Yesterday, I wrote about ten prospects who were “honorable mentions” but didn’t quite make the Top 30 list. Today, I break down the 30th through 21st-ranked prospects in the Royals system.
As stated before, these are my rankings and are ordered more in terms of how “interesting they will be to follow” this year rather than by pure upside and outlook (as traditional for prospect rankings). This list and rankings are geared more toward Royals fans who want to learn more about prospects to know and follow for the upcoming season.
Thus, let’s examine ten Kansas City prospects who make up the bottom of my Royals Top-30 Prospects to watch for 2025.
30. Evan Sisk, LHP
58 G and 57.1 IP (AAA): 6 W, 81 K, 15 SV, 1.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.12 K/BB
Sisk was added to the 40-man roster this offseason after impressing as the Storm Chasers’ closer after Walter Pennington was traded to Texas for Michael Lorenzen at the Trade Deadline. The former Cardinals 16th-round draft pick is a bit of a LOOGY (left-handed hitters only guy), but he has some nasty breaking stuff and a difficult delivery for opposing hitters. Acquired from Minnesota in 2023 in the Michael A. Taylor trade, Sisk repeated Triple-A in 2024 after spending all of 2023 in Omaha. That said, he showed significant progress in limiting batted balls and walks while increasing whiffs and strikeouts last season. If Sam Long struggles in year two in Kansas City, Sisk could be the guy to replace him.
29. John Rave, OF
131 G and 578 PA (AAA): .259 AVG, 21 HR, 93 R, 60 RBI, 17 SB, 0.52 BB/K
Rave was a mainstay at leadoff for the Storm Chasers, as he scored 93 runs, stole 17 bases, and hit 21 home runs in 2024. The former 5th-round pick in 2019 was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this December but went unselected, which is good news for the Royals. The tools aren’t tremendous, but he showcases decent batted ball skills and solid plate discipline, dropping his K rate nearly five percent from the previous season in Double-A and Triple-A. Like Devanney, Rave’s future will likely be with another organization (via a trade). Still, he could fill in nicely at this big-league level this season if something happens to Kyle Isbel or another Royals outfielder on the active roster.
28. Carson Roccaforte, OF
122 G and 535 PA (High-A): .208 AVG, 10 HR, 59 R, 62 RBI, 34 SB, 0.40 BB/K
I was high on Roccaforte last year, ranking him the 14th-best prospect in the Royals system in 2024. Unfortunately, his adjustment to High-A pitching was rough, as he only hit .208 and struck out 26% of the time with the River Bandits. There’s no question that Roccaforate does some things exceptionally well in the field. He stole 34 bases last year, and scouts rank him as one of the better, if not the best, defensive outfielders in the Royals system. Thus, if the bat can come around somewhat (i.e., he can lower the strikeout rate), he could bounce back as a legitimate outfield prospect in the Royals system who could be in consideration for the 40-man roster as soon as 2026.
27. Hyungchan Um, C
77 G and 314 PA (Low-A and CPX): .244 AVG, 8 HR, 34 R, 38 RBI, 4 SB, 0.46 BB/K
The Royals have exceptional depth in their system at catcher, and Um may be one of their most underrated finds. A prospect out of South Korea whose father played in the Atlanta Braves system, Um is trying to become the Royals’ first Korean-born prospect to play in the Major Leagues (not to mention the first Korean-born catcher in MLB history). He mashed in the Complex League in 2024 but hit some growing pains in the move to Low-A ball. Nonetheless, he didn’t look overwhelmed, and he’s been a player who’s adjusted with more experience at a given level. He’s also put up solid numbers in the Australian Winter League with Brisbane, providing hope to Royals fans that he could be due for a big year in Columbia in 2025.
26. Hunter Owen, LHP
23 G and 102 IP (High-A): 6 W, 80 K, 0 SV, 4.24 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.50 K/BB
Owen was categorized as a “polished” college arm when he was drafted out of Vanderbilt in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. In 2024, he lived up to that billing. Owen provided solid numbers with the River Bandits but his stuff and repertoire didn’t “wow” scouts and prospect experts. He accumulated over 100 innings, kept the ERA respectable, and showed “polished” command in his first professional experience in Quad Cities. Due to his low ceiling as a prospect, the bullpen seems like a probable destination for Owen, and he could have a career similar to Long at the MLB level. That said, he probably will continue to start in 2025 to give depth to the Naturals rotation.
25. Felix Arronde, RHP
23 G and 110.1 IP (Low-A): 4 W, 103 K, 1 SV, 2.94 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3.22 K/BB
Arronde was a riser in the Royals system last year in Columbia, as he pitched in a way that many experts expected from Emmanuel Reyes at the start of the season. There’s a lot to like about Arronde. He is a tall, lean pitcher with a diverse arsenal (his changeup is wicked) who can rack up strikeouts and limit the walks. Furthermore, he contained Carolina League hitters in 2024, and his projectable frame and stuff should transition well to a likely Quad Cities promotion in 2025. So why is he not higher? The Carolina League has plenty of undisciplined hitters fresh off the Draft or promoted from the Complex League. I want to see if the command and batted-ball results fare better in the Midwest League, where the hitters are more mature and disciplined. If he continues to befuddle hitters in High-A in 2025, he could be a candidate to be added to the 40-man roster for 2026.
