The Royals’ High-A affiliate in the Midwest League had the most successful regular season in the farm system, finishing sixteen games over .500. The River Bandits stayed in the playoff hunt all year, finishing just short of a playoff spot in the first half, with a winning record in the second half. Their performance was fueled by a stingy pitching staff that allowed the second fewest runs, coupled with an offense that ran wild on the bases and maximized their talent.
Quad Cities River Bandits: 74-58 (.561)
First half: 39-27, 1 game back
Second half: 35-31, 3.5 games back
The River Bandits finished dead last in the league in home runs, but stole 239 bases, good for fourth in the league. They had the fourth-youngest lineup in the league, but finished in the middle of the league in runs scored. Air Force grad Sam Kulasingam enjoyed a breakout year at the plate. The 23-year-old hit .291/.375/.393 in 123 games, leading the team in hits (136), walks (62), and on-base percentage among qualified hitters. He struck out just 63 times, chipped in 22 stolen bases, and he tied for the league lead with 8 triples. Outfielder Carson Roccaforte was another on-base machine, hitting .237/.364/.466 with a team-high 13 home runs, 45 RBI, and 33 steals, before his promotion to Double-A. Catcher Blake Mitchell missed the start of the season with a hamate injury, but continued to show an excellent eye at the plate, drawing 45 walks in 216 plate appearances for a .372 on-base percentage. The wrist injury sapped his power, however, and he hit just four home runs, while hitting .207.
First baseman Callan Moss led the team with 70 RBI, despite being traded to the Pirates in late August. He also finished second on the team with 53 walks, while hitting .270. Slick-fielding shortstop Daniel Vazquez enjoyed his best offensive season after being a high-dollar signing out of the Dominican Republic. The 21-year-old hit .260/.336/.349 with 26 steals.
Outfielders Carter Frederick and Trevor Werner each struggled to hit with consistency. Catchers Omar Hernandez and Canyon Brown struggled with the bat. Austin Charles battled injuries and appeared in just 59 games with disappointing results. Erick Torres is one of the younger hitters in the league, but he seemed a bit overmatched at the High-A level. Chris Brito found it difficult to get playing time but seemed to hit when his name was called, batting .262/.367/.377 in 55 games. Outfielder Nolan Sailors, a 2025 draftee out of Creighton, excelled in his first pro season, batting .283/.412/.368 with 17 steals in 32 games.
Pitching is where the River Bandits excelled. They gave up the second-fewest home runs and the third-fewest walks. Drew Beam anchored the rotation, throwing a team-high 131.2 innings with a 3.83 ERA. His 110 strikeouts were fifth-most in the Midwest League, and he had the lowest walk rate of any qualified starter. Felix Arronde was similarly durable, logging 128.2 innings with a 2.80 ERA, walking just 30 batters all season. Logan Martin provided another strong year in the rotation, posting a 3.45 ERA over 22 starts with 78 strikeouts.
Frank Mozzicato dominated High-A before his promotion, allowing opponents to hit just .124 against him with a 1.24 ERA in seven starts. Fellow 2021 draft pick Shane Panzini enjoyed a breakout season, posting a 2.78 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. Hunter Patteson showed flashes of dominance – his 1.99 ERA was the lowest by any pitcher in the league with at least 70 innings. Mason Miller put up silly numbers in 11 games after he was promoted from Columbia. The lefty allowed just four earned runs in 39.2 innings for a 0.91 ERA, and opponents batted just .194/.291/.266 against him.
Tommy Molsky led the team with 40 games with a 3.03 ERA and a 10.7 K/9 rate. Zachary Cawyer was another standout with a 3.21 ERA despite a crazy-high .362 BABIP, and his 31.7 percent strikeout rate was the second-highest in the league of any pitcher with at least 50 innings. Juan Martinez allowed just three earned runs in 25.1 innings after July 1, finishing with an ERA of 2.08.
Sidearmer A.J. Causey dominated in relief, posting a 1.56 ERA with 44 strikeouts and only 7 walks in 40.1 innings. Hard-throwing Dennis Colleran was one of the youngest pitchers on the team, yet posted a 1.83 ERA in 21 games. Righties Jesus Rios and Nicholas Regalado and lefty Tyler Davis were solid, while Andrew Morones had mixed results. Promising righty L.P. Langevin missed time with a lat injury and pitched in just 15 games.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.royalsreview.com ’
