Brock Beauchamp

Thank you for voting! Ranked ProspectsKendry ChourioDavid ShieldsJosh HammondBlake MitchellSean GambleRamon RamirezDrew BeamCarson RoccaforteAsbel GonzalezYandel RicardoMichael LombardiBen KudrnaJustin LamkinFelix ArrondeBlake WoltersSteven ZobacAustin CharlesDaniel VazquezKamden EdgeWarren Colcano

Image courtesy of © Brad Mills-Imagn Images The Royals launched home runs early and held on for a 6-2 win at Nationals Park, getting a four-hit afternoon from Carter Jensen, who finished 4-for-4 with a home run and a double. Three other Royals went deep — John Rave, Lane Thomas, and Michael Massey — to build the lead. Starter Luinder Avila handled the rest, working 5 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts. The bullpen covered the final innings to close out the four-run margin. Here are all four home runs the Royals hit in the game: Michael Massey Homers to Center (+0.068 Win Expectancy) Massey batted in the top of the third inning with the Royals already ahead 3-0 and one out. Facing Zack Littell with a 1-1 count, he turned on an 87.7 mph slider and drove it to center field. The ball left the bat at 105.6 mph and traveled 430 feet for his seventh home run of the season, pushing the lead to 4-0. It was the second Royals home run of the inning and was the second of consecutive long balls against the Washington starter. Lane Thomas Homers to Center (+0.087 Win Expectancy) Thomas came up in the top of the third with the Royals leading 2-0 and one out. He worked the count to 2-2 against Zack Littell and connected on a 92.5 mph sinker, sending it to center field. The ball came off the bat at 100.8 mph and carried 411 feet for his fifth home run of the year, extending the lead to 3-0. It set the stage for back-to-back Royals home runs in the inning. Carter Jensen Homers to Right (+0.096 Win Expectancy) Jensen led off the game in the top of the first against Zack Littell. Down 1-2 in the count, he got an 82 mph splitter and lifted it to right field. The ball traveled 366 feet for his ninth home run of the season and opened the scoring at 1-0. The leadoff shot was the first of his four hits on the day and set the tone for the Royals' early offense. John Rave Homers to Center (+0.098 Win Expectancy) Rave batted in the top of the second inning with the Royals up 1-0 and one out. He jumped on the first pitch from Zack Littell, a 92.1 mph four-seam fastball, and lined it to center field. The ball left the bat at 106.3 mph and traveled 402 feet for his first home run of the 2026 season, increasing the lead to 2-0. It was the hardest-hit of the Royals' four home runs on the afternoon. The Royals return home Thursday to open a series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM CT. Kansas City is expected to start Noah Cameron (4.11 ERA), with St. Louis countering with left-hander Matthew Liberatore (4.71 ERA). View full article

Voting closes tonight!

Unlike other publications, Royals Keep enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a Royals Keep account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Royals' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Royals prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://royalskeep.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in the minor league forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Wednesday, June 17. View full article

Well, this season isn't going as planned. If the Royals sell at the deadline - which looks likely at this point - should they try to move Ragans?

Kyle Odegard shared this with me via email: Article: https://www.actionnetwork.com/mlb/clint-hurdle-interview-paul-skenes-rockies-rebuild Hurdle on the impressiveness of Bobby Witt, Jr. "He's everything you want in a ballplayer. He's everything you want in a teammate, from my understanding. Everybody's a fan of this guy. Just the work ethic. I know his dad. "The game of baseball needs men like that involved. He is a postcard for the game of baseball, for the younger generation to pull for and identify with. He's another guy we just hope can stay on the field and be healthy, because I think a lot of good things will happen." Hurdle on if it’s a matter of time before Witt, Jr. wins an MVP "Well, you'd like to think so, but there's just so many good players on that level. The fact that he hasn't won the MVP with the years he's had, it tells you how good the talent level is. "I had (Todd) Helton and (Larry) Walker in Colorado, Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Michael Young in Texas when I was hitting coach, Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh. Most of those guys found MVP seasons. You like to think Bobby will.” Hurdle on why his good friend and ex-teammate George Brett became an MLB legend "I think the one thing that people don't realize about George is how hard he worked to become good. He was a second-round pick, but he wasn't that guy that everybody talked about. I was a first round pick. I was a phenom on SI. Jamie Quirk was talked about more. Willie Wilson was talked about more than George Brett. "George Brett's in the Hall of Fame. George Brett's work ethic was off the charts. Discipline and focus. He was an okay fielder when he came up. He became a gold glover. He was a tremendous base-runner. He was the definition of a ballplayer. He could lead with words, but he led more by example every day, the way he played the game. His brand, once he walked on the field, was to beat your a–. That's it. There's two guys I've had like that. Todd Helton was the other one. When they walked on the field, they had one goal. To go on the field and beat your a–." Hurdle on still rooting for the Royals "I always pull for them. I always love going to KC. It's kind of like your first girlfriend. It was a team that I broke into the big leagues with. We had good teams. We played on the turf. "We were a good team nobody knew about out in the Midwest until we knocked off the Yankees and went to the World Series in 1980. A lot of wonderful memories. I do like to follow the Royals and keep up with them. Tremendous fanbase, and you hope for good things for them this year and moving on."

