Royals Prospects Who Could Make Their Debut In August Or September

For many teams who are out of the playoff race after the trade deadline, the rest of the season provides an opportunity to assess which players will be part of the future.

The Royals have plenty of players to build around, including Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and, of course, superstar Bobby Witt Jr. But who will play around them, or how will the Royals look to fill out the rest of the roster around those players and other veterans as well?

Here are a few possible debuts that could take place the rest of the 2026 season, which could lead to expanded roles going into 2027, where the Royals will look to return to competitiveness and a potential playoff berth.

RHP Lucas Braun (Triple-A)

A former sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Braves, Braun was acquired in the trade that sent OF Lane Thomas and LHP Bailey Falter to Atlanta near the trade deadline this year.

He started the year in Double-A, and after nine appearances, was promoted to Triple-A, where he has been since. Since being acquired by the Royals, he has made one appearance, throwing six innings and giving up two earned runs.

Across the three teams, he has made 20 appearances with 18 starts, throwing 100 ⅓ innings, striking out 85 and walking 28. He has a 3.50 ERA along with a 1.246 WHIP.

While the numbers aren’t super flashy, it could be worth a look to see how Braun does in his first taste of the major leagues in a lower-stakes environment with the Royals out of playoff contention this year.

OF Gavin Cross (Triple-A)

Cross was the ninth overall pick by the Royals in 2022 out of Virginia Tech, where he hit .340/.412/.609 with 28 home runs and 28 stolen bases in 124 games.

Since being drafted, Cross has had some ups and downs, but has looked more comfortable at the plate over the past few years. This year with Triple-A Omaha, he has hit .249/.314/.420 with 12 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .734 OPS. Cross strikes out at a pretty high rate, with 113 strikeouts in 393 plate appearances (28.8% strikeout rate), so that would be something he and the Royals hope to cut down on.

He has shown the ability to play all three outfield spots, but has played in the corner outfield exclusively when not the designated hitter this year. With the trade of Thomas, the Royals could look to give him a chance to see if the 25-year-old can become a more solid part of the organization's plans.

LHP Hunter Patteson (Double-A)

Patteson was first drafted by the Cubs in the 35th round back in 2019 but decided to attend the University of Central Florida, where he pitched for three years. He made 32 appearances in college, with 18 starts, throwing 100 innings, to go with 118 strikeouts and 48 walks.

The Royals drafted him in the 5th round in 2022, and he has slowly climbed the organizational ladder, reaching Double-A in 2025 and pitching there again this season. In four seasons of playing in the Royals organization, he has made 77 appearances with 63 starts, throwing a total of 326 innings.

In his first full year in Double-A this year, he has made 21 appearances, 20 of them starts. He has a 4.34 ERA over 95 ⅓ innings with 80 strikeouts and 46 walks. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but there is an outside chance the Royals would want to take a look at him at a higher level to see if he can be part of their long-term plans, whether that be in the rotation or out of the bullpen.

He isn’t necessarily a highly rated prospect, but could prove to be a solid option from the left side. In July, he had a 2.70 ERA over 20 innings pitched. He’s made two appearances in August, throwing five and six innings in each, and giving up five earned runs in those 11 innings.

Other MLB debuts that are possible include IF Jacob Berry, catchers Luca Tresh and Elih Marrero, and RHP Ben Sears.

Which of these prospects are you most excited about, or are you hoping to see at Kauffman Stadium before the end of the 2026 season?

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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!