The Top 25 Kansas City Royals Player Assets of 2026: Part 5 (5-1)

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The home stretch - the best assets available to the Royals coming into 2026. Four of the top five are homegrown, a testament to the Picollo regime after the dreary days of Dayton Moore. The number two asset being acquired via trade was one of the biggest differentiators between Picollo and Moore when Picollo completed the trade in the summer of 2023, his first trade deadline after taking over the role, as Moore had garnered a reputation for hanging on for too long and selling for too little. Let’s take a look at the future of your Kansas City Royals.

• Part 1: #21-25
• Part 2: #16-20
• Part 3: #11-15
• Part 4: #6-10

5. Carter Jensen, Catcher

Age: 22, Team control through 2031

Drafted in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft, Jensen has popped onto the major league stage after making his appearance in September this year. In 69 plate appearances, he had a slash line of .300/.391/.550 and a wRC+ of 159, meaning he was 59 percent better than league average at creating runs when adjusted for ballpark and other factors. He is the future behind home plate until Blake Mitchell comes knocking. Salvador Perez signed a two-year extension this year, but will most certainly be trading some of his own reps at catcher for more reps at first base and designated hitter, leaving the opportunity open for Jensen to build on his 2025. The biggest question will be how he adjusts to major league pitching over the course of a full season, but so far, the future is bright. 

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4. Jac Caglianone, Right Field

Age: 22, Team control through 2031

The sixth overall pick in 2024, Caglianone made his debut at the beginning of June after demolishing minor league pitching in Double A and Triple A this year to the tune of a 1.025 OPS, 170 wRC+, and 20 home runs in only 66 games. That, coupled with the Royals' desperate need for an offensive spark plug, catapulted him to the majors earlier than most expected. In 62 games at the major league level, he struggled to a .532 OPS and 46 wRC+. However, this came with a .172 BABIP (batting average on balls in play), a 12% barrel rate, and a 77.4 mph bat speed (re: elite bat speed). He still has tremendous power and ran into some “bad luck”, but he will absolutely need to adjust to major league pitching to stay in the lineup, as he was already a strikeout risk in the minors chasing pitches 34 percent of the time. His 40 home run power and prospect status will see him get plenty of chances in 2026.

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3. Maikel Garcia, Third Base

Age: 25, Team control through 2030 with club option in 2031

Garcia is still letting the ink dry on a recent five-year extension for $57.5 million that will keep him at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. He broke out in a huge way this year, going for 5.6 fWAR, an .800 OPS, and close to a 20/20 home run and stolen base campaign while maintaining a 121 wRC+ and providing elite defense at a +13 fielding run value (97th percentile) per Baseball Savant. If we use the approximate dollar value per WAR of $9 million, 87% of Garcia’s new contract was payment for how well 2025 went. He provided 3.4 total fWAR in 2023 and 2024, so even if he averages 1.7 fWAR per year for the rest of the contract, he will be providing significant value to the Royals to the tune of a $19 million surplus. He has great plate discipline and is only 25, so he may add a little more muscle while he’s in his prime to garner some more power. 

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2. Cole Ragans, Starting Pitcher

Age: 28, Team control through 2028

The Royals ace, Ragans, came over from the Rangers in the Aroldis Chapman trade in 2023, when the Royals signed Chapman to a one-year deal to use as a trade chip at the deadline, and what a return they’ve gotten. You and controllable pitching are sought after by nearly every team every year. Ragans has fit that to a tee after breaking out in 2024 and only improving his whiff and strikeout percentage in 2025. He pitched only 61 innings this year after dealing with a rotator cuff strain and had an ERA of 4.67, but all underlying advanced metrics show closer to 2.50, as he had some poor luck and was below average on his left-on-base rate. He has an electric slider, and his fastball velocity has returned to pre-injury levels. He’s projected for another 4.2 fWAR, 3.20 ERA, and over 170 innings, precisely what you want from your top of the rotation guy. Several rumors had his name swirling in the Royals' search for an outfielder this offseason, but J.J. Picollo has stated several times he’s not going anywhere. 

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1. Bobby Witt Jr., Shortstop

Age: 25; Team control through 2030 with opt-outs from 2030-2033 and club options in 2035-2037. 

What more can be said about the 2019 second overall pick? He’s young at a premier defensive position and provides elite offensive production, speed, and defense. He’s the best Royals player since George Brett and has signed on for the long haul with his 11-year, $288 million contract in 2024. He’s given the Royals 18.5 fWAR over the last two years and is a consistent 30 home run, 30 stolen base threat. His contract escalates quickly over the next few years, going from $13.7 million in 2026 to $19.7 million in 2027 and then over $30 million in 2028 and beyond, but he has been worth every penny so far and will almost certainly continue this production in the future. You can likely count on one hand the number of other players that have the same value. He is the Kansas City Royals. 

This concludes our top 25 valuable Royals assets entering the 2026 season. Let us know if you agree with our list, who we missed, and who might be next!

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