It’s been tough to be optimistic with this Royals team right now.
The Boys in Blue went 8-18 in June, and their season record now stands at 39-46, putting their postseason odds at 8.1%, according to Fangraphs. I want to be more hopeful about the team, but that’s hard to do until some moves are made, whether they involve the roster or staff.
As a typically “glass half-full” Royals fan, I wanted to look at some positive stories going on in the Royals organization. When looking for positives, one can examine the Royals’ Minor League affiliates, particularly at the lower levels.
Even though the Storm Chasers (33-47) and the Naturals (36-39) have been a bit underwhelming, the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits are 45-30, and the Low-A Columbia Fireflies are 38-37. The latter also qualified for their first postseason berth in club history after a strong finish in the first half.
A key to the River Bandits’ and Fireflies’ success this season (and the Naturals to an extent) could be credited to the pitching development at those levels. Considering how far behind the Royals’ pitching development was before JJ Picollo entirely took over from Dayton Moore, to see those kinds of successes at the lower levels should give hope to Royals fans that they’re developing a pipeline of arms that can help the Royals stay competitive at the MLB level for years to come.
Let’s look at three arms in Northwest Arkansas, Quad Cities, and Columbia who had strong performances in the first half of the Minor League season and should be paid close attention to in the second half.
(All prospect rankings come via Fangraphs.)
Shane Panzini, RHP, Double-A, Ranked 31st
A fourth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Panzini was overshadowed by fellow prep arms Frank Mozzicato and Ben Kudrna, who went in the first and second rounds, respectively. He also struggled in his first few years in the Minor Leagues, primarily pitching in Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities from 2022 to 2024.
Over those three years, Panzini only posted an ERA under five once. That was in 2023 when he posted a 4.47 ERA in 20 starts and 90.2 innings pitched. However, he struggled in his promotion to High-A that year (17.05 ERA in two starts) and struggled in only 51 innings in Quad Cities in 2024, as evidenced by his 5.29 ERA and 5.36 FIP.
However, in 2025, Panzini appeared to be a different pitcher on the mound.
In eight appearances and two starts with the River Bandits, the 23-year-old posted a 2.76 ERA, 2.26 FIP, and a 6.00 K/BB ratio in 29.1 innings pitched. He also sported a 32.3% strikeout rate with the River Bandits and minimized the long ball, as evidenced by his 0.0% HR/FB rate.
As expected, he was promoted to Double-A, and he’s looked just as strong with the Naturals, even with a slight increase in ERA.
In six games and four starts with the Naturals, Panzini has a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings pitched, with a 12.5% HR/FB rate. However, his FIP and xFIP are much better at 3.19 and 2.88, respectively. He also has a 4.13 BB/K ratio, highlighted by a 30.8% strikeout rate. That is only a 1.5% decrease from his High-A mark despite the increase in competition.
When looking at his metrics over his career, Panzini has seen a marked improvement in his ability to generate called and swinging strikes this season. His CSW% has been over 30% this year with both the River Bandits and Fireflies, which is impressive for a pitcher with MLB starter potential.
Even though Panzini has only made 10 starts between High-A and Double-A this year, he has essentially gone multiple innings in all of his outings (essentially a starter’s load). It could be possible that the Royals are preserving his arm a bit, primarily after he dealt with injuries last year that limited him to only 16 outings in 2024.
Despite his hybrid role, Panzini has demonstrated MLB starter-caliber stuff, which was on display in his last home start against Amarillo, where he struck out five batters in 3.2 IP.
Kudrna and Mozzicato are higher-profile prospects, as they are ranked 6th and 29th in the Royals system by Fangraphs. However, Panzini has demonstrated better strikeout stuff in Northwest Arkansas this year, as Kudrna has a 23.7% strikeout rate and Mozzicato has a 14% strikeout rate.
Even if Panzini ultimately becomes a reliever at the MLB level, I think he could be a guy who could compete for innings in the Royals’ bullpen as soon as 2026. The strikeout ability and command is that good. Don’t be surprised to see him added to the Royals’ 40-man roster by the conclusion of the season, to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Drew Beam, RHP, High-A, Ranked 20th
My fellow Royals content creator and noted College Baseball and MLB Draft expert, Jared Perkins, was high on the Royals drafting Beam in the third round of last year’s draft out of Tennessee. Jared felt that he was a first-round talent who had slid to the third round due to his stats not necessarily “popping out” (he had a 4.23 ERA in his final season with the Volunteers).