He's still striking out guys, feels like malpractice if you don't give him a shot at the bullpen before you give up on him.

This is the first DiamondCentric-wide poll, click into the link to vote. Do you care more about the next CBA having a salary cap or a salary floor? I know many of you want to hammer "both!", but ya gotta choose one. Do you care more about MLB mandating a salary floor or a salary cap? - DiamondCentric DIAMONDCENTRIC.NET

1. Create Your Blog When you click the Blogs section on the top menu, you'll be taken to a list of most of the most recent entries from our community. At the top of this feed, you'll see the "Create a Blog" button. Click it, and you'll be asked to enter a few high-level details: the title of your blog within the site (i.e., "John's Royals Blog" or something more clever/creative), a brief description, and the category it will belong to (if you're not sure, just pick "General"). To hop on over to the blog index page now, click here. 2. Publish Your First Entry Congrats, you have a blog! Now give people a reason to come check it out. On your blog page, you'll see a red button on the right-hand side, "Add Blog Entry." Click it to draft your content. Here you can either compose within the CMS, or copy-and-paste what you've written elsewhere (Word, Google Doc, notes app, etc.). You'll also be prompted to choose a category for your post (select "Use an existing entry category" and pick the one that fits best, or create a new one). You can either publish immediately or schedule it to go live in the future. 3. Support Your Position with Stats We now support copying and pasting Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs stat tables directly into the site, just select the table in your browser and paste it directly into the text editor. 4. Tips to Make Your Blog Look Great First, upload an image! Just below the blog entry area, you will see a Featured Photo bar. Grab a photo and drag it into that space, which will upload the image, feature it, and make it more likely your blog will be noticed (and commented on). 5. Promote and Keep Blogging Royals Keep has a naturally built-in audience of passionate Royals fans, so your content will likely get some views on its own. But spread the word! Tell your friends to check it out and share it on your social media profiles. Keep writing regularly to hone your skills and grow your readership. Those who post consistently high-quality content in the blog section often get the opportunity to move up to the (paid) front page.

Welcome to Royals Keep! It's possible they regret it, but finding a guy like Champlain on waivers usually isn't that hard. He has some nice stats, but doesn't strike anybody out. That doesn't really play at the big-league level.

Thank you for voting! Ranked ProspectsKendry ChourioDavid ShieldsSean GambleBlake MitchellJosh HammondRamon RamirezDrew BeamAsbel GonzalezBen KudrnaCarson RoccaforteYandel RicardoFelix ArrondeBlake WoltersMichael LombardiLuinder AvilaSteven ZobacFrank MozzicatoDaniel VazquezWarren ColcanoShane Panzini

