Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Luinder Avila is a player within the organization’s farm system who has drawn attention. He is someone to watch this spring training after making his MLB debut late last season.
The 23-year-old right-hander signed with the Royals as an international free agent in 2018. With Kansas City already boasting an elite pitching staff that improved even further with offseason additions, having Avila in the organization provides valuable depth in the event of injuries.
Avila has spent time in both the rotation and bullpen during his professional career. Royals manager Matt Quatraro spoke highly of him when asked whether he views Avila as a starter or reliever moving forward.
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There is plenty to look forward to with Avila
“Shoot, I see him as a front-of-the-rotation starter down the road,” Quatraro said, according to Jack Johnson.
This type of praise from a manager should not be taken lightly. During his brief time in the big leagues in 2025, Avila appeared exclusively in relief. Despite the small sample size of 14 innings, he showcased his ability on the mound, posting a 1.29 ERA with 16 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP.
The right-hander features a four-pitch arsenal consisting of a four-seam fastball, sinker, changeup and curveball. Both his four-seamer and sinker sit around 95 mph. His fastball also features significant movement, making it even more difficult for hitters to square up.
It is an encouraging sign that Avila can perform when called out of the bullpen. That versatility allows the Royals to remain flexible with him and could create more opportunities at the big league level, even though he is primarily a starter.
Last year, Kansas City’s starters struggled to stay healthy, which led to players such as Noah Cameron receiving a call-up. He performed extremely well and remained with the club for the remainder of the season.
The same scenario could unfold for Avila if history repeats itself. Although he is not expected to begin the season in the majors, he could be among the first players considered for a recall if either the rotation or bullpen runs into health issues again.
Avila will certainly be a player to watch as Kansas City moves through camp, with a promising future ahead.
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