So far, Beam has arguably been the River Bandits’ best starting pitcher this season, which is quite an accomplishment on a team that is 15 games over .500.
In 15 starts and 76.1 innings pitched, the 22-year-old righty has a 2.95 ERA and 2.76 FIP with a BB/K ratio of 4.13. Unlike Panzini, Beam isn’t a strikeout or CSW machine. His strikeout rate is 21.4% and his CSW% is 25.5%, highlighted by a 10.2% swinging-strike rate.
However, the former Volunteer limits productive contact and complimentary passes on the basepaths, which helps him produce efficient outings like the one below (from his MiLB career victory).
When it comes to batted-ball metrics, Beam is generating a groundball rate of 48.1% and inducing an IFFB% (infield fly ball percentage) of 29.7%. The latter feels a bit unsustainably high, but it goes to show how High-A hitters have struggled to barrel Beam this season (and that is further evidenced by his 1.6% HR/FB rate).
Even though he may not have No. 1 or No. 2 upside, there is middle-of-the-rotation potential with Beam that could make him a valuable addition to the Royals rotation in a couple of seasons, or to an interested organization that is bereft of efficient pitching talent.
I still go back and forth on whether Beam is a player worth holding onto (like Noah Cameron) or one that should be traded now while his value is high (like Mason Barnett). Nonetheless, Director of Amateur Scouting Brian Bridges, who took over the Royals draft last year, certainly picked up a good one in Beam, who could be due for a promotion to Northwest Arkansas soon.
Yunior Marte, RHP, Low-A, Ranked 12th
Marte has the size and stature to be an impressive pitcher at the MLB level. He stands at 6’5 “and 210 pounds, which is intimidating, regardless of his pitch quality and command.
Thankfully, Marte’s pitching ability and results have matched his size this season.
In 15 starts and 68 innings pitched, the 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic has a 2.51 ERA, 3.12 FIP, and 3.35 K/BB ratio. His strikeout rate is 25.2%, a seven percent increase from a season ago, and his 7.5% walk rate is 0.8% down from last year as well.
According to Fangraphs, Marte has done a solid job of throwing more first-pitch strikes, as his 49.2% F-Strike% is a career-high. That has led to more strikes in general, both in terms of the called and swinging-strike variety, as well as better batted-ball results.
The groundball rate is down, but his infield flyball percentage is up, a sign that hitters are struggling to square up his pitches. He has also seen a 4.7% increase in swing-strike rate and sports a solid 4.8% HR/FB rate. That explains why his xFIP is solid at 3.33, the second-straight season it’s been excellent in Columbia.
As a result of his strong performance, Marte was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for May.
Fangraphs was pretty high on Marte, as they ranked him 12th in the Royals system. That contrasts with MLB Pipeline, which ranked him 19th. Here’s what Fangraphs said in their scouting report on Marte:
“Marte’s command and velo might take another step forward with improved conditioning. He has a big, prototypical frame, but he isn’t sinewy and trim. He’s already throwing hard, consistently 92-95 and touching 96-97, with roughly average life and plus extension. Marte’s hard slider/cutter resides in the 84-88 mph range and has variable shape, sometimes bending straight down. This pitch has plus potential, but is currently inconsistent in both direction and quality. Marte’s splitter doesn’t flash quite the same level of bite, but to expect that of a 6-foot-5 guy who entered the season with 80 career innings under his belt would be ridiculous. His feel for locating this power 85-89 mph offering is pretty good, and the pitch is generating plus-plus miss and chase so far in 2025 even though it lacks big sink.”
His command has taken a step forward, as evidenced by the low walk rate and 0.96 WHIP. It also seems that he has developed more as a pitcher and less as a thrower in 2025. That shows that Marte is responding well not only to the Fireflies’ coaching staff but also to the Royals’ pitching development team.
Marte also has great makeup and is an easy guy to root for, based on his interview with the local news station after winning Carolina League Pitcher of the Month honors.
After 24 games and 92.2 innings in Columbia, it doesn’t seem like Marte has much to prove with the Fireflies in Low-A. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Marte join the River Bandits soon (probably after the MLB Draft), where he will be slightly more challenged against more developed and advanced hitters.
Photo Credit: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images
[…] have talked about Panzini as an underrated pitching prospect in the Royals system this year, and he has thrived this season at both the High-A and Double-A […]