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