Kansas City Royals 2026 Top Prospect Ranking: #6-10

On Monday, I looked at the 11th through 15th-best prospects in the Kansas City Royals system. The list focused on a couple of international shortstops (including one who made progress in the AFL this past fall), a pitcher who made his MLB debut, a pitcher eligible for the Rule 5 Draft who wasn't added to the 40-man roster, and one who was, but is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 campaign.

In part three of Royals Keep's Top 20 Prospect rankings, I will look at the 6th through 10th-best prospects in the Royals system. That includes a couple of recently drafted position players out of high school, a couple of international position players who primarily played in Low-A Columbia in 2025, and a polished pitcher drafted out of Tennessee in 2024 who pitched well in High-A Quad Cities. 

10th: Asbel Gonzalez, OF (Highest Level: Low-A)

The 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder played in 115 games in his first full Minor League season in Columbia. After a hot start, he wore down a bit at the end of the year, slashing .239/.365/.289 with a .654 OPS. He also showed little power, with only one home run and an ISO of .051. However, he scored 82 runs and collected 78 RBI with the Fireflies last season.

When he was fresh and locked in, Gonzalez demonstrated a high-contact, disciplined approach, as illustrated by his 0.63 BB/K ratio. Furthermore, he showed in Columbia that he could spray the ball all over the field, with his speed allowing him to stretch extra bases on hits. 

While the bat wasn't anything too special, Gonzalez flashed one elite tool in Low-A ball, which explains why he ranked No. 10: his speed.

Gonzalez set a Fireflies franchise record with 78 stolen bases last season. Not only was that the highest in Columbia history, but it was also the highest stolen base total for a Royals prospect since 1988. As a result, Gonzalez was named Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year by the Royals, which goes to the best baserunner in the Kansas City farm system.

He was caught 26 times last season, which is higher than what the Royals would like to see for a prospect with his speed tool. That said, as a teenager, the grind of the Carolina League slate seemed to get to him.

In 68 games and 303 plate appearances from Opening Day until June 30th, he hit .270, stole 55 bases, and was caught 16 times, for a 29% caught-stealing rate. From July 1st to the end of the season, he hit .192, stole 23 bases, and was caught 10 times, for a 43% caught-stealing rate. Gonzalez was promoted to Double-A to help them in their stretch run of the season, but his fatigue seemed to be on full display, as he hit .167 in eight plate appearances. 

At 6'2, 170 pounds, Gonzalez has an athletic frame that could help him hit for more power as he fills out. Even if the power never fully comes, his plate discipline, contact ability, and Major League-ready speed should help him get to the big leagues, as a bench outfielder at the very least. 

9th: Drew Beam, RHP (Highest Level: High-A)

Beam was a third-round pick out of the University of Tennessee who signed an overslot deal worth $1,097,500 in the 2024 MLB Draft. The right-handed pitcher didn't pitch at all professionally after getting drafted due to the Volunteers' run in the College World Series. However, he indeed thrived in his first taste of professional experience.

In 26 games and 131.2 IP with the Quad Cities River Bandits, Beam posted a 3.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and K-BB% of 14.9%. The 22-year-old was not a high-strikeout pitcher with the River Bandits. However, he showcased excellent control (5.6% walk rate) and kept the ball in the yard (0.55 HR/9). As a result, he posted a 3.35 FIP, which was much better than his ERA last season. 

Beam showed a better strikeout ability at the beginning of the season, which was evident in some of his early starts with Quad Cities in April and May. 

From High-A Opening Day until June 29th,  Beam posted a 2.95 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 21.4% K rate, and 16.2% K-BB% in 15 starts. From June 30th to the end of the season? He posted a 5.04 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 19.3% K rate, and 13.2% K-BB%. Much like Gonzalez, Beam seemed to hit a wall in the second half in his first full exposure to professional competition. 

Despite this, the former Volunteer may be one of the best pitchers in the Royals' lower minors right now.

He sports a solid four-pitch mix that includes a four-seamer, curveball, cutter, and changeup. Like many Royals pitchers in the system, he doesn't have an elite pitch. Still, the combination of his diverse repertoire and strong command makes him an effective and efficient pitcher with middle-of-the-rotation upside at the Major League level. 

Noah Cameron hit a similar wall in 2023 in his first full professional season. Thus, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Beam, much like Cameron in 2024, rebound from that experience, do much better in 2026, and put himself in a position to make the Opening Day rotation in 2027. His profile and approach feel very similar to a right-handed Cameron (but with more fastball upside). 

8th: Ramon Ramirez, C (Highest Level: Low-A)

Going into the 2025 season, one could argue that Ramirez was every bit as elite a catching prospect as Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell. After Jensen's sensational season, that comparison has faded a bit today, but that shouldn't diminish the upside the 20-year-old Venezuelan catcher possesses. 

