Ben Kudrna and Steven Zobac Added to Royals' 40-Man Roster

Tuesday night was the deadline for teams to add Rule 5 Draft-eligible players to the 40-man roster. According to MLB.com Royals beat writer, the Royals added two pitchers to the 40-man roster by the deadline: Ben Kudrna and Steven Zobac. 

Kudrna is ranked No. 5 on our Top-20 Prospects list at Royals Keep. The former 2021 second-round pick from Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, primarily pitched in Double-A with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals last season. In 20 outings (19 starts) and 94 IP, he posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. While those weren't elite, his 24% K rate, 15.7% K-BB%, and 3.53 FIP were much more encouraging marks.

The 22-year-old righty struggled in the transition to Triple-A at the end of the season. In four outings (three starts) and 11.1 IP, he posted a 14.29 ERA and 2.74 WHIP. He also saw his K rate plummet to 15.7% and walk rate balloon to 27% (nearly 20% higher than his walk rate in Northwest Arkansas). Unfortunately, his stuff didn't profile well with the Storm Chasers either, which makes one wonder whether he was dealing with fatigue at the end of the season.

In addition to a meager 35.5% zone rate and 20.6% chase rate, his overall TJ Stuff+ was below average at 94. On a positive note, he still posted a 29.5% whiff rate, showing his ability to make batters swing and miss was still there in Omaha, despite the poor peripherals. A full offseason and time with the big league coaching staff could help him rebound with the Storm Chasers in 2026, making him a viable option for the rotation at the end of next season or in 2027.

As for Zobac, our 15th-ranked prospect, he struggled with injuries last year, which led to a down season despite the preseason hype (as we discussed in his scouting report).

The 25-year-old only made 14 starts overall between Northwest Arkansas and the Complex League, with the latter being rehab outings. In that 44.2 IP sample, he posted a 7.25 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, and 13.7% K-BB%. The control and ability to throw strikes remain a plus aspect of Zobac's profile, and he still struck out 21.3% of batters in the Minor Leagues last season.

The hope is that Zobac is fully healthy and can recapture the buzz he once had at the conclusion of the 2024 season. He could be a candidate to make the Royals roster at some point in 2026 as a long reliever or spot starter, as long as he can accumulate innings next season and solve his longball issues (2.01 HR/9 allowed in the Minors last season).

The Royals roster is currently at 39, and some notable players were left off the 40-man roster, exposing them to the December Rule 5 Draft, which takes place at the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings. Here's a list of the most intriguing Rule 5-eligible players who could get drafted in less than a month. 

• Felix Arronde, RHP: 12th-ranked prospect who posted a 2.80 ERA in High-A Quad Cities. 
• Daniel Vazquez, SS: 14th-ranked prospect and had a Solid AFL campaign.
• Frank Mozzicato, LHP: 2021 First-Round Pick and 20th-ranked prospect.
• Gavin Cross, OF: 2022 First-Round Pick.
• Luca Tresh, C: Posted a .794 OPS in Omaha in 2025.
• Javi Vaz, UT: Athletic utility player who posted a 1.25 BB/K ratio and stole 25 bases in Double-A in 2025. 
• Henry Williams, RHP: Former Padres prospect acquired in the Scott Barlow trade in 2023
• Shane Panzini, RHP: 2021 Fourth-Round Pick who posted a 3.39 ERA, 109 IP across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels last season. 

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