The Kansas City Royals are struggling lately. While they still are just 2 1/2 games back in the American League Wild Card race, they have been passed in the standings by the Texas Rangers and have now lost three consecutive games. They are also 4-6 in their last 10 games. Their playoff chances have certainly taken a hit in recent days.
However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t bounce back in 2026 and find a way to make a return trip to the postseason next year. They still have a solid core in place, and they also have some young prospects that are making some headlines in the minor leagues.
One such prospect is outfielder Carson Roccaforte, who has put up some strong numbers with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Oliver Vandervoort of Kings of Kauffman predicted that Roccaforte could rise in the system sooner rather than later.
“While the Kansas City Royals are seeing quite a few of their young, budding stars playing in Kauffman at the end of the summer, there are still a few guys down on the farm that might be up sooner than anybody expected coming into 2025,” Vandervoort wrote.
“What makes this young slugger stand out is that while he was doing okay in High-A to start the year, his career has really started to take off now that he’s showing what he can do in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Since getting promoted, the Royals prospect has started looking like someone who could at least be playing in Omaha in short order.”
At Double-A Roccaforte has performed well. He is hitting .311/.404/.493 with four home runs, 25 RBI and an .897 OPS. Between Double-A and High-A, he has a .262/.377/.475 slash line with 17 home runs, 70 RBI and an .853 OPS.
Soon, Roccaforte could find himself with Triple-A Omaha and could get closer to the Major League level. The Royals are fortunate to have so many solid prospects waiting in the wings that could make an impact sooner rather than later.
Roccaforte is certainly somebody that could make some strides in the near future. He provides power from the left side of the plate and can play a little first base in addition to the outfield. It will be interesting to see where he ends up at the end of this year and at the start of 2026.
More MLB: Bobby Witt Jr. Accepts Blame As Royals’ Playoff Odds Plummet
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