Six Royals Prospects That Stood Out in the Spring Breakout

The Kansas City Royals' prospects dominated the 2026 Spring Breakout against the Texas Rangers' prospects on Friday in Surprise. The Royals won 9-2 and were never threatened after getting up 6-0 in the fifth inning.

Carter Jensen didn't play, as expected, with him likely making the Opening Day roster and getting ready for the 2026 MLB season. Furthermore, pitchers David Shields and Frank Mozzicato, our No. 3 and 20 prospects, didn't pitch either. They may have already pitched in previous Minor League Spring Training contests, which explains their absence (those aren't as widely publicized as Major League ones). 

That said, many still participated and delivered solid performances in the Royals' win over the Rangers.

Let's look at six Royals prospects (three pitchers and three position players) who stood out on Friday afternoon and what that could mean for the upcoming season.

Justin Lamkin, LHP

Lamkin was a competitive-B-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft for the Royals out of Texas A&M. He didn't pitch at all in the Minors last year, but he was stellar in his final season with the Aggies.

In 15 starts and 84.1 IP, the 21-year-old lefty posted a 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 3.41 FIP. He also had a 28% K% and a 22.6% K-BB% in his final season in College Station and posted a 15-strikeout complete-game shutout in Athens against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Lamkin got the nod for the Royals on Friday afternoon, and he was efficient in his three innings of work. He allowed no hits, no runs, and only one run while striking out six on 47 pitches (31 strikes). Here's a look at what his TJ Stats summary looked like from his Royals debut.

The TJ Stuff+ wasn't eye-popping at 97 overall. However, his four-seamer was excellent with a 104 TJ Stuff+ and a 59 grade. The pitch not only averaged 94 MPH, but also had a 17.6 iVB and generated a 33.3% whiff rate. His zone rate was a little inconsistent at 44.7%. That said, he generated a 34.6% chase rate, a 57.1% whiff rate, and a .247 xwOBACON. Safe to say, there wasn't much to complain about in Lamkin's first outing in a Kansas City uniform.

He wasn't on our Top-20, and he went a bit under the radar last year because he didn't pitch professionally in 2025. However, he could be part of a really good Quad Cities rotation and make some major gains in the system this year. 

Gavin Cross, OF

Cross missed out on our Top-20, mostly because he regressed in a repeat of Double-A Northwest Arkansas. After posting a 115 wRC+ in 436 plate appearances with the Naturals, he had a 92 wRC+ in 507 plate appearances in 2025. On a positive note, he still hit 17 home runs and stole 23 bases, and looked much better in the second half of the season.

In the Spring Breakout, the former first-round pick went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run that helped the Royals pull away from the Rangers in this contest. His home run was hit 404 feet and had an exit velocity of 110.1 MPH. 

If that wasn't enough, the former Virginia Tech Hokie made a sensational play on a hard-hit ball at first base. Cross has taken some innings at first base this year, a sign that the Royals may be interested in him developing some defensive versatility to make him a more intriguing call-up candidate.

After a disappointing 2025 season that saw him left off the 40-man roster this offseason (he went unselected in the Rule 5 Draft), he's been holding his own in Cactus League play. In 37 plate appearances, he is hitting .286 with a .810 OPS, and he has two home runs and seven RBI. He is still striking out a lot (14 strikeouts) and not walking much either (2 walks), but he's producing some intriguing exit velocity and hard-hit metrics this spring in Arizona.

Cross is far from a "sure thing" by any means, and he may not make enough contact to be anything more than a fringe Major League player, at best (he has a 73.3% Z-Contact% this spring, which ranks in the 8th percentile). However, with his sudden positional flexibility and budding power, he may be a sleeper for a midseason call-up.

Kendry Chourio, RHP

Chourio was probably the most anticipated Royals prospect to play in Friday's game, especially with all the hype he's received this offseason from prospect experts.

In his Spring Breakout debut, Chourio looked solid in two innings of work. He allowed no runs, one hit, no walks, and struck out three on 30 pitches (19 strikes). While those results were encouraging, the TJ Stuff+ metrics weren't as impressive, as illustrated below.

There are some encouraging signs in the TJ Stats summary from Chourio's outing today. He flooded the strike zone with a 56.7% zone rate. He also limited hard contact with a .274 xwOBACON. Those are two mature tools that aren't typical for teenage pitchers. 

On the other hand, he only had a 15.4% chase rate and 9.1% whiff rate. He located more of his pitches down in the zone, especially his four-seamer. Additionally, the four-seamer, despite averaging 97.1 MPH, had only a 95 TJ Stuff+ with an 11.5 iVB. Those aren't exactly great metrics, especially for a prospect of Chourio's caliber.

