MINNEAPOLIS -- The Royals have a new No. 1 prospect -- but their No. 2 prospect isn’t far behind.

Jac Caglianone and Blake Mitchell, the Royals’ two most recent MLB Draft picks, are both in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 rankings at No. 18 and 56, respectively, and lead the club’s Top 30 prospects list after Pipeline’s most recent rerank.

Caglianone makes his debut on the Royals’ list after the first baseman/left-handed pitcher was selected No. 6 overall in this year’s Draft, with Kansas City making a splashy pick on the power hitter -- and hurler -- from the University of Florida. The 21-year-old made his pro debut last week with High-A Quad Cities and is 3-for-20 in his first five games with the River Bandits.

Kansas City took the prep catcher Mitchell at No. 8 overall in 2023 out of Sinton (Texas) High School. Mitchell has been solid in his first pro season, slashing .251/.389/.455 with 15 home runs through Sunday and handling Single-A Columbia’s pitching staff well.

The Royals have steadily been increasing the depth and talent throughout their system, and the Draft this year was a big boost. Four players from this year’s Draft class enter the Top 30 rankings, with three of them in the Top 10. The Royals will continue to rely on their farm system as things turn around at the big league level, even making it a point at the Trade Deadline to prioritize keeping the prospects they believe will help them in the coming years.

Here’s a look at the Royals’ top prospects:

1. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP (MLB No. 18)
2. Blake Mitchell, C (MLB No. 56)
3. Ben Kudrna, RHP
4. Blake Wolters, RHP
5. Carter Jensen, C

Complete Top 30 list »

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Jhonayker Ugarte, SS (Preseason: NR | Midseason: 18) -- Ugarte is having a standout season in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .323 with 27 walks and 28 strikeouts through his first 40 games. The Royals signed the 6-foot-2 infielder out of the Dominican Republic for $1,312,500 in January, two months short of his 17th birthday. Ugarte has above-average raw power already with a smooth right-handed swing, and he can handle himself well on the left side of the infield.

Fall: John McMillon (Preseason: 18 | Midseason: NR) -- McMillon was a quick riser last season, starting the year at Single-A Columbia and working his way up to Double-A Northwest Arkansas before skipping Triple-A Omaha completely and making his debut in August for the Royals. He’s a true power arm with big stuff, but he struggles to command it. The 26-year-old ended the ‘23 season on the injured list with forearm tightness and didn’t make the Royals’ bullpen in Spring Training this year. McMillon continued to struggle in Triple-A this season, pitching to a 6.53 ERA with 26 walks in 30 1/3 innings. The Royals designated him for assignment to make room on the roster at the Trade Deadline, and McMillon was claimed off waivers by Miami.

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New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

No. 1: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, 2024 MLB Draft pick (No. 6 overall)
No. 7: David Shields, LHP, Draft pick (No. 41 overall)
No. 9: Drew Beam, RHP, Draft pick (No. 76 overall)
No. 24: L.P. Langevin, RHP, Draft pick (No. 105 overall)

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 55 -- Javier Vaz (Jac Caglianone)
Power: 70 -- Caglianone
Run: 60 -- Asbel Gonzalez (Vaz, Carson Roccaforte)
Arm: 70 -- Blake Mitchell
Defense: 60 -- Gonzalez
Fastball: 70 -- LP Langevin (Caglianone)
Curveball: 60 -- Eric Cerantola (Frank Mozzicato)
Slider: 60 -- Cerantola (Tyson Guerrero, Hiro Wyatt, Hunter Owen)
Changeup: 60 -- Noah Cameron (Felix Arronde)
Control: 60 -- Steven Zobac