Anne Rogers writes about Royals prospects that could contribute in 2026, such as Luinder Avila.

He did not allow a hit on any of the 64 four-seam fastballs he threw and just four hits on his sinker, with both of those pitches averaging 95.8 mph. But the standout pitch was his curveball, which completely missed bats – registering a 50% whiff rate – with its biting, downer action. It was a total beauty.

It’s not a stretch to say that Avila will be an important piece in 2026, but how the Royals use him is yet to be determined. He’ll report to camp as part of the starting depth — teams build up as many pitchers as they can for protection when the injuries inevitably come — but there’s no denying that Avila’s stuff ticked up in the bullpen this year. And that might mean that the Royals have a

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