The Kansas City Royals are hoping to compete during the 2026 MLB season. Their offense could be among the best in the American League Central with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez leading the way. Meanwhile, the starting pitching could also make a significant impact with Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo in the rotation. There is one pitching prospect in the minor leagues who could impact the Royals at some point during the upcoming ’26 campaign, however.
Right-handed pitcher Ben Kudrna’s MLB ETA is set for 2026, according to MLB.com. That does not mean he is guaranteed to make his big league debut this season, but it certainly leaves the door open for it to happen.
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He did struggle in 2025, however, pitching to a 5.30 ERA between 24 total outings in Triple-A and Double-A. Kudrna did finish the season strong, however, and it seems as if he could be on track for a successful 2026 performance. He is surely going to begin the year in the minor leagues, but the Royals may consider promoting him at some point this season.
Kudrna, 23, is six-foot-three and 175 pounds. He throws a fastball, slider and changeup. He’s still developing command of the zone. Adding a fourth offering to his current three-pitch mix could be a good idea as well.
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Kudrna’s ceiling is not especially high. With that being said, he projects to be a potential middle-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues. There is always a chance that he upsets expectations and becomes a star as well.
In 2025, he was the Royals’ No. 2 pitching prospect and No. 7 overall prospect. left-handed pitcher David Shields was the only pitcher ranked higher than him — Shields was ranked No. 6 overall in the Royals’ farm system.
It seems as if Kudrna may be the next man up from a pitching standpoint. Shields is only 19 years old and his MLB ETA is set for 2029, so Royals fans won’t see him at the big league level any time soon.
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As mentioned, Kudrna is expected to begin the season in Double-A or Triple-A. The Royals want him to continue to develop. If he takes a step forward and builds off the success he found toward the end of 2025, then Kansas City will surely consider promoting him to the MLB squad at some point this year.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source ca.sports.yahoo.com ’