Royals farmhands had a rough night across the system. Mitch Spence delivered a quality start in Triple-A, but Omaha fell in extras after Gavin Cross's two-run double in the ninth tied it. Carson Roccaforte and Connor Scott homered for the Naturals in a 10-9 walk-off loss. Justin Lamkin spun five scoreless innings, and Ramon Ramirez homered as Quad Cities blanked Cedar Rapids, 2-0. Michael Lombardi struck out nine over five hitless innings in Columbia's extra-inning defeat. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Fall In Walk-Off After Cross Doubles In Two To Force Extras Omaha lost 5-4 in 10 innings to the Indianapolis Indians, undone by a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth. The Storm Chasers struck first in the third when Josh Rojas drove a two-run home run to right field, his third of the season. Indianapolis cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third on an RBI double. Cleanup hitter Luca Tresh went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. With two outs in the ninth and Omaha trailing 4-2, Tresh singled, Elih Marrero walked, and Gavin Cross laced a two-run double to right that scored both runners and tied the game at 4-4. Cross finished 1-for-3 with a walk and the two-RBI double. Mitch Spence delivered a quality start of 6 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, two runs, two earned, two walks, and four strikeouts. Chazz Martinez followed and surrendered three hits, two earned runs, and a walk while recording one out, taking the blown save. Steven Cruz worked one inning of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out two. Jose Cuas was charged with the loss after 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, an unearned run, two intentional walks, and a strikeout. The zombie runner scored on a soft single to right to end it. Omaha left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert 5 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Rojas 5 1 1 1 0 2 Kameron Misner 5 0 0 0 0 2 Luca Tresh 4 2 2 0 0 2 Abraham Toro 4 0 0 0 0 1 Elih Marrero 3 1 1 0 1 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 1 2 1 1 Dustin Dickerson 2 0 0 0 2 0 Colton Becker 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mitch Spence 6 2/3 1 2 2 2 4 0 Chazz Martinez 1/3 3 2 2 1 0 0 Steven Cruz 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Jose Cuas 1 2/3 2 1 0 2 1 0 Naturals Drop Slugfest As Frisco Walks Off In The Tenth Northwest Arkansas lost a 10-9 thriller to the Frisco RoughRiders in 10 innings despite a four-hit night from Jack Pineda and home runs from Carson Roccaforte and Connor Scott. Leadoff hitter Roccaforte opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first, his eighth of the season. The Naturals built a 5-2 lead in the fourth when Jorge Alfaro was hit by a pitch, Pineda doubled to put runners on the corners, and Scott launched a three-run home run to right field. Pineda went 4-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Scott finished 2-for-5 with two runs, three RBI, a stolen base, and the homer. Rudy Martin Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored. The decisive sixth brought three more runs. Pineda singled, Scott singled to put runners on the corners, and with two outs Martin doubled to score Pineda before Sam Kulasingam singled to plate Scott and Martin, pushing the lead to 8-4. Drew Beam allowed seven hits, four runs all earned, three walks, and two strikeouts across five innings, surrendering one home run. Caden Monke followed with a clean inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. Christian Chamberlain was charged with two earned runs on a hit and a walk while recording one out. Brandon Johnson worked 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three, picking up a hold. Zachary Cawyer took the loss after one inning, allowing two hits, three runs, one earned, and four walks, two of them intentional, while striking out two. Northwest Arkansas left six runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 1 1 1 0 2 Rudy Martin Jr. 4 2 2 1 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 4 0 1 2 1 1 Brett Squires 4 1 1 1 0 0 Daniel Vazquez 5 0 1 0 0 1 Jorge Alfaro 3 1 0 1 0 2 Jack Pineda 5 2 4 0 0 0 Connor Scott 5 2 2 3 0 2 Canyon Brown 4 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Drew Beam 5 7 4 4 3 2 1 Caden Monke 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Christian Chamberlain 1/3 1 2 2 1 0 0 Brandon Johnson 1 2/3 3 1 1 0 3 0 Zachary Cawyer 1 2 3 1 4 2 0 River Bandits Blank Kernels Behind Lamkin's Six-Strikeout Start Quad Cities won 2-0 over the Cedar Rapids Kernels behind a strong start from Justin Lamkin and a hitless bullpen finish. The River Bandits scored both runs early. In the second, cleanup hitter Ramon Ramirez crushed a solo home run to left field, his fourth of the year. In the third, Angel Acosta singled and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Nolan Sailors that was misplayed at first, then scored when Blake Mitchell ripped a ground-rule double to shallow right. Ramirez finished 3-for-4 with the home run, an RBI, a run scored, and a strikeout. Mitchell went 1-for-4 with the RBI double, while Erick Torres added a single and a stolen base. Asbel Gonzalez drew a walk and struck out twice. The rest of the lineup combined for two more hits, but the Bandits stranded 11 runners on base. Justin Lamkin earned the win with five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out six. Ryan Ure followed with a scoreless inning, surrendering one hit and two walks while striking out one, picking up a hold. L.P. Langevin worked two scoreless innings of hitless relief, walking two and striking out two, also recording a hold. Kamden Edge closed it out with a scoreless inning, walking two and striking out one, earning his first save of the season. The bottom of the ninth was not played. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors 3 0 0 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez 3 0 0 0 1 2 Blake Mitchell 4 0 1 1 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 3 1 0 1 Derlin Figueroa 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jose Cerice 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tyriq Kemp 2 0 0 0 1 1 Erick Torres 3 0 1 0 0 1 Angel Acosta 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Justin Lamkin 5 2 0 0 2 6 0 Ryan Ure 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 L.P. Langevin 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Kamden Edge 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Lombardi Strikes Out Nine In Fireflies' Extra-Inning Loss Columbia fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers despite a dominant start from Michael Lombardi. The Fireflies' two runs both came in the fourth. Leadoff hitter Henry Ramos singled, Yandel Ricardo doubled to put runners on second and third, and Josh Hammond grounded out to score Ramos. Brooks Bryan walked, Sean Gamble singled to load the bases, and Hyungchan Um followed with an RBI single that scored Bryan, with Gamble thrown out at third to end the inning. Cleanup hitter Brooks Bryan went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Ricardo finished 1-for-4 with a double. Hammond added a double of his own and an RBI. Ramos, Gamble, Um, and JC Vanek each contributed a single. Michael Lombardi turned in five scoreless, hitless innings, walking two and striking out nine. Darwin Rodriguez was charged with the loss, going 4 1/3 innings while allowing four hits, three runs, two earned, one walk, and four strikeouts, also taking the blown save. Rodriguez surrendered the tying run in the bottom of the ninth on a Marcelo Alcala double, then yielded the walk-off run in the tenth on a wild pitch that scored the zombie runner from third. The Fireflies left four runners on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos 4 1 1 0 0 2 Yandel Ricardo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 0 1 1 0 1 Brooks Bryan 3 1 1 0 1 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 0 0 1 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 1 0 2 Stone Russell 4 0 0 0 0 4 JC Vanek 4 0 1 0 0 2 Daniel Lopez 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Michael Lombardi 5 0 0 0 2 9 0 Darwin Rodriguez 4 1/3 4 3 2 1 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K Ramon Ramirez: 3-for-4, HR, R, RBI, K Drew Beam: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-4, 2B, K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-5, K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, HR, R, RBI, 2 K Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article

