| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | SO | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 3 | 5.32 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 45.2 | 48 | 1.55 |
| Career Minors | 13 | 20 | 4.04 | 62 | 60 | 0 | 296.1 | 284 | 1.42 |
| G | W-L | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | 2-3 | 5.32 | 45.2 | 48 | 1.55 |
| Career Minors | 62 | 13-20 | 4.04 | 296.1 | 284 | 1.42 |
| Season | Tm | LG | L | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 2 | 5 | 3.48 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 72.1 | 66 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 32 | 61 | 1.35 |
| 2023 | 2 Teams | Minors | 5 | 7 | 4.22 | 22 | 21 | 0 | 108.2 | 119 | 53 | 51 | 14 | 45 | 104 | 1.51 | |
| 2023 | Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 4 | 3 | 3.56 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 68.1 | 67 | 28 | 27 | 7 | 30 | 70 | 1.42 |
| 2023 | Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 1 | 4 | 5.36 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 40.1 | 52 | 25 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 34 | 1.66 |
| 2024 | 2 Teams | Minors | 6 | 8 | 4.21 | 23 | 22 | 0 | 115.1 | 106 | 60 | 54 | 14 | 53 | 119 | 1.38 | |
| 2024 | Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 4 | 5 | 3.49 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 69.2 | 56 | 31 | 27 | 6 | 32 | 71 | 1.26 |
| 2024 | Northwest Arkansas Naturals | TEX | AA | 2 | 3 | 5.32 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 45.2 | 50 | 29 | 27 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 1.55 |
| Northwest Arkansas Naturals | TEX | AA | 2 | 3 | 5.32 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 45.2 | 50 | 29 | 27 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 1.55 | |
| Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 5 | 9 | 4.17 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 110.0 | 108 | 56 | 51 | 13 | 47 | 105 | 1.41 | |
| Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 6 | 8 | 3.52 | 31 | 30 | 0 | 140.2 | 133 | 60 | 55 | 11 | 62 | 131 | 1.39 | |
| Career Minors | 3 Teams | 13 | 20 | 4.04 | 62 | 60 | 0 | 296.1 | 291 | 145 | 133 | 32 | 130 | 284 | 1.42 |
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Kudrna's projectability stood out more than his present stuff until he broke out at the Area Code Games last August. That performance and subsequent efforts at the tail end of the showcase circuit boosted him from a pitcher who seemed destined to attend Louisiana State to a potential second- or third-round pick, and his stock has continued to rise this spring. He threw a three-hit shutout to win the Kansas 5-A championship game, earned Gatorade state high school player of the year honors and should become Kansas' highest-drafted prep pitcher since Riley Pint went No. 4 overall in 2016.
After flashing a low-90s fastball and lacking consistency with his breaking ball in the past, Kudrna made a jump at the Area Codes. He operated with a 92-95 mph heater, using his 6-foot-3 build and three-quarters arm slot to create some angle and sink, and unveiled a sharper 82-85 mph slider. He has maintained that velocity and carried it deep into games in 2021, topping out at 97 with his fastball and 87 with his slider.
Kudrna also shows some advanced feel for a low-80s changeup with fade, giving him the makings of a solid three-pitch mix, though it can get too firm at times. His arm works well and he has good rhythm in his delivery, which allows him to fill the strike zone. There's still projection remaining in his frame, giving him the upside of a No. 3 starter.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Kudrna grew up in the Royals’ backyard, a Kansas City-area native pitching for Blue Valley Southwest HS. He won Kansas' Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year as his Draft stock climbed, and the Royals selected him No. 43 overall in the 2021 Draft, causing him to forgo his Louisiana State commitment. The Royals have not rushed Kudrna’s development, and he returned to Single-A Columbia to start 2023. Once he began dominating hitters there -- he posted a 3.56 ERA in 14 games -- he was promoted to High-A, where he had a 5.36 ERA in eight starts.
Kudrna has a physical frame that continues to add strength as he matures. He threw hard in high school but has less zip now, with his fastball sitting at 93-94 mph and without a ton of swing-and-miss capability. Kudrna pounds the zone, though, and had a 22.2 percent strikeout rate and 9.6 percent walk rate between the two levels last year. His best secondary pitch is a sinking mid-80s changeup that flashes plus after focusing on it heavily when he got into pro ball. Kudrna also possesses a gyro slider with late bite.
The right-hander looks the part of a starter with a physical frame that got stronger after the Draft. He seems durable and can be counted on for innings at the back of a rotation right now, but he could grow into a mid-rotation starter if he gets that swing-and-miss on his fastball back. His development will continue to take time, but he reached Double-A this summer as hoped.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
The Royals knew all about Kudrna given that he grew up in the Kansas City area, pitching for Blue Valley Southwest High School about 30 miles south of Kauffman Stadium. He broke out at the Area Code Games in August 2020 and his Draft stock continued to grow his senior season when he earned Gatorade state high school player of the year honors in Kansas. The Royals selected Kudrna No. 43 overall in ‘21 and lured him away from Louisiana State with a $3 million bonus. Both Kudrna and fellow top pick Frank Mozzicato were brought along slow to start their careers, not making their official debuts until May ‘22. Kudrna’s first season was promising, posting a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts for Single-A Columbia.
