Minor League Report: Royals Affiliates Staying Competitive

[Kevin O'Brien]

Minor League Week in Nutshell

Things were pretty rough at the Major League level for the Royals this past week, as they went winless in Detroit and the Bronx. However, things were a bit more positive with the affiliates in the Royals' farm system. 

Omaha went 4-2 against Indianapolis, improving their record to over .500 for the season, a big turnaround from a year ago. Northwest Arkansas had a rougher week, going 1-5 against Corpus Christi. The losing week brought their record to one game under .500.

In the lower levels, Quad Cities had a 4-2 week in Cedar Rapids, despite a game getting rained out on Wednesday. They split a doubleheader on Thursday and then pulled out the series finale on Sunday. As for the Fireflies in Columbia, they split with Charleston, going 3-3 last week on the road. They led in the series finale on Sunday but were unable to close out the victory or the series. They still have a record above .500. 

Here are the records of the four Royals Minor League affiliates, as of April 20th.

Omaha: 11-9

Northwest Arkansas: 7-8

Quad Cities: 6-6

Columbia: 8-7

 

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Omaha Highlights

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but Kameron Misner continues to show the Royals organization that he may deserve a shot in Kansas City at some point, especially considering the Royals' offensive woes to begin the season.

This week, in 19 at-bats, he hit .368 with a 1.192 OPS. That included two home runs, seven RBI, a double, three walks, and six strikeouts. Misner is not only showing power in Triple-A, but a sound approach at the plate as well. This season with the Storm Chasers, he is posting a 15.8% BB% and 0.71 BB/K ratio. While it's Triple-A, that's the kind of approach that's needed in this Royals lineup.

 

 

On the pitching end, Chazz Martinez had a solid week, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six in three innings of work. For the season, Martinez is posting a 41.7% K% and 20.8% K-BB% in six innings of work. While the TJ Stuff+ metrics aren't great (98 overall), he's done an excellent job limiting hard contact while generating solid whiff and chase rates, as seen below.

 

The four-seamer is an interesting pitch with crazy horizontal break (18.3 HB), and it generates a decent amount of chase (26.9%) and whiff (31.8%) as well as weak contact (.241 xwOBACON). As a result, the four-seamer has a 102 TJ Stuff+ and a 57 grade. Unfortunately, his other offerings don't rate as well stuff-wise, with his sweeper having a 30 grade and changeup sporting a 47 grade. 

Still, Martinez could be an Evan Sisk type who simply can generate chase and whiff effectively due to his arm angles, even if he may not have the most overpowering stuff profile. 

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Northwest Arkansas Highlights

While some of the Nautrals' top hitters cooled off this week (Carson Roccaforte had a .733 OPS, and Sam Kulasingam had a .550 OPS), Brett Squires continued to be locked in. 

In 24 at-bats, the Oklahoma product hit .417 with a 1.083 OPS. That included a home run and seven RBI as well as four walks to five strikeouts. In 67 plate appearances this year, Squires is hitting .333 with a 1.047 OPS. He also has four home runs, 18 RBI, and four stolen bases. Without a doubt, Squires has been the Naturals' most consistent offensive performer to begin the 2026 season.

 

 

The pitching end was more of a mixed bag for the Naturals, with many starters posting ERA marks in the double digits this week. However, one arm that continues to impress is lefty reliever Oscar Rayo. In two appearances and 4.2 IP this week, he allowed only one hit, zero runs, no walks, and struck out six batters. Not only did Rayo have a 0.00 ERA, but also a 0.21 WHIP. 

For the season, Rayo is posting a 1.35 ERA and 0.45 WHIP in 13.1 IP. He hasn't allowed a single walk and has a 27.7% K%. When looking at his percentiles this year, there is a lot to like from the Nicaraguan lefty.

With a 31.3% whiff rate and 34.3% CSW with the Naturals this year, Rayo could be a reliever who could sneakily move through the Royals system and make a case for a roster spot this offseason.

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Quad Cities River Bandits

One prospect who needed to make some gains this year was Austin Charles. Charles has been known for his lanky frame and raw athleticism. However, he struggled in his first exposure to High-A ball as a 21-year-old last season.

In 59 games and 232 plate appearances, Charles hit .200 with a .469 OPS. He didn't hit for much power, as evidenced by his 0.093 ISO. Furthermore, he struck out a lot, as illustrated by his 25.9% K%. As a result, his prospect stock dropped a lot this offseason, as he barely made many Top 30 lists and was omitted on some, due to his poor performance in Quad Cities in 2025.

This year, it's been a different story for Charles in his second go-around in Quad Cities.

Over the past week, he hit .563 with a 1.463 OPS. He had a home run, six RBI, three stolen bases, and three walks to three strikeouts. For the year, he's hitting .353 with a 1.035 OPS in 43 plate appearances. He also has a home run, eight RBI, and five stolen bases. The most impressive stat? He has seven walks to six strikeouts. The plate approach is really coming around for Charles to begin 2026.

 

 

In terms of pitching, Justin Lamkin continues to impress, even with a rotation that includes the Royals' top pitching prospect, David Shields. 

In two starts and 7.2 IP, Lamkin posted a 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and struck out 12 batters. In three starts this year, he has a 1.54 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.93 FIP, 39.1% K%, and 26.1% K-BB%. While the former Texas A&M product doesn't have elite velocity, he is deceptive in his delivery, which helps his stuff play up against hitters. 

 

We could be looking at a Kris Bubic or Noah Cameron 2.0 in Lamkin.

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Columbia Fireflies Highlights

Roni Cabrera was an intriguing name when he came over from Texas with Cole Ragans in the Aroldis Chapman trade in 2023. While Ragans has gotten all the spotlight, Cabrera has gone under the radar, though the 20-year-old hasn't quite accomplished a whole lot yet in affiliated ball before this year.

 

This past week was a memorable one for the 20-year-old Fireflies outfielder.

In 17 at-bats, he hit .353 with a 1.028 OPS. Cabrera also had a double, two triples, five RBI, a stolen base, and two walks to three strikeouts. In 48 plate appearances this season, he is hitting .270 with an .889 OPS with a homer, 12 RBI, four stolen bases, eight walks, and 11 strikeouts. The former Rangers signing can be a little erratic, especially on the basepaths (he's been caught three times). However, he's the kind of dynamic player that could provide a spark at the MLB level.

 

On the pitching side for Columbia, Michael Lombardi only made one appearance, but it was a sensational one.

In four innings of work, the former Tulane product struck out 11 while allowing three walks, three hits, and no runs. A two-way player in college, it seems like Kansas City is having Lombardi focus on pitching, which explains why he's only pitched 10.1 innings this year. It's about development, not results, this year for Lombardi. However, the results have been pretty impressive so far.

 

In three appearances, Lombardi has a 2.61 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1.94 FIP, 46.5% K%, and 34.9% K-BB%. He's also sported impressive whiff and CSW rates, as illustrated below via his TJ Stats summary.

The stuff is absolutely electric, and it isn't out of the question to believe that Lombardi could end up as the third-best pitcher in the Royals system and a Top-10 prospect by the end of the 2026 season. 

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