Blake Wolters fanned nine over 5 2/3 innings as the Columbia Fireflies routed Kannapolis 7-2, with Yandel Ricardo, JC Vanek, and Ivan Sosa each homering. Carson Roccaforte's two-run shot for Northwest Arkansas could not erase Frank Mozzicato's rough four-inning outing, as the Naturals fell 10-3 at Frisco. Aiden Jimenez allowed one unearned run across five innings of relief, but Quad Cities lost 3-2 in 10 to Cedar Rapids on a tiebreaking single. Omaha's game was postponed. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals activated RHP Stephen Kolek from the 15-day injured list. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Mason Black to Omaha Storm Chasers. Storm Chasers Game Postponed In Omaha The Omaha Storm Chasers' scheduled game was postponed. Late Homers Not Enough As Naturals Fall At Frisco The Northwest Arkansas Naturals dropped a 10-3 decision at Frisco, undone by a rough middle of the game. Frank Mozzicato worked four innings, allowing four runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Two of those hits left the yard. Mozzicato departed after four, and the RoughRiders broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth, plating six runs against the Naturals' bullpen, including three more home runs, to push the lead to 10-0. The Naturals finally got on the board in the seventh when cleanup hitter Brett Squires led off with his sixth home run of the season. Squires finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Northwest Arkansas added two more in the eighth. Justin Johnson drew a leadoff walk, and Carson Roccaforte followed with a two-run blast to center, his seventh of the year. Roccaforte's homer accounted for both of his RBIs on the day. Daniel Vazquez singled and walked, while Justin Johnson reached three times on a hit and two walks. The Naturals stranded seven runners. Augusto Mendieta worked the rest of the fifth and sixth, allowing one unearned run, and Christian Chamberlain and Andrew Morones followed with a hitless frame apiece. The Naturals managed six hits, struck out 11 times, and were charged with one error. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte, CF 5 1 1 2 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr., LF 3 0 0 0 1 3 Sam Kulasingam, RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Brett Squires, 1B 4 1 2 1 0 1 Daniel Vazquez, SS 3 0 1 0 1 1 Spencer Nivens, DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Pineda, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 Omar Hernandez, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 Justin Johnson, 2B 2 1 1 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 4 4 4 4 1 3 2 Oscar Rayo 0 4 5 5 1 0 2 Augusto Mendieta 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 Christian Chamberlain 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 Andrew Morones 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 River Bandits Drop Extra-Inning Heartbreaker To Kernels The Quad Cities River Bandits fell 3-2 in 10 innings to Cedar Rapids, unable to push across the tying run after the Kernels broke through in the top of the 10th. Aiden Jimenez took over in the sixth and worked five innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run with no walks and a strikeout. Cedar Rapids pushed across the go-ahead run in the 10th when zombie runner Marek Houston was moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single to center. Starter Mason Miller logged four innings, giving up five hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out three. Dash Albus surrendered a run in his lone inning of work. Quad Cities tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Tyriq Kemp singled to open the frame and came around to score on Asbel Gonzalez's RBI single. Ramon Ramirez followed with a single, and Asbel Gonzalez later came around to score the tying run before the rally ended. Asbel Gonzalez finished 2-for-4 with the RBI single, a run scored, and two stolen bases. Ramon Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a stolen base. Derlin Figueroa added two doubles in a 2-for-4 effort. Tyriq Kemp went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and scored the run. Blake Mitchell was intentionally walked in the 10th. The River Bandits collected 10 hits, drew three walks, and stranded 10 runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors, RF 5 0 1 0 0 1 Asbel Gonzalez, CF 4 1 2 1 0 1 Blake Mitchell, DH 4 0 0 0 1 2 Ramon Ramirez, C 5 0 2 0 0 1 Luke Pelzer, LF 4 0 1 0 1 1 Austin Charles, SS 3 0 0 0 1 2 Derlin Figueroa, 3B 4 0 2 0 0 1 Jose Cerice, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 Tyriq Kemp, 2B 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Mason Miller 4 5 1 1 3 3 0 Dash Albus 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Aiden Jimenez 5 2 1 0 0 1 0 Wolters Strikes Out Nine As Fireflies Down Cannon Ballers Blake Wolters dominated for the Columbia Fireflies in a 7-2 win at Kannapolis, working 5 2/3 innings while allowing two hits and one earned run with two walks and nine strikeouts. The lone blemish was a solo home run in the sixth. Randy Ramnarace, Jhon Reyes, and Yeri Perez followed out of the bullpen, with Ramnarace and Reyes combining to keep the Cannon Ballers off the board across 2 1/3 innings before Perez allowed a run in the ninth. Columbia took control with three solo home runs in three consecutive innings. Ivan Sosa, his fourth of the year, opened the scoring in the third. JC Vanek added his third in the fourth, and Yandel Ricardo turned on his first of the season in the fifth, putting the Fireflies up 4-0. The Fireflies blew the game open in the ninth. Stone Russell singled, JC Vanek walked, and Daniel Lopez bunted for a single that Stone Russell scored on after a throwing error from the first baseman. Ivan Sosa drove in JC Vanek with a fielder's choice, and leadoff hitter Henry Ramos plated Daniel Lopez with a groundout to push the margin to six. Yandel Ricardo finished 2-for-5 with the home run, a triple, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. JC Vanek reached three times on a hit and two walks. Ivan Sosa drove in two. The Fireflies recorded six hits, three home runs, and stranded seven runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos, LF 5 0 0 1 0 3 Yandel Ricardo, SS 5 2 2 1 0 1 Josh Hammond, 3B 4 0 0 0 1 0 Brooks Bryan, C 3 0 0 0 1 2 Sean Gamble, CF 5 0 0 0 0 2 Stone Russell, 2B 4 1 1 0 0 1 JC Vanek, 1B 2 2 1 1 2 0 Daniel Lopez, RF 2 1 1 0 2 0 Ivan Sosa, DH 4 1 1 2 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters 5 2/3 2 1 1 2 9 1 Randy Ramnarace 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 2 0 Jhon Reyes 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 Yeri Perez 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-5, 2 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, BB, SB Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-5, SB, K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K, 2 SB Yandel Ricardo: 2-for-5, 3B, HR, RBI, 2 R, SB, K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-3, BB, K Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, R, K, SB Blake Wolters: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 1 HR Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR View full article

