Kansas City Royals minor league players

Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the Kansas City Royals system.

Players

Eric Cerantola

Eric Cerantola (born May 2, 2000) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Cerantola was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 5th round, with the 139th overall selection, of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Royals, posting a 5.71 ERA with 24 strikeoutsover 10 appearances.

Cerantola split the 2022 campaign between the Single–A Columbia Fireflies and High–A Quad Cities River Bandits. In 10 starts split between the two affiliates, he posted a 1–3 record and 5.34 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 30+1⁄3 innings pitched. Cerantola split 2023 between Quad Cities and the Double–A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, accumulating a 3–4 record and 3.66 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 2 saves across 76+1⁄3 innings pitched.

Cerantola split the 2024 campaign between Double–A Northwest Arkansas and the Triple–A Omaha Storm Chasers. In 37 total appearances for the two affiliates, he compiled a 3–4 record and 2.97 ERA with 101 strikeouts across 72+2⁄3 innings pitched. Following the season, the Royals added Cerantola to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Cerantola was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season. He made 38 appearances (including one start) for Omaha, compiling a 2-2 record and 4.04 ERA with 63 strikeouts and one save over 49 innings of work.

Cerantola was again optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2026 season.

Kendry Chourio

Kendry Manuel Chourio (born October 1, 2007) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Chourio signed with the Kansas City Royals as an international free agent in January 2025. He made his professional debut that year with the Dominican Summer League Royals.

After five games he was promoted to the Arizona Complex League Royals. After three games he was promoted again, this time to the Columbia Fireflies.

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Dennis Colleran

Dennis Patrick Colleran (born August 20, 2003) is an American baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Colleran attended North Attleborough High School in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. He played college baseball at Northeastern University for the Huskies.

As a freshman for the Huskies in 2022, Colleran appeared in 15 games and pitched to a 0-1 record and 4.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 22 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2023 season. He returned to the mound during the summer of 2023, and played collegiate summer baseball with both the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League and the Worcester Bravehearts of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. In 2024, he appeared in twenty games for the Huskies and went 1-2 with a 7.97 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 40+2⁄3 innings. After the season, he participated in the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field.

Colleran was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the seventh round of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut in 2025 with the Columbia Fireflies and was promoted to the Quad Cities River Bandits and Northwest Arkansas Naturals during the season. Over 44 relief appearances between the three teams, Colleran went 9-0 with a 2.85 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 66+1⁄3 innings. He was assigned to play in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros after the season.

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Omar Hernández

Omar Hernández (born December 10, 2001) is a Cuban professional baseball catcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hernandez played for the Spain national baseball team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic qualifiers. He was named to the Cuba national baseball team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Hernández moved to Spain when he was 12. Despite originally playing soccer, Hernández played baseball in Spain. At 16, he played for the CB Viladecans in Spain's División de Honor de Béisbol where he hit .434/.500/.528 with 25 runs in 26 games.

Hernández signed with the Kansas City Royals as an international free agent in August 2018. He was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals mid-way through the 2025 season. In 41 games for Northwest Arkansas in 2025, Hernández slashed .243/.279/.552.

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Ben Kudrna

Benjamin Michael Kudrna (born January 30, 2003) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Kudrna grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and attended Blue Valley Southwest High School. As a senior, Kudrna was named the Gatorade Kansas Baseball Player of the Year and the Class 5A Pitcher of the Year after he went 9–1 on the mound with a 0.99 ERA and 100 strikeouts and 11 walks in 57+1⁄3 innings pitched. Kudrna committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State prior to signing with the Royals.

Kudrna was selected in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2021 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. He signed with the team on July 19, 2021, and received a $3 million signing bonus. Kudrna began the 2022 season in extended spring training before being assigned to the Columbia Fireflies of the Single-A Carolina League.

In 2025, Kudrna made 24 appearances (22 starts) for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, for whom he accumulated a 2-8 record and 5.30 ERA with 106 strikeouts across 105+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 18, 2025, the Royals added Kudrna to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Kudrna was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2026 season.

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Hunter Owen

Hunter Scot Owen (born January 30, 2002) is an American baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Owen attended South Portland High School in South Portland, Maine. In 2019, he was named the Maine Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.

After graduating in 2020, Owen enrolled at Vanderbilt University to play college baseball for the Commodores. In 2021 and 2022, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of Cape Cod Baseball League. As a junior in 2023, he started 12 games and went 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 64 innings while missing time due to fatigue and shoulder soreness. After the season, he participated in the 2023 MLB Draft combine. Owen was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $631,700.

Owen made his professional debut in 2024 with the Quad Cities River Bandits, starting 22 games and going 6-7 with a 4.24 ERA and eighty strikeouts over 102 innings. He was assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals for the 2025 season. Over 22 games (19 starts), Owen went 5-5 with a 3.80 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 94+2⁄3 innings. He was assigned to play in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros after the season.

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Shane Panzini

Shane Jude Panzini (born October 30, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Panzini attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey. As a senior in 2021, he pitched to a 0.91 ERA and 115 strikeouts. Panzini was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $1 million, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Virginia.