24. Tyson Guerrero, LHP
27 G and 123 IP (AA and AAA): 4 W, 123 K, 0 SV, 4.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.16 K/BB
If Arronde is a young arm with plenty of projection left, Guerrero is a mature arm who has a lower ceiling but offers plenty of floor, even if that may be more as a middle-innings or long reliever. Drafted in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Washington, the lefty was excellent in 102.1 IP in Double-A Northwest Arkansas (3.69 ERA). Unfortunately, he hit a rough patch in a five-game, 20.2 IP sample with the Storm Chasers (8.71 ERA). Guerrero’s stuff and repertoire didn’t adjust quickly enough to Triple-A competition. That said, Noah Cameron also saw a tough transition in his promotion from High-A to Double-A in 2023 and ended up dominating in 2024 in Double-A and Triple-A after making proper adjustments. Guerrero shares many of those same qualities as Cameron, making him a sleeper for 2025.
23. Eric Cerantola, RHP
37 G and 72.2 IP (AA and AAA): 3 W, 101 K, 1 SV, 2.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.02 K/BB
Cerantola never held the closer’s role in Double-A or Triple-A, but he arguably sported the best stuff of any reliever in the upper Minors of the Royals system. The former Mississippi State product was a strikeout machine in both Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, sporting a 31.4% K rate across both levels. That punch-out ability is why the Royals added him to the 40-man this offseason, as a club could’ve taken a chance on Cerantola in the Rule 5 Draft with his “swing-and-miss” stuff. The main drawbacks with Cerantola are that he’s primarily a two-pitch pitcher (he heavily relies on his four-seamer and slider) and he walks way too many batters. Conversely, Cerantola will get an opportunity to work on that repertoire and command in Spring Training and in Omaha in 2025.
22. Spencer Nivens, OF
101 G and 422 PA (High-A): .251 AVG, 21 HR, 59 R, 61 RBI, 7 SB, 0.44 BB/K
Things didn’t look good initially for Nivens as he got off to a slow start in High-A and pretty much disappeared off most prospect experts’ radar. Then, he went on a bit of a tear later in the year and ended up collecting 21 bombs for the River Bandits. There’s an interesting profile here with Nivens, as he has a strong eye at the plate, good power, and versatility to play multiple positions in the outfield. However, he’s not astounding in the field like Roccaforte, and his speed didn’t transition into a lot of stolen bases in his first season of professional ball. Nonetheless, it’s easy to root for the 23-year-old outfielder, especially as he is a somewhat local guy from Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri who likely will play in Double-A Northwest Arkansas this year.
21. Jhonayker Ugarte, SS/3B
46 G and 183 PA (DSL): .299 AVG, 1 HR, 30 R, 21 RBI, 11 SB, 0.83 BB/K
DSL prospects are always a tough read, mostly because the competition isn’t great due to the players being super young and raw. That said, there are Royals prospects who stand out each year in the DSL and Ugarte was one of those top performers. The Venezuelan-born infielder showcased mature plate discipline for his age and an excellent ability to make contact as a professional. Furthermore, scouts seemed to rave about his defense, though he may project more as a third baseman than a shortstop (much like Maikel Garcia). The home run power didn’t come to fruition last year, but that’s often the case for prospects in the DSL. There’s a lot of natural pop and it will be interesting to see if that matures a bit at the Royals facility in Surprise in the Complex League, where he likely will play in 2025. Ugarte certainly has Top-10 prospect potential, but I’m going to be a bit conservative with him for now until we see what he can do in Arizona.
Photo Credit: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Interesting writeup. I’m intrigued ni Nivens as he has good eye for the ball, has some power and hits .250 (OBA would be helpful on him)
It is not Easy to figure these guys because of the variety of opposition, but if Novena mechanics are raw, he could improve substantially as he already sees the ball and cleaning up his swing may actually give him a little more time to decide. If he were to hit .260+ in MLB and double digits in HR with extrabase (20+2b and a few triples) potential, with base running skills and average or better defense, he would be a starter in most teams. Is this a stretch?
On pitching, a pitcher with a broad arsenal and command of it can be very effective if he learns how to pitch within his limitations. If you can’t punch their ticket, you look for weak contact. A couple of these guys look like good candidates for that. While 10k games are good for the ego, they can be hard on your arm. Getting the win with 7+ innings and under 90 pitches makes for a solid start in a solid season. A couple of the pitchers could profit from that approach. So far, it seems that we are doing pretty well.
Thank you. I’m a big fan of Nivens. I think he has an underrated power profile and he’s the kind of player who can do multiple things well. He’s not going to be an All-Star, but he has a lot of the same characteristics as Kyle Isbel, less on defense but more with power. I liked him when he was drafted and then he got off to a slow start but he had a great finish. I hope he can have a great full season in AA and think that’s possible.
I agree that there are some guys in this part of the rankings who can “pitch” not just “throw.” The Royals are doing a better job of developing guys who can do that with adjusting their pitch mixes and shape, something they weren’t doing before. It wouldn’t be surprising to see some of these guys in this post, and the Top 30 in general, turn out to be productive pitchers at the MLB level because the Royals pitching development has improved so much under JJ.