Royals Minor League Pitchers of the Month: June 2026

 Yesterday, we talked about the top hitters in the Royals farm system in June. In this post, we highlight four pitchers, one from each Royals affiliate, who had strong performances on the mound in the past month.

Identifying the pitchers was much tougher than the hitters, especially in the upper levels of the Royals farm system (i.e., Double-A and Triple-A). However, some encouraging arms emerged in June, especially in Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities. Of those four, three were starters, and one was a reliever.

Hence, let's break down those four top June Minor League pitching performers. 

Triple-A Omaha: Ryan Ramsey, LHP

I talked about Ramsey as a pitcher who may deserve an opportunity to prove himself at the Major League level, especially with the Royals' pitching depth seriously challenged due to injury. While he doesn't have eye-popping stuff (97 overall TJ Stuff+), he has been efficient on the mound, especially in the past month.

In four starts and 18.2 IP, the former Maryland product produced a 3.86 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. His K% was low at 17.9%, but he did generate a lot of chase in June (31% O-Swing%) and limited hard contact as well (29.6% Hard-Hit rate). His wOBA (.304) and xwOBA (.291) were also strong, as they both ranked in the 86th percentile. Those numbers seemed to make up for a mediocre FIP (4.60) and K-BB% (6.4%). 

I'm not sure if Ramsey is the kind of pitcher that the Royals would throw every five days. However, he could be a hybrid pitcher who could make spot starts or pitch in long relief. When he's on, he can generate swing-and-miss, as evidenced in this game from April.

Ramsey, a 13th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, isn't a top prospect by any means. That said, during a lost season like this one, he's the kind of arm worth giving a shot to to see what he could offer the pitching staff at the Major League level. 

Double-A Northwest Arkansas: Hunter Patteson, LHP

A Royals Spring Training non-roster invitee, Patteson was the Naturals' best starter in June. 

The 2022 5th-Round pick led all Northwest Arkansas pitchers in innings pitched (28.2), and he posted a 3.14 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Like Ramsey, he didn't strike out a ton of batters (19.6% K%), and his CSW was mediocre (22.2%). However, he generated a chase rate of 34.1%, which ranked in the 90th percentile. 

Patteson is a tall lefty who works efficiently, even if he doesn't have overpowering stuff. He succeeded in Columbia in 2024, posting a 3.27 ERA in 55.1 IP, and put up even stronger numbers in Quad Cities in 2025, with a 1.99 ERA in 72.1 IP. This year with the Naturals, he has an overall ERA of 4.80 in 69.1 IP. At the very least, Patteson can stay healthy and eat innings, which is valuable. 

The 26-year-old got some valuable work in Spring Training with the Royals this past spring as a non-roster invitee, which shows that the Royals think somewhat highly of his potential, even though he has progressed past Double-A just yet. 

Patteson may be more of a Daniel Lynch IV type, especially since he doesn't post gaudy strikeout numbers for a starter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Patteson not only get a promotion to Triple-A soon, but also change his role to give him a more realistic shot in the Big Leagues. 

High-A Quad Cities: L.P. Langevin, RHP

Langevin was the only reliever of this group, but he arguably was the most dominant with a June to remember. 

In nine outings and 10.1 IP with the River Bandits this month, Langevin posted a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He also sported some ridiculous strikeout numbers, with a 55% K% and 42.5% K-BB%. Midwest League hitters struggled against Langevin in June, as the Quebec native produced a 52.1% whiff rate, a 59.6% Z-Contact%, and 40.8% CSW. A product of Louisiana-Lafayette, Langevin showed that he is not only ready for a promotion to Double-A, but he is also a possible dark horse to make the 2026 Opening Day roster. 

On the Royals Pipeline Podcast on the Kansas City Sports Network, Jared Perkins of Just Baseball and I interviewed him, and we were impressed by his competitive attitude and demeanor. Even though he is a pitcher, he has a hockey mindset, stemming from growing up with the game in French Canada. I believe that makeup, to go along with elite stuff, will help him become a high-leverage reliever at the Major League level in 2027 or 2028 at the latest. 

The only thing that could hold Langevin back is the control, as he has an 18.8% walk rate this year. He also struggled with that issue in 2025 (21.2% BB%) and in the Arizona Fall League. However, he has shown progress in June with a 12.5% walk rate, which is 6.3% lower than his season-long rate.

If he continues to improve in this area, Langevin will move quickly, especially since the Royals lack premium bullpen arms currently. 

Low-A Columbia: Jose Gutierrez, RHP

Gutierrez didn't get much buzz in the preseason because he was hit around in his Columbia debut last season. While he dominated the Arizona Complex League with a 0.99 ERA in 27.1 IP, he struggled initially with the Fireflies, posting a 5.77 ERA in 39 IP. Thus, the 23-year-old was seen as an afterthought in Columbia, especially with higher-profile pitching prospects like Kendry Chourio, Michael Lombardi, and Shane Van Dam on the staff. 

However, Gutierrez has been solid this year for the Fireflies in his second stint.

In 16 outings and 72.1 IP this year, he has a 3.36 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with a 3.49 FIP and 17.2% K-BB%. Furthermore, the Venezuelan righty has stepped it up to another level in June.

In 27.1 IP this month, he posted a 1.65 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with a 2.95 FIP and 24% K-BB%. Gutierrez was a strike machine in June with a 33.9% CSW (97th percentile), 70.3% Strike% (98th percentile), 42.2% O-Swing% (100th percentile), and 26% K% (68th percentile). He still gave up a lot of contact in the zone (86.3%), which explains why his whiff rate wasn't as impressive (27.2%, which ranked in the 43rd percentile). Still, Gutierrez was Columbia's most efficient starter in June by a significant margin.

He is an older pitching prospect at 23, and he's already Rule 5 eligible. Thus, if the Royals want to promote him, they may move him to the bullpen so he could move more quickly in the Royals' system. His profile is similar to Carlos Hernandez, who also debuted in professional ball late for an international signee.

Despite his age, he's a pitcher to watch out for, especially once he moves to High-A Quad Cities, which likely will happen after the July 12th MLB Draft. 

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!