{"id":558116,"date":"2026-02-06T17:06:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T17:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/558116\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T17:06:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T17:06:28","slug":"five-sleeper-royals-position-player-prospects-to-watch-minor-leagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/558116\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Sleeper Royals Position Player Prospects to Watch – Minor Leagues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIn my last post, I took a look at five pitching prospects<\/a>\u00a0in the Royals system who are\u00a0not in the Royals Keep Top-20 Prospects<\/a> rankings. The pitchers were a mix of ones who may have had down seasons in 2025 or showed progress, but are just on the outside when it comes to being classified as a Top-20 prospect. The same will be true for the five position player prospects that I will profile in this piece.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Royals are looking to improve their farm system hitters further in 2026. While the Royals made the news with the hirings of new assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames<\/a>, they also restructured the Minor League hitting development coaching staff. Gone is Drew Saylor, and in his place is a two-headed team with Nic Jackson<\/a> handling hitters in the upper levels and Abrahan Nunez overseeing lower-level hitters.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHopefully, Jackson and Nunez can have an impact on the Royals’ position player prospects. The five I am going to profile are prime candidates to have underrated impacts this season with the right tweaks and adjustments.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs in my previous post, I will be using TJ Stats<\/a>\u00a0for graphics and images for each player.\n<\/p>\n

\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tSpencer Nivens<\/a>, OF (Projected Starting Level: Double-A)<\/p>\n

\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\"Spencer\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThere were some high hopes last season for Nivens, a fifth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Missouri State in Springfield. In 99 games and 412 plate appearances in High-A Quad Cities in 2024, he hit 20 home runs, posted a .369 wOBA, and 130 wRC+. He had a slightly high strikeout rate at 26.9%, and his 0.44 BB\/K ratio was good, not great.\u00a0 Furthermore, he only hit .243, though his .290 BABIP did him no favors in the Midwest League.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThat said, the power was enticing, and there was some hope that Nivens could be a 20+ HR and 15-20 SB threat at the MLB level in 2027 or 2028.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUnfortunately, Nivens’ power dipped significantly in 2025 in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. His home run total went from 20 to 6 despite having 103 more plate appearances with the Naturals. Furthermore, his ISO went from .232 in High-A to .096 ISO in Double-A. As a result, his wOBA dipped to .329 and wRC+ to 97, and his prospect stock fell as well this offseason.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tHowever, there were some encouraging signs from Nivens last season, despite the dip in power.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHis batting average (.250), BB\/K ratio (0.64), and contact% (75.2%) all improved with the Naturals last season. He also overcame a slow start in 2025, as he saw a tremendous spike in wOBA by his 400th plate appearance. By the end of the year, he was posting a wOBA in the .400 range, which is excellent and closer to what he did in 2024 in Quad Cities. The walk rate dipped by his 400th plate appearance, but so did his K%, so it was a fair trade-off.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNivens seems to be a hitter who takes some time to adjust to a level. He had a slow start in High-A in 2024 and then ended up mashing 18 of his 20 home runs after July 1st. The power didn’t translate in Double-A, but the strong finish overall did. Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising for Nivens to get off to a hot start in a repeat in Northwest Arkansas and quickly matriculate to Triple-A Omaha.\n<\/p>\n

\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tSam Kulasingam<\/a>, 2B (Projected Starting Level: Double-A)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\"Sam\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKulasingam has often gone under the radar as a prospect in his career, stemming back to college. He excelled as a player at the Air Force Academy, but that’s not a school that’s going to turn heads or capture the attention of prospect analysts like LSU, Texas, or Oregon State. As a result, he was drafted in the 13th round, though he did manage a respectable $150,000 signing bonus.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 24-year-old second baseman was seen as a polished prospect with strong intangibles and leadership potential, and he showed exactly that in High-A Quad Cities last season. In 123 games and 547 plate appearances, he hit .291 with a .366 wOBA and 122 wRC+. He didn’t hit for a lot of power (2 home runs; .103 ISO), but he stole 22 bases and had a strong eye at the plate (0.73 BB\/K ratio).\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThis profile, along with solid defense and intangibles, helped him earn the Alex Gordon<\/a> Heart and Hustle Award.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKulasingam doesn’t appear to be a high-ceiling prospect, and his swing, while polished, will have a tough time gaining power as he moves up the Royals system, unless changes are made. He did tail a bit toward the end of the year, as he saw a sharp decline in wOBA around the 400th plate appearance. On a positive note, he did rebound around the 500th plate appearance, helping him finish the season on a good note.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Royals’ system is full of polished middle-infield prospects, especially ones who can play second base (Peyton Wilson<\/a>, Javi Vaz<\/a>, and Dustin Dickerson<\/a> are a few others). However, Kulasingam’s polished profile and strong makeup should help him continue to succeed in Double-A in 2026. Continued progress in the Texas League, especially in the power department, could help him be a candidate for a 40-man roster spot in 2027.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\tAustin Charles<\/a>, 3B\/SS (Projected Starting Level: High-A) <\/p>\n

