Royals stars Cole Ragans, Vinnie Pasquantino make MLB top 100. Who’s still to come?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- MLB ranked Vinnie Pasquantino No. 93 after a breakout 32-homer, 113-RBI campaign.
- Cole Ragans placed No. 89 despite injuries; he delivered a strong late-season stretch.
- Royals will lean on Pasquantino and Ragans while using a revamped Kauffman Stadium.
The Kansas City Royals are just under a month away from the start of spring training in Surprise, Arizona.
The club will return a core group that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans and Carlos Estévez. And on Tuesday, a few of those Royals were recognized by Major League Baseball.
MLB Network is releasing a list of the top-100 players heading into 2026. The six-part series highlights the best players across the league.
Nos. 100-81 were released Tuesday night, and two Royals were mentioned.
Pasquantino was ranked No. 93 on the list. He posted a career season with a .264 batting average 32 home runs and 113 RBIs. At times, Pasquantino piloted the Royals’ offense as they chased a postseason berth down the stretch.
And the league noticed.
Pasquantino was named an AL Silver Slugger Award finalist. He led the Royals in homers and RBIs while playing in 160 games.
The Royals will lean on Pasquantino next season. He will get an opportunity to hit at a revamped Kauffman Stadium with new outfield dimensions. The Royals altered the venue to generate more offense.
Ragans was also named to the list. He came in at No. 89 after undergoing an injury-riddled campaign.
In 13 starts, Ragans posted a 4.67 ERA across 61 ⅔ innings. He missed significant time with a left rotator cuff strain but returned for the final three starts in September.
Ragans was brilliant down the stretch. He allowed four runs and registered 22 strikeouts against the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Athletics.
The Royals will utilize Ragans as their frontline ace in 2026. If he can remain healthy, Ragans could push for potential AL Cy Young consideration.
Major League Baseball will continue to roll out the top 100 in the upcoming days. There is a chance that Perez, Garcia, Witt and Estévez find their names on the list in some fashion.
