Breaking Down the Royals' Organizational Award Winners (Position Player Edition)

On Friday night, the Kansas City Royals acknowledged and celebrated the award winners in their Minor League system. That included not just players but also scouts and coaches.

Overall, the Royals' farm system showed progress this season. Even though the system still isn't highly ranked, many prospects took positive steps forward this year, a sign the development and scouting team is improving under Royals President of Baseball Operations JJ Picollo. Six of those success stories were present and recognized on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. 

In this post, I'll break down the four position-player prospects who earned awards from the Royals organization for their strong seasons, and what Royals fans can expect from them in 2027 and beyond. 

Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year: Abel Gonzalez, OF, Quad Cities

Gonzalez won his second Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year Award, as he won the honor a year ago with the Columbia Fireflies. The 20-year-old stole 67 bases with an 84% success rate and also scored 91 runs with the River Bandits this year. 

In addition to being an excellent baserunner, Gonzalez is a solid center fielder. He made only three errors this year and is known for his strong range and ability to cover the outfield gaps. At a minimum, he has shown the speed and fielding tools to succeed at the Major League level.

The big question for Gonzalez going forward is the bat. 

Gonzalez hit .262 with a .672 OPS and did have a 10.2% BB%. However, he struck out 25.4% and showed contact concerns this past year, as evidenced by a 78% Z-Contact%, which ranked in the 29th percentile. Scouts have been optimistic that Gonzalez can grow into his power, and he did hit two more home runs than a year ago. That said, he hit only one last year, and his .052 ISO was just one point higher than his 2025 ISO in Columbia. 

At 20, Gonzalez still has time to develop, and the tools and talent are there to become a big-league regular. The swing is a bit ugly-looking, though I wonder if that's partly due to his tall frame and long limbs. Gonzalez will matriculate to Double-A next year, and how his contact skills and power fare in the Texas League will determine whether the Royals should take him seriously as a prospect.

Frank White Defensive Player of the Year: Carson Roccaforte, OF, Northwest Arkansas/Omaha

Roccaforte is clearly the best defensive player in the Royals organization. He won the Frank White Award for a third straight season. Roccaforte is clearly good enough to be a late-innings outfielder for the Royals right now, even with Kyle Isbel and Tyler Tolbert on the active roster. 

While Roccaforte's defense was once again stellar, his offense in Northwest Arkansas and Omaha this year caught the attention of Royals fans. 

In 622 combined plate appearances with the Naturals and Storm Chasers, Roccaforte hit .257 with a .857 OPS. That included 35 home runs and 32 stolen bases. The former Louisiana-Lafayette product not only posted slugging marks of .500 or more in both Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, but also had a hard-hit rate in the 78th percentile, a LA Sweet-Spot% in the 94th percentile, and a Pull Air% in the 100th percentile. 

Roccaforte impressed fans all year long with majestic bombs, including this one in Springfield, shortly before his promotion to Omaha. 

Roccaforte is a candidate to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and Mike Gillespie on here broke down that possibility in a recent post.

That said, his situation isn't easy. While he can handle the Majors defensively and is a strong (though not elite) baserunner, his contact ability is a huge red flag. 

In Omaha, he had a K% in the 8th percentile and a whiff% in the 4th percentile. Furthermore, Roccaforte amplified those numbers with a poor O-Swing%, as it ranked in the 23rd percentile. There's no question that Roccaforte can do damage when he connects with the ball. But will he make enough contact at the Major League level? That concern likely explains why he hasn't been promoted, even with the Royals having a down year. 

Kansas City will likely add Roccaforte to the 40-man roster this offseason. However, the opportunity he gets in 2027 will likely depend on how his contact and plate discipline develop and fare in Spring Training. 

Alex Gordon Heart and Hustle Award: Josh Hammond, SS, Columbia

Hammond is our No. 3 prospect at Royals Keep, behind pitchers Kendry Chourio and David Shields. Even though 2026 was his first professional season and he was 19 years old, Hammond held his own in Low-A Columbia.

In 110 games and 487 plate appearances, Hammond hit .286 with a .743 OPS. He also hit five home runs, stole 25 bases on 30 attempts, and scored 69 runs. His power stagnated a bit over the season, suggesting Hammond may have been fatigued in his first exposure to pro ball. That said, he continued to provide stellar defense, baserunning, and contact ability with the Fireflies, which is why he earned the Alex Gordon Award. 

Hammond has been a riser among many Royals prospect experts, and MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 67 on its Top-100 list. While he isn't a flashy tools guy, he's incredibly polished and mature for his age, and he's the kind of player who can lead a team in all areas of the game.

It seemed like he focused more on hitting for average this year, opting for line drives to all fields rather than trying to sit on balls to pull for home runs (his Pull Air% ranked in the 24th percentile). Once he gets strong and he gets more comfortable at the plate, it wouldn't be surprising to see him as a 20+ HR threat. His raw power is a 40 grade now, but TJ Stats gives him 55 potential (ranking him No. 81 overall). 

He is still at least a couple of years away from making his MLB debut. However, Hammond showed strong progress in 2026 and could really break out in 2027, especially if the power tool clicks in High-A ball. 

George Brett Hitter of the Year and Mike Sweeney Award Winner: Brett Squires, 1B/OF, Northwest Arkansas and Omaha

Squires won two awards: the George Brett Award, which goes to the best hitter in the Royals farm system, and the Mike Sweeney Award, which goes to the player who did the most community service in the Royals' organization. 

To be honest, no hitter was more deserving than Squires, who absolutely mashed with the Naturals and Storm Chasers this season.

In 555 plate appearances between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, Squires hit .277 with a .900 OPS. He launched 31 home runs, drove in 103 runs, stole 24 bases on 25 attempts, and scored 78 runs. In Omaha (more detailed Statcast percentiles), he ranked in the 77th percentile in Pull Air%, the 82nd percentile in wOBA, the 93rd percentile in Barrel%, the 79th percentile in Hard Hit%, and the 84th percentile in 90th EV. In terms of contact quality, few hitters in the Royals' farm system were better than Squires this year. 

That said, like Roccaforte, Squires' issue is MAKING contact. His whiff% ranked in the 4th percentile, his K% in the 20th percentile, his BB% in the 24th percentile, and his O-Swing% in the 20th percentile. This kind of approach can work against lackluster pitching in Triple-A. Against MLB hitters? It can be less successful, as CJ Alexander and Drew Waters have demonstrated in the past.

Another problem is that nearly all of Squires' value is tied to his bat. If he's not hitting, he'll be a negative-value player on the roster. That likely explains why he hasn't gotten a shot this year, even though the Royals' offense could've used his bat at various points in the season. 

The Squires will be Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, so it'll be interesting to see whether the Royals add him to the 40-man roster to protect him. If he goes unprotected, he would likely be selected if the Rule 5 Draft happens (it could be canceled due to a likely work stoppage). However, Squires doesn't have a clear spot on the roster, especially with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez at first base and Jac Caglianone in right field. 

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Interested in learning more about the Kansas City Royals' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!