Royals Prospects to Make Splash in AFL All-Star Weekend

 On Wednesday, the AFL announced its rosters for its Fall Stars Game on Sunday, November 8th. Royals prospects will be well-represented in Sunday's contest, with two hitters and a pitcher playing.

Outfielder Angeibel Gomez was named to the AFL All-Star team first via the AFL's official social media.

Despite being 17, Gomez held his own in Arizona this fall. In 36 at-bats, he is hitting .306 with an .834 OPS. He also hit three doubles, one triple, and stole four bases. Gomez has also posted strong percentiles in his Statcast categories, especially in making contact and pulling the ball in the air this fall.

Gomez's whiff% ranks in the 67th percentile, his LA Sweet-Spot% ranks in the 66th percentile, and his pull air% ranks in the 74th percentile. The exit velocity on batted balls has been a little inconsistent (18th percentile, 90th EV), but he has shown a combination of contact ability and power with the Saguaros that has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in baseball this fall.

Shortly after Gomez's announcement, outfielder Zion Rose and pitcher Justin Lamkin were also named to Sunday's Fall Stars game. 

Rose debuted with Quad Cities last year after being drafted 6th overall in the 2026 MLB Draft out of Louisville. After hitting .268 with a .727 OPS in 90 plate appearances for the River Bandits, Rose has carried his encouraging High-A campaign into the Arizona Fall League.

In 52 at-bats, the former Cardinals draft pick is hitting .327 with a 1.012 OPS. He also has two home runs, 16 runs, 13 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Rose has shown more power lately, as shown by this home run in his last game with Surprise. 

In addition to Rose, Lamkin was also named to the AFL Fall Stars game. The former Texas A&M product pitched in eight games and 39.2 IP between High-A and Double-A ball last year, posting a 2.04 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 2.87 FIP. However, he was shut down by an undisclosed injury and missed the rest of the year after only two starts in Northwest Arkansas.

After a rough start this fall, the lefty has settled down and become one of Surprise's best arms. He's posting a 3.52 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 4.00 FIP in 15.1 IP. His line includes a 23.7% K%, 16.9% K-BB%, and 50% GB%. Lamkin has produced many strikes and whiffs (30.7% whiff%), but he has also limited hard contact, as shown by his strong groundball rate and .343 xwOBACON. 

Lamkin's TJ Stuff+ metrics have been questionable this fall, as evidenced by his 92 overall TJ Stuff+ and 85 TJ Stuff+ on his four-seamer. That said, it hasn't seemed to impact his ability to throw strikes and generate weak contact in the AFL, which is encouraging, especially for a pitcher coming off an injury.

Bryan to Participate in Home Run Derby

One Royals prospect who has emerged this fall is catcher Brooks Bryan, a former 8th-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Troy. Bryan hit .319 with a .902 OPS in 138 plate appearances with the Columbia Fireflies. However, injury limited him to just 33 games in Low-A ball.

This fall, Bryan hasn't missed a beat with Surprise. He's hitting .314 with a 1.024 OPS, and he's also hit 4 home runs and driven in 16 runs. Beyond solid surface-level metrics this fall, Bryan's Statcast percentiles have been impressive this spring, especially in exit velocity, and barrel and hard-hit rates.

Bryan's four home runs lead the Saguaros, which is why he was named to the AFL Home Run Derby.

In addition to participating in the Derby, Bryan has an outside shot at playing in the Fall Stars game on Sunday. He is one of three prospects eligible for fan voting for the last two spots in the Fall Stars game. Fans can vote for Bryan now until Friday night.

Bryan is competing for a Fall Stars roster spot against Kyle West of the Yankees and Jake Munroe of the Angels. 

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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!