Going into May, the results have been promising but ultimately mixed for the four Kansas City Royals Minor League affiliates. The High-A Quad Cities River Bandits (13-8) and Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals (13-11) have winning records, while the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (13-16) and Low-A Columbia Fireflies (11-13) have losing ones. Still, there have been positives in the Royals’ farm system this year so far, especially when it comes to position player prospects.
The Royals have had many hitters show nice growth or improvement so far in the 2026 Minor League season. Some have been well-known prospects, including those in our Top-20. Some have been more under-the-radar and could make their case to be Top-20 Royals prospects soon.
Thus, in this post, I am going to highlight the top hitter for the month of April from each Royals Minor League affiliate, as well as mention an honorable mention who just missed the cut. Hopefully, this strong start could be a sign of good things to come for these prospects this season.
The former Rays and Mizzou outfielder was excellent in Omaha and demonstrated that he could be a candidate for a call-up at some point this season.
In 23 games and 79 at-bats this April, Misner slashed .278/.389/.570 with six home runs, 17 runs scored, 22 RBI, and a .959 OPS. He has a 23.9% K% and 16.2% BB%, thus showing his patient approach. Furthermore, his Statcast metrics from Triple-A have been solid for the most part, especially in the barrel, LA Sweet-Spot%, and Pull Air% categories.
Here’s a look at his TJ Stats Statcast summary so far.
Misner still chases quite a bit, as evidenced by his 34th percentile O-Swing%. However, with a 76th-percentile BB%, 78th-percentile Pull Air%, 84th-percentile Barrel%, and 97th-percentile LA Sweet-Spot%, he shows he has the power and walk profile to at least be a semi-regular outfielder at the Major League level.
His profile feels similar to that of MJ Melendez, who has found new life with the New York Mets. In 35 plate appearances with the Mets, Melendez is hitting .323 with a .995 OPS. That includes two home runs and six RBI. Like Misner, his O-Swing% is high, and his K% isn’t good. That said, Melendez’s hard-hit profile is strong, and it’s possible to see Misner evolve into that.
If Misner can develop into that kind of hitter, the Royals will be quite happy and could utilize him on the active roster, not just this season, but perhaps beyond as well.
Honorable Mention: John Rave, OF (.244 average, .847 OPS, five home runs, eight stolen bases, 17 runs scored, and 14 RBI).
Double-A Northwest Arkansas: Brett Squires, 1B/3B
Squires was the Naturals’ top hitter in April. Not only did he hit .326 with a 1.008 OPS in 89 at-bats, but he also hit five home runs, scored 14 runs, and collected 25 RBI, which leads the team.
Squires is an interesting prospect in the Royals system who doesn’t have a high ceiling or eye-popping tools, especially on defense and baserunning. However, he showed some intriguing exit velocity numbers this spring in Cactus League play. He is off to a great start and frequently pulls the ball in the air, which is a recipe for success.
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Now, Squires certainly has his flaws. His 23.3% K% ranks in the 36th percentile, and his 35.3% whiff rate ranks in the ninth percentile, according to TJ Stats. He also was pretty mediocre in his first exposure to Double-A pitching in 2025, hitting .248 with a .738 OPS and just 10 home runs in 496 plate appearances. Squires has half that number of home runs this year in 389 fewer plate appearances.
If this pace continues, he could make a push for a spot in Omaha mid-season with the chance to make the 40-man roster this offseason.
Honorable Mention: Sam Kulasingam, UTL (.309 average, .901 OPS, 1 HR, 19 R, 11 RBI, and 7 SB).
After regressing a bit in his first exposure to High-A ball, Charles has been on fire to begin the 2026 season.
Charles leads the River Bandits in at-bats with 72, and he leads in batting average, .361, and total base hits (26). He has two home runs, which matches his 2025 total with Quad Cities in 144 fewer plate appearances. He’s also lowered his strikeout rate by 10% (15.9% this year) and improved his walk rate by two percent (10.2%). The 22-year-old third baseman/shortstop has looked a lot more polished in 2026 after struggling in his first exposure to High-A competition a season ago.
When looking at Charles’ Statcast profile via TJ Stats, there’s a lot to like. He ranks in the upper percentiles in many categories, including wOBA (91st percentile) and K% (97th percentile).
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The Royals drafted Charles in the 20th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. When he was selected, he was seen as a raw, but athletic prospect who needed some development, but had the tools to become an intriguing player at the Major League level.
It seems the Royals’ development and patience with Charles have paid off so far this season.
Honorable Mention: Tyriq Kemp, 2B/SS (.308 average, 1.048 OPS, 4 HR, 13 R, 10 RBI, 5 SB).
After a slow start, the 19-year-old shortstop/third baseman and 2025 28th overall pick has been an absolute stud for the young Fireflies.
In 83 at-bats in April, Hammond hit .313 with a .396 OBP, .514 SLG, and .914 OPS. He had two home runs, 10 RBI, and four stolen bases, making him a power-speed bat that can impact the top of the lineup. Hammond is the kind of power-speed bat who could be a franchise-changing player if everything clicks right.
The only negative with Hammond’s profile is that he has struck out a lot this season. He had 23 Ks in 23 games, good for a strikeout rate of 23.8%. On a positive note, he’s at least drawing walks, as illustrated by his 12.9% BB%. As a result, he’s sporting a wOBA+ of 109 and a TJ Bat+ of 132, according to TJ Stats (and as seen below).
Hammond may have been drafted behind Sean Gamble in last year’s draft, but Hammond has definitely outperformed his fellow draft classmate. Despite leading the Fireflies in at-bats, Gamble is hitting .118 with a .407 OPS.
Honorable Mention: Brooks Bryan, C (.299 average, .897 OPS, 3 HR, 6 R, 20 RBI, 4 SB).
Interested in learning more about the Kansas City Royals’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalskeep.com ’