In 70 games and 307 plate appearances with the Fireflies, Ramirez slashed .244/.339/.442 with a .781 OPS. Unlike Mitchell, who struck out in bunches in Low-A and High-A ball over the past two years, Ramirez only struck out 21.7% of the time and posted a BB/K ratio of 0.55. He also showcased excellent pop in the Carolina League with a 13.9% HR/FB rate. 

Injuries limited him somewhat, which explains why he had only 307 plate appearances last season with the Fireflies. When healthy, however, he showed a solid approach at the plate and solid skills behind it.

Ramirez doesn't have the defensive upside or athleticism of Jensen or Mitchell. However, he has a polished receiving tool that could at least make him a serviceable backup at the Major League level. His arm strength is also above-average and could profile similarly at the Major League level to other Royals catchers from Venezuela like Freddy Fermin and Salvador Perez (though he could stand to improve his 19% caught-stealing rate last year).

The key for Ramirez in the future will be his bat, which is mature for his age. In 170 plate appearances in the Complex League in 2024, he posted a 0.62 BB/K ratio and hit 2.65 with seven home runs in 203 plate appearances in Arizona. He hits too many groundballs for a player with his power and batted-ball ability (40% GB rate last year), but he can truly crush balls when he elevates them properly. 

How Ramirez meshes with the new hitting development team will be interesting to watch, especially as he matriculates to High-A Quad Cities in 2026.

7th: Josh Hammond, 3B (Highest Level: High School)

Hammond was the 28th overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft and the Royals' second selection in that particular draft. However, many scouts believed that Hammond was the Royals' top overall selection last season, given his upside and potential. The son of a college coach, Hammond was a two-way player who showed excellent bat speed and batted-ball ability, not just a prep player, but in pre-draft workouts.

Here's what MLB Pipeline said about Hammond in their own scouting report, pointing out not just his power, but his mature decision-making at the plate for a teenager.

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Hammond has at least plus raw power that plays to all fields and he hits the ball exceptionally hard from the right side of the plate. His bat speed and strength should translate into 20-25 homers per season, perhaps more if he learns to lift balls in the air more consistently. While his pop stands out more than his pure hitting ability, he's making better swing decisions as he leaves pitching behind to focus full-time on hitting.

Hammond had a thicker lower half when he pitched more often, but he has trimmed up his 6-foot-1 frame a bit and is now an average runner. The former Wake Forest recruit was drafted as a shortstop, but many see him as a future third baseman with enough agility and plenty of arm strength to handle the position.

Hammond did get some time in the instructional league and seemed to hold his own, according to reports. While no public stats are shared about his time there, he did showcase his power, as evidenced in this clip below from the Royals Player Development account.

There's definitely a maturity in the way he carries himself at the plate, even in that limited sample clip. However, he will be much more challenged in Low-A Columbia, where he likely will play in his first full-season experience. How he handles not just professional pitching, but the grind of "bus league" ball could determine his long-term outlook, as the physical tools are there for Hammond to be successful at the plate and on the field (his arm is a plus tool due to his pitching background).

The Royals tend to move more slowly with prospects drafted out of high school, and there's no reason to think that they won't do that with Hammond. However, a strong start in Columbia could make the Royals more aggressive about promoting to High-A later in 2026.

6th: Sean Gamble, OF/2B (Highest Level: High School)

Gamble was the Royals' first selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, going 23rd overall, five picks before Hammond. The prep prospect was drafted out of IMG Academy, but he grew up in Iowa with an affinity for the Royals.

The 19-year-old doesn't have the raw power or batted-ball upside of Hammond just yet. However, Gamble profiles as a better athlete who not only has blazing speed on the basepaths and gap-to-gap power, but is capable of playing multiple positions in the outfield and infield. 

Looking at his scouting report on MLB Pipeline, it seems the Royals' scouting department valued Gamble's versatility and his ability to grow into his athletic frame as he progressed in the farm system.

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Gamble is a left-handed hitter with a smooth and repeatable swing with a knack for finding the barrel, controlling the zone and doing damage to all fields. As he's gaining strength, he's showing more raw power and should continue to leverage the ball and get to more extra-base authority as he moves along. He had quality at-bats last summer to raise his profile.

A plus runner, Gamble saw a lot of time in center field over the summer of 2024 and looked good there, with some evaluators leaning towards favoring him in the outfield, where his athleticism and arm strength play well. Some don't want to give up on him on the dirt, though, thinking he could be an above-average defender at second base and/or be given a shot at shortstop. The Royals announced Gamble as an outfielder on Draft Day but noted they like his range on the dirt as well, keeping open multiple avenues to him contributing up the middle.

It was tough to discern between Gamble and Hammond as to who is the better prospect in the Royals' system (especially since both have no professional experience). Hammond definitely seems to have more polish now, especially offensively, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Hammond come out of the gate better in Low-A Columbia than his fellow draft classmate. 

However, Gamble has more upside and versatility, with the ability to be an accurate multi-position weapon, which fits what is needed in the modern MLB game. That gives Gamble the edge over Hammond as a prospect, for now. 

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!