Kansas City secures one of the top prospects in the 2026 international class.
The Kansas City Royals finished the 2025 season with an 82-80 record, falling just short of the playoffs after their impressive 2024 postseason run, but that hasn't stopped them from making moves to build for the future.
With the international signing period officially opening on Thursday, the Royals wasted no time in securing one of the best prospects available.
According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, Kansas City signed Venezuelan outfielder Angeibel Gomez for a bonus of $2.9 million. The 17-year-old is considered one of the top prospects in the entire 2026 international class, and for some scouts, he is the best player to come out of Venezuela this year
What Makes Gomez Special
Gomez is a true five-tool talent who brings something to offer in every area of the game.
He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs around 180 pounds, with a strong and lean build that still has room to add muscle as he matures.
His athletic frame suggests that he could develop into a 25-plus home run threat once he fills out, and he has already shown that power in games by driving balls out of the park from the middle of the field over to his pull side.
At the plate, Gomez makes a lot of contact and has a good sense of the strike zone.
He ranked third in OPS during MLB's Amateur Scouting League in 2024, showing that he can hit everywhere he goes, and that kind of consistency is rare for a player his age.
Defensively, Gomez is one of the better center fielders in the class.
He is a plus-plus runner with a plus arm, and he reads the ball well off the bat while taking clean routes to show good range in all directions.
The Road to the Majors
As exciting as Gomez is, Royals fans will need to be patient before they see him at Kauffman Stadium.
International signings typically spend several years working their way through the minor league system, and most players need four to six years of development before they are ready for the big leagues.
Given the organization's track record of developing young players, Gomez could realistically reach the majors by 2030 or 2031 if everything goes well.
The Royals finished 82-80 in 2025 and are building a young core around superstar Bobby Witt Jr., so adding a potential everyday center fielder with star upside makes sense for their long-term plans.
The Royals are clearly thinking about the future with this signing, and Gomez gives them another reason to be excited about what is coming down the pipeline in Kansas City.