Royals Youngster Named MLB's No. 70 Prospect, Compared To Mariners Slugger

It's been a long time since Kansas City Royals fans had to think about their team's future at the catching position, but that time is slowly creeping up.

Salvador Perez, the Royals' captain and last remaining member of the 2015 World Series team, is entering his age-35 season. He hasn't caught 100 games in a season since 2021, and he's also entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, though he carries a $13.5 million club option for 2026.

Fortunately, the Royals are well-stocked at the catcher position in the minor leagues, and their top catching prospect is garnering some well-deserved praise in some preseason rankings.

Blake Mitchell, the Royals' first-round pick in 2023 out of high school in Texas, likely needs at least one more season to mature before his big-league debut. But his timeline could match up perfectly with the Royals transitioning Perez off the starting catcher role, and his star is rising/

In Just Baseball's latest Top 100 prospect rankings, which was released on Monday, Mitchell was ranked the number-70 prospect in all of baseball.

"Mitchell’s ability to tap into his plus raw power in games during his first full pro season paired with a better-than-expected contact rate and great feel for the strike zone make him an extremely exciting bat alone," the site's authors wrote.

"The fact that he can not only stick behind the dish but potentially be solid there makes him an even more intriguing prospect. There’s shades of Cal Raleigh here with less chase."

Mitchell, 20, briefly made it to High-A at the end of last season and will likely start his season there again. If he graduates to Double-A by midseason, he could be well on track to debut in the majors at some point in 2026, then take over the bulk of the starts by 2027.

And Raleigh, who has led all MLB catchers in home runs in each of the last two seasons, is an excellent player to emulate.

One confounding factor is fellow top Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen, who will start the year at either Double-A or Triple-A and could debut sometime this summer. But Mitchell has the stronger arm of the two and looks like the better all-around player.

Whatever may happen, the Royals are in a good spot as they transition into the twilight of Perez's career. It's a big year for Mitchell as an individual, though, as he looks to prove he's the only choice to become the team's answer behind the plate.

More MLB: Sad State Of Royals' Outfield Reflected In Recent MLB Top 30 CF Rankings