Royals' 18-Year-Old Pitching Prospect Continues Rise With High-A Promotion

The younger hurler is ascending

Aug 28, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Kansas City Royals hat and glove lay on the field prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals' top pitching prospect is being bumped up to the next level in the team's farm system.

Right-hander Kendry Chourio has been called up from the Single-A Columbia Fireflies and is joining the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits, the Royals' High-A affiliate announced on Monday. When he takes the mound for the first time with the River Bandits, Chourio will become the first hurler to pitch in High-A during his age-18 season since Miami Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez in 2021, according to MLB Pipeline.

Chourio, Kansas City's No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 75 overall prospect for 2026, signed with the Royals out of Venezuela as an international free agent in January 2025. The young righty pitched in 14 games last season as a 17-year-old, including making six Single-A starts. And now, after 11 more appearances at Single-A this year, the top prospect is on the move to High-A.

Kendry Chourio could be a big part of the Royals' future

Mar 30, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general overall view of the crowd in the fourth inning of the game between the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

So far this season, Chourio has produced a 1.88 ERA in 11 Single-A starts, with 44 strikeouts in 48 innings. Overall, the young righty has posted a 2.72 ERA in 25 career minor league games, racking up 107 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings. According to MLB Pipeline's 20-to-80 scouting grades scale, the 18-year-old's fastball and control are rated at a 60.

Chourio will pitch the remainder of this season as an 18-year-old, and he doesn't turn 19 until October. With that in mind, even if he skyrockets through the Royals' farm system, he's likely at least a couple of years away from making his big league debut. But still, the fact that he's already viewed as Kansas City's top pitching prospect at such a young age obviously makes him an arm worth monitoring in the minors.

When Chourio makes his High-A debut, he'll most likely be pitching to the Royals' No. 1 prospect, catcher Blake Mitchell. That could be an early preview of a future big league battery in Kansas City, even though the Royals also have former top prospect Carter Jensen currently serving as a part-time catcher in the majors. But, for now, many Kansas City fans will likely be interested to see how Chourio performs following his promotion to High-A.