Welcome to Royals Keep!

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Unlike other publications, Royals Keep enables all users to contribute to our top prospect rankings. Anyone with a Royals Keep account can participate and give their input on who they think should be in the Royals' top prospects list. Before you vote, you can hit our top prospects page for the latest stats and news on Royals prospects, while on the voting page, every name is a clickable link that brings up their current stat card. Voting is simple, just follow the instructions below! Here's the rundown on how to participate: 1. You must have an account and be logged in to vote. If you don't have an account, click here. It requires only 60 seconds to create an account. 2. Review our current top 20 prospect list, catch up on stats, rankings, etc. (you can do so from the voting page link below) 3. Have your prospect list in your filthy little paws? Then flip on over to the new prospect voting page (after reading the rest of this, please). https://royalskeep.com/prospect-voting 4. Voting is super simple; you drag and drop players in the order you wish them to be. After you move a prospect, the list automatically renumbers so you don't lose track of the order. This works on mobile devices, but it's a *vastly* better experience on desktop. Sorry, that's just how this kind of thing works. There's no excellent way to make something like this as awesome on a phone screen. 5. Each prospect has a comment section where you can add any commentary you have on that player. At the bottom of the list, there is a general comment section to explain over-arching things you'd like to mention. 6. Don't see a prospect you want to put on the list? Just pop back here and give me a mention (in a comment, start typing @Brock Beauchamp and select my name after it appears). Please mention the prospect you would like added, and I will do so as soon as possible. 7. Once you're done with all of it, click Save. You've now voted! 8. When the voting closes, a new thread will automatically generate in this forum with all of your rankings and comments for everyone to read and talk about. 9. You can only vote once. If you have voted in error, pop back here and tag Brock to ask to have your vote deleted. It will be removed, and you can vote again. Voting closes Friday, April 8. View full article