Granted, Chourio produced results, which is what one wants to see in a showcase like this. However, for those fans thinking that Chourio is knocking on the door of the Royals' rotation soon, they may need to cool their jets. Chourio still has a bit of work to do with the shape of his pitches, especially his four-seamer. 

Blake Mitchell, C

Despite the Jensen hype, Mitchell is proving this spring that Royals fans and prospect experts shouldn't sleep on Mitchell's outlook for 2026.

The 2023 first-round pick had a nice day on Friday at the plate. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run, which he launched in the top of the fifth off Rangers lefty Josh Trentadue. 

That kind of easy power, especially against a lefty and to the opposite field, is why the Royals drafted him eighth overall out of high school in 2023. In fact, his power has been a nice development this spring for the Royals in limited Spring Training action. 

In 11 plate appearances, he has a double and a home run and is posting an OPS of 1.031 and an ISO of .444. He still isn't hitting for a high average (.222), and he continues to show issues with contact and whiffs. That said, the exit velocity and hard-hit numbers have been off the charts for Mitchell this year in limited action.

Mitchell knows what he is as a hitter, and he has done a good job this spring of not chasing (97th percentile O_Swing%) while generating walks and maintaining a powerful stroke. Will that approach hold in Double-A (his projected starting level), or will he get exposed? Royals fans will find out in 2026, but right now, it's looking more like the former. 

Blake Wolters, RHP

Wolters didn't have a great performance in the Spring Breakout. In 1.1 IP, he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks and didn't strike out anyone. It was the typical Wolters performance: some intriguing stuff, but not many consistent results.

Still, I was intrigued by his outing because one of his pitches really stood out on a TJ Stuff+ scale, as illustrated below.

Yep, I'm sure you saw it too. That cutter.

Wolters threw his cutter 14 times, good for a usage rate of 43.8%, his second-most thrown offering of the day. However, while he threw his four-seamer more (46.9% usage), his four-seamer only had a 93 TJ Stuff+ compared to the cutter's 110 TJ Stuff+. 

In terms of results, the cutter had a 33.3% whiff rate and .040 xwOBACON. That's much better than the zero percent whiff and .510 xwOBACON from his four-seamer. In terms of his other offerings, he didn't throw much else. He threw his sinker only twice and his changeup once. His changeup had a decent 99 TJ Stuff+ and 54 grade, but it was only thrown once, so not much could be taken away from that offering today. 

Wolters is definitely still a project who may be a reliever long-term unless something dramatic happens. He's a two-pitch pitcher, and he doesn't have much of a third offering, something critics have pointed out in the past.

That said, Wolters is still 21, not Rule 5 eligible until December of 2027, and will be joining a loaded rotation in Quad Cities that will include Lamkin, Chourio, and Shields. I think Wolters could be in a situation where he could tap into his profile better, with the cutter being the pitch he builds around. 

Yandel Ricardo, 2B

Ricardo was all the rage as a Royals prospect early in 2025, especially after he came out on fire in the Arizona Complex League. 

In 145 plate appearances, the Cuban-born teenager hit .342 with a 151 wRC+. He also had two home runs, scored 26 runs, collected 21 RBI, and stole 17 bases in 33 games. He also posted a 0.51 BB/K ratio, showing a mature approach for a hitter so young in the Complex League.

As expected, the Royals promoted Ricardo to Low-A Columbia, and it was a more humbling experience. 

In 200 plate appearances with the Fireflies, he hit .212 with a 61 wRC+. He stole 14 bases and scored 24 runs in 50 games. However, he showed no power, with zero home runs and a .064 ISO. His plate discipline also waned a bit, as he only had a 0.32 BB/K ratio in Low-A ball.

As a result, Ricardo went from a possible Top-10 or even Top-5 prospect midseason to No. 11 in our rankings. That said, Ricardo showed in the Spring Breakout that he may be bouncing back in 2026, likely in a repeat of Low-A ball.

On Friday, the 19-year-old infielder went 1-for-1 with two walks and a double. He showed strong play in the field and had a mature approach at the plate. If that wasn't enough, he has also shown solid metrics in Spring Training, albeit in an extremely limited sample (three plate appearances).

What can we tell from his TJ Stats Summary? Ricardo doesn't chase; he's selective with his swings, and he has power potential for a 180-pound teenager.  Once he gains more experience and strength, he could be a monster, especially with his raw tools and athleticism.

Royals fans shouldn't be surprised if he takes a step forward in Low-A ball and looks more like his Complex League version from 2025. 

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!