Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

The Royals took a risk selecting Charles in the final round of the 2022 Draft because it looked like he was headed to UC Santa Barbara, but they were able to lure him away from his commitment with a $429,000 signing bonus. He comes from a baseball family and actually impressed scouts just as much on the mound in high school, but the Royals have only had him hit in the three years since he was drafted. Charles improved upon repeating Single-A in 2024, slashing .257/.353/.386 with 10 homers, 15 doubles and 36 stolen bases in 117 games.

Charles is an extreme athlete with tons of tools, including a plus arm and raw power. He’s tall at 6-foot-5, which doesn’t help his hit tool, but he made some adjustments with his swing this year, getting his hands to load back for a better firing position. The goal is to eliminate some of the length in his swing, helping him make better contact on fastballs and walk more. He still struggles with offspeed, but a tweak in his game planning helped him with his recognition and win counts. Finding stability in his swing will allow him to tap into his raw power. Charles’ frame doesn’t make him your typical shortstop, but he has good movements and a strong internal clock that helps him handle the position, while also getting time at third base in Columbia in ‘24. He’s an average runner, but quick-twitch movements help him on the bases.

After two seasons in Single-A, Charles made significant progress but really struggled with a move to High-A in 2025 while also dealing with injuries. He is only in his age-21 season and still has untapped potential with his tools and athleticism, but the Royals are excited about what it all could look like if he turns things around as he develops.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Charles looked like he would honor his commitment to UC Santa Barbara before the conclusion of the 2022 Draft, but the Royals selected him in the 20th round and signed him for fifth-round money with a $429,500 bonus. He impressed scouts on both sides of the ball in high school, but the Royals are having him focus on being a hitter. Charles stayed behind in extended spring training last year and played two games in Rookie ball before he joined Single-A Columbia, where he slashed .230/.290/.356 with three homers in 69 games.

Charles is one of the best pure athletes in the Royals' system, with a plus arm and raw power. There’s swing-and-miss in his game, and he struggles with breaking balls. But the Royals focused on functional strength with him last year before diving deep into his swing, and that allowed him to tighten up his body movements and find more stability. Now he’ll go into a full season stronger and making better contact. At 6-foot-4, Charles is not your typical shortstop, but he has the skills to handle the position with good movements and a strong internal clock. He saw time at third base because of the shortstop depth in the Royals’ system and he has the ability to become a solid defender on the left side of the infield. He could even move to center field because of his athletic ability and average speed.

Charles faced older and better pitchers in Columbia and will likely go back there this season. There is tons of potential for Charles based on his tools and athleticism; he simply needs more time and development.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Just when it looked like Charles would honor his commitment to UC Santa Barbara last summer, Kansas City took him in the 20th round of the 2022 Draft and signed him for $429,500, roughly fourth- or fifth-round money. Charles impressed scouts with his skills on both sides of the ball, and the Royals were thrilled to get the high-upside high schooler in their system. Charles will stay as a shortstop, and he made his debut last year in the Arizona Complex League, going 3-for-11 in three games.

A two-way player in high school, Charles is an elite athlete, with a plus arm and raw power. At 6-foot-4, he’s not your typical shortstop. But he's gotten some early looks there and has started to see more of third base because of Kansas City's loaded depth chart at short in the lower levels. Offensively, Charles is still tapping into his hit tool and raw power. The Royals will work with him on being more consistent at the plate, allowing him to make hard contact more often.

Charles has the potential to be a dynamic player for the Royals, although it’ll likely take some time to develop him as he grows. He has all the tools to stay at shortstop, but he could play third base or the outfield as well. He was one of the Royals' best performers in extended spring training early in 2023 and forced his way to Single-A Columbia by early June.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Charles has a good role model in his family when it comes to knowing what the grind of pro ball can be like. His older brother, Art, was a first baseman taken in the 20th round of the 2010 Draft by the Blue Jays who has spent over a decade in the Minor Leagues, independent league ball and in Mexico. Austin showed tools both on the mound and at the plate, and though he entered the spring without much track record with scouts, he spent the spring showing off skills on both sides of the ball. Just when it looked like he might head to UC Santa Barbara, the Royals took Charles in the 20th round and signed him for $429,500, roughly equivalent to fourth- or fifth-round money. They’ve already said they plan to keep him as a position player. 

Not your typical shortstop at 6-foot-6, Charles has shown off his plus athleticism and arm, along with solid actions, with some thinking he’ll fit well at third and is certainly athletic enough to play the outfield. Charles prefers to hit and he has some raw power to tap into. The competition he typically faced in the Bakersfield area wasn’t great, but he did go off against Draft prospect Cutter Coffey earlier this year.

Entering the spring, Charles hadn’t pitched much and was used mostly in relief early, but his role grew, giving him more of a chance to show off a feel for pitching. Many scouts preferred him on the mound, as he was up to 94 mph with more in the tank. He had decent feel for his slider and showed a quick arm and delivery with deception. The Royals are going to keep him hitting for now, but the mound could be a fallback option down the line.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Charles has a good role model in his own family in terms of what the grind of pro ball can be like. His older brother, Art, was a first baseman taken in the 20th round of the 2010 Draft by the Blue Jays and has spent over a decade in the Minor Leagues, independent league ball and in Mexico. Austin has tools both on the mound and at the plate, and though he entered the spring without much track record with scouts, he has spent the spring showing off skills on both sides of the ball.

Not your typical shortstop at 6-foot-6, Charles has shown off his plus athleticism and arm, along with solid actions, with some thinking he’ll fit well at third and is certainly athletic enough to play the outfield. Charles prefers to hit and he has some raw power to tap into. The competition he typically faces in the Bakersfield area isn’t great, but he did go off against Draft prospect Cutter Coffey in a recent matchup.

Entering the spring, Charles hadn’t pitched much and was used mostly in relief early, but his role has grown, giving him more of a chance to show off a feel for pitching. Many scouts prefer him on the mound, as he’s up to 94 mph right now with more in the tank. He has decent feel for his slider and has a quick arm and delivery with deception. He could be a two-way player at Santa Barbara if he heads to college, but a team that likes toolsy players might be willing to let him hit, knowing the mound is a very solid backup plan.

Awards

CAR Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/02/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/12/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits activated SS Austin Charles from the 7-day injured list.
	06/28/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits placed SS Austin Charles on the 7-day injured list retroactive to June 26, 2025.
	05/27/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits activated SS Austin Charles from the 7-day injured list.
	05/20/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits sent SS Austin Charles on a rehab assignment to ACL Royals.
	05/13/2025	Quad Cities River Bandits placed SS Austin Charles on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 12, 2025.
	03/06/2025	activated 3B Austin Charles.
	02/27/2025	3B Austin Charles assigned to Kansas City Royals.
	09/12/2024	3B Austin Charles assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies.
	03/15/2024	SS Austin Charles assigned to Kansas City Royals.
	03/07/2024	Kansas City Royals Prospects activated SS Austin Charles.
	06/08/2023	SS Austin Charles assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals.
	06/08/2023	Columbia Fireflies activated SS Austin Charles.
	08/15/2022	TWP Austin Charles assigned to ACL Royals.
	08/15/2022	ACL Royals activated TWP Austin Charles.
	07/29/2022	Kansas City Royals signed TWP Austin Charles.
	06/09/2022	TWP Austin Charles and assigned to College Workout.
	06/09/2022	College Workout activated TWP Austin Charles.