Felix Arronde threw five no-hit innings in Game 2, and Chase Jessee earned the win in Game 1 as Northwest Arkansas swept Springfield 4-2 and 4-2. Colton Becker tripled and doubled in the nightcap. Henry Ramos went 3-for-5 with a home run in Columbia's 7-3 loss at Myrtle Beach, where Blake Wolters allowed six runs, one earned, over 4 2/3 innings. Gavin Cross tripled in Omaha's 5-1 loss to Louisville. Quad Cities was postponed. Royals Transactions No Roster Moves Storm Chasers Strand Twelve In 5-1 Loss To Louisville Stephen Kolek absorbed the loss with 4 1/3 innings, eight hits, three runs allowed, one earned, four strikeouts, and no walks in a 5-1 defeat to Louisville. Two unearned runs came across in a three-run third inning, when a fielder's choice combined with a throwing error, followed by a sacrifice fly and an RBI double, pushed the Bats to a 3-0 lead. The bullpen kept Omaha within range. Beck Way struck out three over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Bailey Falter worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Eli Morgan retired both batters he faced, including a strikeout. Eric Cerantola gave up a solo home run and an RBI double in the ninth, charged with two earned runs over an inning of work. Omaha had its chances. Tyler Tolbert and John Rave each went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Tolbert added a stolen base. Gavin Cross tripled in the ninth and scored on Dustin Dickerson's sacrifice fly, the only run the Storm Chasers managed. Luke Maile collected a single and a walk. Kameron Misner walked once. Dickerson drew two walks. The Storm Chasers stranded 12 runners, and despite six hits, were unable to bunch them. The Bats added two more in the ninth on a solo home run and an RBI double off Cerantola, padding the margin to four. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert (3B) 4 0 2 0 1 2 John Rave (DH) 4 0 2 0 1 1 Kameron Misner (CF) 4 0 0 0 1 2 Drew Waters (RF) 5 0 0 0 0 3 Josh Rojas (2B) 3 0 0 0 1 0 Abraham Toro (1B) 3 0 0 0 1 0 Luke Maile (C) 3 0 1 0 1 1 Gavin Cross (LF) 4 1 1 0 0 1 Dustin Dickerson (SS) 1 0 0 1 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Stephen Kolek (L) 4 1/3 8 3 1 0 4 0 Beck Way 1 2/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Bailey Falter 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Eli Morgan 0 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Eric Cerantola 1 3 2 2 1 1 1 Naturals Rally Past Springfield 4-2 In Game 1 Of Doubleheader The Northwest Arkansas Naturals erased an early two-run deficit and pulled away with a two-run sixth inning to take Game 1 of the doubleheader, 4-2. Frank Mozzicato gave the Naturals three innings and was charged with two runs allowed, both unearned, after a first-inning unraveling. He struck out three and walked three. The bullpen took it from there. Hunter Owen worked one inning of one-hit relief. Chase Jessee earned the win with two scoreless innings, two strikeouts, and no walks. Brandon Johnson closed with a scoreless seventh that included one walk and a strikeout to lock down the save. Springfield took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single and an RBI groundout, but the Naturals chipped away. Omar Hernandez's groundout in the bottom of the second drove home Daniel Vazquez to make it 2-1. The score evened in the third when Brett Squires' grounder was misplayed at first base, allowing Colton Becker to score and the rally to continue. Justin Johnson delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the sixth, lining a two-run single up the middle to score Rudy Martin Jr. and Hernandez for the 4-2 lead. Becker singled, walked, scored once, and stole a base. Hernandez had a hit, an RBI, a run, and a stolen base. Vazquez added a hit and a run. The Naturals took advantage of two Springfield errors. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte (CF) 3 0 1 0 1 0 Colton Becker (2B) 3 1 1 0 1 2 Sam Kulasingam (RF) 2 0 0 0 2 0 Brett Squires (1B) 3 0 1 0 0 0 Daniel Vazquez (SS) 3 1 1 0 0 0 Jorge Alfaro (DH) 1 0 0 0 2 0 Rudy Martin Jr. (DH) 0 1 0 0 0 0 Connor Scott (LF) 1 0 0 0 1 0 Omar Hernandez (C) 2 1 1 1 0 0 Justin Johnson (3B) 3 0 1 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Frank Mozzicato 3 2 2 0 3 3 0 Hunter Owen 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Chase Jessee (W) 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 Brandon Johnson (S) 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Arronde's Five No-Hit Innings Lift Naturals To Game 2 Sweep Felix