\n\t\"Austin\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCharles has always been seen as a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect since being drafted in the 20th round in the 2022 MLB Draft. The 22-year-old has intriguing size (6’5, 215 pounds) and strong athletic potential. He also performed well in his first full Minor League stint in Low-A Columbia in 2024, hitting 10 home runs, stealing 36 bases, and posting a 117 wRC+ in 481 plate appearances.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUnfortunately, he took a step back in High-A Quad Cities in 2025.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tLimited to only 59 games with the River Bandits due to various nagging injuries, Charles hit .205, had two home runs, and posted a .264 wOBA and 57 wRC+. He did steal 11 bases, but his ISO went from .130 with the Fireflies to .093 with the River Bandits.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tAs illustrated in his TJ Stats card above, whiffs have been an issue for Charles, both in High-A and even Low-A ball (25.8% K% with the Fireflies).\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWith the River Bandits, he struck out 25.9% of the time and also whiffed 33.8% of the time, both below-average marks. His walk rate wasn’t good overall at 8.3%, but he saw considerable progress later in the year, as it rose to nearly 15% after his 200th plate appearance. In fact, Charles was just a whole lot better by the end of the year. According to his rolling wOBA chart, he was close to league-average in wOBA after his 200th plate appearance.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tI think there was some pressure that Charles was feeling after being seen as a “breakout” prospect in 2025 after a strong 2024 campaign in the Carolina League. He pressed, he got hurt, and negative results followed. When he got healthy and stepped back into the spotlight, Charles seemed more like his 2024 self.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt will be a key year for Charles in 2026, especially with him eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December of this year. If he can get off to a hot start in High-A ball and matriculate to Northwest Arkansas and hold his own, he could be someone the Royals add to the 40-man roster next offseason. There is still considerable upside with Charles, and at 22, he has some development left in him, especially in his frame and athleticism. That said, he can’t have another season like 2025.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\tHenry Ramos<\/a>, OF (Projected Starting Level: Low-A) <\/p>\n

\n\t\"Henry\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRamos, one of the Royals’ top international signings in 2022, is an interesting prospect because the surface-level metrics aren’t eye-popping from the past two seasons.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn his first taste of Stateside competition in the Complex League last year, Ramos hit .260 with a .319 wOBA and 70 wRC+ in 140 plate appearances. He also had one home run and nine stolen bases in 37 games as a 19-year-old.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs a 20-year-old in Low-A Columbia, he hit .220 with a .313 wOBA and 83 wRC+ in 277 plate appearances. While he did steal 18 bases, the power was lacking. He only hit one home run and posted a .073 ISO with the Fireflies.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThat said, there’s a lot to like when one looks at his scouting report and swing metrics. Baseball America\u00a0highlighted Ramos as one of\u00a0its\u00a0“breakout prospects” in a December 17th piece<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\tQuote\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t“Ramos\u2019 underlying data suggests he has more power potential than he showed in 2025. His 90th percentile exit velocity was 104.5 mph and his max EV was 111.7 mph\u2014numbers well above-average for his age and level and substantial increases from 2024. His overall contact rate was slightly above-average, too, at 73%, indicating he has the potential to make enough contact to allow him to tap into his raw power if he can make adjustments with his batted-ball angles. Ramos\u2019 air-pull and barrel rates were both below average in 2025, and he had a 56% groundball rate.”\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tRamos showed strong contact, with a 84.4% Z-Contact% and a 24.8% whiff rate, both above average. He also posted a 0.57 BB\/K ratio, amplified by a 12.1% BB%. The latter is impressive to see for a 20-year-old in the Carolina League. Furthermore, his walk rate significantly improved after his 200th plate appearance. According to his rolling charts, he was producing a near 20% BB% by the end of the season, and his K% was below 20%.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe slumped a bit in the middle of the year, according to his rolling wOBA chart, but he got off to a strong start and finish with the Fireflies. That shows that Ramos has resiliency and the ability to adjust to professional pitching. With budding batted-ball and power skills, the Dominican-born outfielder could see some legitimate progress in a repeat of Low-A ball, which could help him earn a call-up to High-A Quad Cities by midseason, at the latest.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\tJose Cerice<\/a>, 1B\/3B (Projected Starting Level: High-A) <\/p>\n

\n\t\"Jose\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNot many prospect experts are talking about the Cuban-born corner infielder, a 2024 International signee. However, he should be one that Royals fans pay attention to closely in the Minors this season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs a 20-year-old, Cerice performed well in both the Complex and Carolina League last season. In 28 games and 109 plate appearances in Arizona, he hit .354, posted a .429 wOBA, and 140 wRC+. That solid performance in the Complex League earned him a call-up to Columbia, and he once again held his own in Low-A full-season ball. In 34 games and 126 plate appearances, he hit .302 with a .355 wOBA and 109 wRC+.\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tMuch like his time in the Complex, Cerice hits, but doesn’t provide much else beyond that. He had only one home run in Columbia, which was just one fewer than in Arizona. He also had only six stolen bases combined between Arizona and Columbia. It’s not like he’s a bad athlete by any means, but his tools, especially power and baserunning, don’t really “pop” like other prospects in the Royals system.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThat said, another former prospect in the lower Minors didn’t have impressive power or athleticism initially but showed a strong ability to hit. That contact tool eventually carried him, and he became more valuable as his body filled out.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThat Royals prospect? None other than Maikel Garcia<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNow, am I saying Cerice is going to be Garcia 2.0? Not at all. However, Garcia is an example of why Royals fans should not overlook strong-hitting prospects at lower levels just because they don’t initially flash big-time power or speed. Cerice could be another success story for the Royals, especially as he continues to grow into his frame and makes the likely move to High-A ball in Quad Cities this season.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

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!<\/p>\n

View Royals Top Prospects<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In my last post, I took a look at five pitching prospects\u00a0in the Royals system who are\u00a0not in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558117,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2387],"tags":[73626,5,73622,73624,936,2123,55,2596,2595,4,252,73623,73625],"class_list":{"0":"post-558116","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kansas-city-royals","8":"tag-austin-charles","9":"tag-baseball","10":"tag-henry-ramos","11":"tag-jose-cerice","12":"tag-kansas","13":"tag-kansas-city","14":"tag-kansas-city-royals","15":"tag-kansascity","16":"tag-kansascityroyals","17":"tag-mlb","18":"tag-royals","19":"tag-same-kulasingam","20":"tag-spencer-nivens"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116024783909534739","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}