After signing, Panzini spent time at Kansas City's facility in Arizona training and participating in instructional league games. He made his professional debut in 2022 with the Columbia Fireflies, starting 17 games and going 0-4 with a 5.00 ERA across 63 innings pitched. In 2023, he returned to play with Columbia and also pitched in two games with the Quad Cities River Bandits. Over 22 starts between both clubs, Panzini went 3-11 with a 5.29 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 97 innings. Panzini returned to Quad Cities for the 2024 season and appeared in 16 games (seven starts), going 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA across 51 innings. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros. In 2025, Panzini made 26 appearances (17 starts) between Quad Cities, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and the Omaha Storm Chasers, pitching to an 8-3 record, a 3.39 ERA and 114 strikeouts over 109 innings.

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David Shields

David Shields (born September 9, 2006) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Shields attended Mt. Lebanon High School in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he played on the school's baseball team as a pitcher and football team as a quarterback. Originally set to graduate in 2025, he reclassified to the class of 2024. In 2024, he went 5-1 with a 0.51 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 35 innings and was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year. For his high school career, he compiled an 11-3 record, a 1.26 ERA, and 211 strikeouts. Shields was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the second round with the 41st overall pick of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $2.3 million, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Miami.

Shields was assigned to Kansas City's Spring Breakout roster during 2025 spring training. He made his professional debut that year with the Arizona Complex League Royals. After one start, he was promoted to the Columbia Fireflies. Shields made 18 starts for the Firelies and went 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 81 strikeouts and was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year.

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Luca Tresh

Luca Tresh (born January 11, 2000) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Tresh attended Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida and played college baseball at NC State University. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 17th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.

Tresh played his first professional season in 2021 with the Arizona Complex League Royals and Columbia Fireflies. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League. He started 2022 with the Quad Cities River Bandits before his promotion to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

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Javier Vaz

Javier Rafael Vaz (born September 22, 2000) is an American professional baseball outfielder and second baseman in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Vaz attended Huntsville High School in Huntsville, Alabama and played college baseball at Louisiana State University at Eunice before transferring to Vanderbilt University. In 2022, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Vaz was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 15th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.

Vaz spent his first professional season with the Arizona Complex League Royals and Columbia Fireflies. He started 2023 with the Quad Cities River Bandits before his promotion to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

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Beck Way

Beck Michael Way (born August 6, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Way attended Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and played college baseball at Belmont Abbey College and Northwest Florida State College. In 2019, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.

Way played his first professional season in 2021 with the Tampa Tarpons and Hudson Valley Renegades. He started 2022 with Hudson Valley.

On July 27, 2022, the Yankees traded Way, T. J. Sikkema, and Chandler Champlain to the Kansas City Royals for Andrew Benintendi.

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Henry Williams

Henry Alexander Williams (born September 18, 2001) is an American baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Williams grew up in Darien, Connecticut and attended Darien High School, where he played baseball and basketball.

Williams played college baseball for the Duke Blue Devils. As a sophomore he went 3–3 with a 3.65 ERA 45 strikeouts over 37 innings pitched before suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Williams underwent Tommy John surgery and missed both the rest of the season and all of his junior season.

Williams was selected in the third round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. He signed with the team on July 27, 2022, for an over-slot signing bonus of $800,000. Williams was assigned to the Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm in May 2023 to begin his professional career.

Williams was traded along with Jesus Rios to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Scott Barlow on August 2, 2023. The Royals assigned him to the Columbia Fireflies of the Single-A Carolina League.

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Peyton Wilson

Peyton Thomas Wilson (born November 1, 1999) is an American baseball second baseman in the Kansas City Royals organization. He played college baseball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Wilson grew up in Hoover, Alabama and attended Hoover High School. He committed to play college baseball at Alabama after his sophomore year. Wilson also played football at Hoover until giving up the sport as a junior to focus on baseball.

Wilson played both catcher and center field as a true freshman for the Alabama Crimson Tide and batted .333 over ten games before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He moved to second base as a sophomore and was named second team All-Southeastern Conference after batting .290 while leading the Crimson Tide with 72 hits and 46 runs scored while also hitting 13 doubles, a triple and nine home runs with 31 RBIs.

Wilson was selected in the second round with the 66th overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals. He signed with the team on July 24, 2021, and received a $1,003,300 signing bonus. Wilson began his professional career with the Arizona Complex League Royals before being promoted to the Columbia Fireflies. Wilson began the 2022 season on the injured list before being assigned to the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits.

Wilson's older brother, John Parker Wilson, played quarterback for Alabama and in the National Football League. Another brother, Ross, played baseball at Alabama and in the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves organizations.

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Steven Zobac

Steven Reed Zobac (born October 14, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Zobac attended Valley Christian High School in San Jose, California and played college baseball at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a pitcher and outfielder.

The Kansas City Royals selected Zobac in the fourth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He spent his first professional season in 2023 with the Columbia Fireflies and Quad Cities River Bandits. He started 2024 with Quad Cities and was promoted to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals during the season. The Royals named him their Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year.

Zobac made 11 starts for Northwest Arkansas in 2025, but struggled to an 0-3 record and 7.68 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 36+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 18, 2025, the Royals added Zobac to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Zobac was optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas to begin the 2026 season.

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Full Triple-A to Rookie League rosters

Triple-A (Omaha)

Double-A (Northwest Arkansas)

High-A (Quad Cities)

Single-A (Columbia)

Rookie (Arizona)

Foreign Rookie (Dominican)