Arronde fired five no-hit innings to anchor the Northwest Arkansas Naturals' 4-2 win in Game 2 of the doubleheader sweep over Springfield. Arronde walked two and struck out three while shutting out the Cardinals across the first five frames before turning the ball over to the bullpen. The Naturals broke through with a two-run second. Jorge Alfaro reached on a hit by pitch and Canyon Brown singled, setting up Colton Becker, who lined a triple to right that scored both for a 2-0 advantage. Sam Kulasingam pushed the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth on a line-drive single to center, scoring Carson Roccaforte after Roccaforte and Rudy Martin Jr. opened the inning with consecutive singles. Springfield got back into it in the top of the sixth, when Caden Monke gave up an RBI single that brought home two runs and trimmed the gap to one. Northwest Arkansas answered immediately. In the bottom of the sixth, Becker doubled to right with two outs and scored on Justin Johnson's RBI single up the middle for a 4-2 lead. Tommy Molsky locked it down with a scoreless seventh, allowing one walk and earning the save. Becker's triple, double, and two RBI led the offense. Roccaforte went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Kulasingam had a hit, an RBI, and a walk. Johnson singled, drove in a run, and stole a base. Brown added a hit. The Naturals collected seven hits and held Springfield to two. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte (CF) 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rudy Martin Jr. (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 2 Sam Kulasingam (3B) 2 0 1 1 1 0 Brett Squires (1B) 2 0 0 0 1 1 Daniel Vazquez (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 3 Jorge Alfaro (C) 2 1 0 0 0 1 Canyon Brown (DH) 3 1 1 0 0 0 Colton Becker (LF) 3 1 2 2 0 0 Justin Johnson (2B) 3 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Felix Arronde (W) 5 0 0 0 2 3 0 Caden Monke 1 2 2 2 0 1 0 Tommy Molsky (S) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Quad Cities: Postponed The River Bandits' game was postponed. Wolters Knocked Around As Fireflies Drop Series Finale 7-3 Blake Wolters lasted 4 2/3 innings in the Columbia Fireflies' 7-3 loss at Myrtle Beach, charged with six runs but only one earned across four hits and three walks while striking out five and giving up two home runs. The Pelicans put four on the board in the bottom of the first on back-to-back sacrifice flies followed by a two-run home run, and added a solo shot in the second to push the lead to 5-0. Andy Basora steadied the bullpen with 1 1/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief and a strikeout. Yeri Perez allowed two hits, two walks, and one earned run on a solo home run over two innings. Columbia chipped at the lead late but never threatened the result. Sean Gamble's seventh-inning groundout drove home JC Vanek to break the shutout. The Pelicans answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. Henry Ramos closed the night with a two-run blast in the ninth to bring Columbia within four. Ramos paced the offense, going 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot with the home run and two RBI. Stone Russell collected two hits, including a double, and drew a walk. Josh Hammond doubled. Brooks Bryan and Roni Cabrera each singled. Vanek walked twice and scored both Columbia runs aside from Ramos. Three Columbia errors helped the Pelicans tag Wolters with five unearned runs, while the Fireflies left eight on base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos (LF) 5 1 3 2 0 1 Sean Gamble (CF) 5 0 0 1 0 0 Josh Hammond (SS) 4 0 1 0 0 2 Brooks Bryan (C) 4 0 1 0 0 0 Yandel Ricardo (2B) 4 0 0 0 0 3 Stone Russell (1B) 3 0 2 0 1 0 Roni Cabrera (RF) 3 0 1 0 0 2 JC Vanek (DH) 2 2 0 0 2 1 Connor Rasmussen (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Blake Wolters (L) 4 2/3 4 6 1 3 5 2 Andy Basora 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Yeri Perez 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: DNP David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-5, 1 RBI Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Ramon Ramirez: DNP Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: DNP Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, 3 K Felix Arronde: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-6, 3 K, 1 R Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-7, 1 BB, 1 R Blake Wolters: 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 HR View full article

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Asbel Gonzalez homered in a 3-for-4 night with three RBI as Quad Cities pounded Wisconsin 14-7, with Blake Mitchell adding a homer and Emmanuel Reyes earning the win over five innings. Columbia fell 7-6 in a walk-off, with Josh Hammond's two-run double building a lead the bullpen could not hold. Omaha lost 5-1 to Louisville despite Aaron Sanchez's five strong innings, with Kameron Misner's RBI double providing the lone run. Northwest Arkansas was postponed. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals signed free agent LHP Anthony Gose to a minor league contract. Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Luinder Avila from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Eli Morgan to Omaha Storm Chasers. Misner Double Provides Omaha's Only Run In 5-1 Loss Aaron Sanchez gave the Storm Chasers five innings on the mound, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking one in a 5-1 loss to Louisville. Two hits with two outs in the third inning, an RBI single and an RBI double, gave the Bats a 2-1 lead they never relinquished. Omaha had jumped on top in the bottom of the first. Tyler Tolbert led off with a single, advanced on a groundout, and scored on Kameron Misner's RBI double for a 1-0 lead. The lineup never threatened again, finishing with four hits and stranding only four runners. Out of the bullpen, Jose Cuas covered two innings and gave up only a solo home run while striking out three. Steven Cruz worked one inning and allowed three hits and two earned runs. Helcris Olivárez closed the night with a scoreless inning, two walks, and a strikeout. Misner went 1-for-4 with the run-scoring double. Drew Waters and Luca Tresh added singles, while Tolbert reached and scored from the leadoff spot. Gavin Cross drew a walk. Beyond Misner's first-inning extra-base hit, Omaha could not move another runner into scoring position. Louisville padded the lead with a sixth-inning solo home run and a two-run single in the eighth to push the margin to four. Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyler Tolbert (2B) 4 1 1 0 0 0 John Rave (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kameron Misner (DH) 4 0 1 1 0 0 Drew Waters (RF) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Luca Tresh (C) 4 0 1 0 0 2 Josh Rojas (3B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 Abraham Toro (1B) 3 0 0 0 0 0 Gavin Cross (LF) 2 0 0 0 1 1 Dustin Dickerson (SS) 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Aaron Sanchez (L) 5 5 2 2 1 4 0 Jose Cuas 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 Steven Cruz 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 Helcris Olivárez 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Northwest Arkansas: Postponed The Naturals' game was postponed. Gonzalez Homer And Three RBI Power Bandits' 14-7 Romp At Wisconsin Asbel Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI as the Quad Cities River Bandits ran past the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 14-7. Gonzalez delivered run-scoring singles in the fourth and fifth innings, then capped his night with a solo home run to left center in the seventh. Blake Mitchell added a two-run home run in the fifth and finished 1-for-4 with two RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Emmanuel Reyes earned the win with five innings of work, surrendering two hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking two. Jacob Widener walked four and gave up two earned runs without finishing the sixth. L.P. Langevin steadied things with 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief, four strikeouts, and one walk. Ryan Ure was charged with four runs without recording an out in the eighth, allowing four hits and a walk. Dash Albus closed with two scoreless innings, three strikeouts, and one walk. The Bandits broke the game open in the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 10-1 lead. Gonzalez's two-run single put it at 8-1, and Mitchell followed with a two-run home run. Luke Pelzer drove in four on an RBI groundout in the third, a two-run single in the fourth, and a ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Nolan Sailors reached four times from the leadoff spot with a triple and three walks. Derlin Figueroa added a double, two hits, two runs scored, and an RBI. Quad Cities collected 13 hits and stranded 10 runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nolan Sailors (RF) 3 2 1 0 3 2 Asbel Gonzalez (CF) 4 3 3 3 1 1 Blake Mitchell (DH) 4 3 1 2 1 3 Ramon Ramirez (C) 4 1 2 0 2 0 Luke Pelzer (LF) 4 1 1 4 1 1 Austin Charles (SS) 6 1 1 0 0 1 Derlin Figueroa (3B) 4 2 2 1 1 1 Jose Cerice (1B) 5 0 1 1 0 1 Tyriq Kemp (2B) 4 1 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emmanuel Reyes (W) 5 2 1 1 2 3 0 Jacob Widener 0 1/3 0 2 2 4 1 0 L.P. Langevin 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 4 0 Ryan Ure 0 4 4 4 1 0 0 Dash Albus 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 Hammond Double Wasted As Fireflies Fall 7-6 In Walk-Off The Columbia Fireflies took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a four-run rally over the next two frames sent Myrtle Beach to a 7-6 walk-off victory. Columbia had pushed across four runs in the top of the seventh, two on a Pelicans throwing error and two more on Josh Hammond's run-scoring double, to overturn a one-run deficit and take command. The lead did not last. In the home seventh, Jhon Reyes gave up two hits, walked three, and allowed three earned runs as the Pelicans tied the game at six on a two-run single. Brandon Herbold yielded the eventual winner an inning later on a one-out double that scored a runner from first. Jordan Woods opened with four innings of three-hit work, surrendering two earned runs on a pair of solo home runs in the second and striking out six. Randy Ramnarace allowed one earned run on a fifth-inning solo home run across two innings, walking four. Reyes was charged with three earned runs over his one inning. Herbold took the loss with one inning, two hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and one earned run. Hammond finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Henry Ramos went 1-for-5 from the leadoff spot, scoring twice. Hyungchan Um drove in a run with a third-inning single. Daniel Lopez reached three times with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. Roni Cabrera added a double. Columbia stranded eight runners. Player AB R H RBI BB K Henry Ramos (LF) 5 2 1 0 0 1 Sean Gamble (CF) 4 1 0 0 0 2 Josh Hammond (SS) 4 0 1 2 1 1 Hyungchan Um (C) 4 0 1 1 0 3 Yandel Ricardo (2B) 5 0 0 0 0 1 JC Vanek (1B) 3 0 1 0 1 1 Stone Russell (3B) 4 0 1 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera (DH) 3 1 1 0 1 0 Daniel Lopez (RF) 3 2 2 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jordan Woods 4 3 2 2 0 6 2 Randy Ramnarace 2 1 1 1 4 3 1 Jhon Reyes 1 2 3 3 3 1 0 Brandon Herbold (L) 1 2 1 1 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carter Jensen: DNP Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, 3 R David Shields: DNP Kendry Chourio: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Sean Gamble: 0-for-4, 2 K, 1 R Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 BB, 1 R Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 3 R Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-5, 1 K Felix Arronde: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Daniel Vazquez: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Carson Roccaforte: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Warren Calcaño: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP View full article