Kudrna’s 6-foot-3 frame has added strength since he was drafted, and he’ll get stronger as he grows. He attacks hitters with a fastball that plays up in the zone and is generally 93-95 mph with the ability to get in the upper 90s if he’s fresh. The Royals tasked Kudrna to work on his mid-80s changeup coming into the 2022 season, and it ended up a better pitch than his slider because of how quickly he took to the grip and how much he threw it. With more deception, Kudrna’s changeup could be a plus pitch for him. He will have a similar goal of improving his late-biting slider now this season; the key will be to throw it with some power without losing its shape and vice versa. Kudrna’s three-quarters arm slot and quick arm makes hitters uncomfortable, and his delivery is clean and repeatable.
With a durable arm and workhorse-type mentality, Kudrna projects as a mid-rotation starter. The Royals won’t rush his development given his age, but officials couldn’t be happier with what he showed in his first full season of pro ball. His focus will be on improving his slider as part of the rotation in High-A Quad Cities.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Kudrna was more on the radar than Frank Mozzicato in the 2021 Draft class, but he seemed destined to attend Louisiana State University until he broke out at the Area Code Games in August 2020 -- and his Draft stock continued to grow his senior season. He threw a three-hit shutout to win the Kansas 5-A championship game for Blue Valley Southwest High School -- just outside of Kansas City -- and earned Gatorade state high school player of the year honors, leading the Royals to take the local product No. 43 overall and nearly double the slot value to sign him for $3 million. He made his unofficial debut in instructional league last fall.
At 6-foot-3, Kudrna is an imposing presence on the mound, and he attacks hitters with a 95-97 mph heater. The Royals believe there’s more velocity in the tank as he grows into his broad-shouldered frame; he has already put on 25 pounds of muscle since arriving at their facility in Arizona. His three-quarters arm slot and quick arm creates some angle and movement with his fastball, which makes hitters uncomfortable, and he shows a good rhythm in his delivery. Kudrna has shown a sharp slider, but he’s still developing the pitch, learning how to finish it and throw it for strikes when behind in the count. He has also shown an advance feel for a changeup and began incorporating it more during instructs, with many believing it has a chance to be a plus pitch for him.
Kudrna looks the part of a big league starter, and there’s still projection in his frame as well as a durable arm and a workhorse-type mentality. That gives him a high ceiling as a top- or mid-rotation starter, but much like Mozzicato, there’s no rush. Kudrna also should see a full-season assignment in 2022. A solid start at Single-A Columbia this summer has only helped his claim as the best pitching prospect in the system.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Kudrna's projectability stood out more than his present stuff until he broke out at the Area Code Games in August 2020. That performance and subsequent efforts at the tail end of the showcase circuit boosted him from a pitcher who seemed destined to attend Louisiana State to a potential second- or third-round pick, and his stock has continued to rise this spring. He threw a three-hit shutout to win the Kansas 5-A championship game, earned Gatorade state high school player of the year honors and eventually went in the second round to the Royals in July. Kansas City nearly doubled the slot for the 43rd overall pick by signing Kudrna to a $3 million bonus.
After flashing a low-90s fastball and lacking consistency with his breaking ball in the past, Kudrna made a jump at the Area Codes. He operated with a 92-95 mph heater, using his 6-foot-3 build and three-quarters arm slot to create some angle and sink, and unveiled a sharper 82-85 mph slider. He maintained that velocity and carried it deep into games in 2021, topping out at 97 with his fastball and 87 with his slider.
Kudrna also shows some advanced feel for a low-80s changeup with fade, giving him the makings of a solid three-pitch mix, though it can get too firm at times. His arm works well, and he has good rhythm in his delivery, which allows him to fill the strike zone. There's still projection remaining in his frame, giving him the upside of a No. 3 starter.
| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
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| Week | Team |
|---|---|
| 06/30/2024 |
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| 04/14/2024 |
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| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
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| Team | Date | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
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07/23/2024 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Quad Cities River Bandits. |
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07/14/2024 | American League Futures activated RHP Ben Kudrna. |
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03/07/2024 | Kansas City Royals Prospects activated RHP Ben Kudrna. |
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07/12/2023 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies. |
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07/12/2023 | Quad Cities River Bandits activated RHP Ben Kudrna. |
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05/20/2022 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to Columbia Fireflies from Royals Organization. |
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08/17/2021 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to Royals Organization. |
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07/19/2021 | Kansas City Royals signed RHP Ben Kudrna. |
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06/17/2020 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to PG National 7 - Navy. |
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06/17/2020 | RHP Ben Kudrna assigned to PG National 7 - Navy. |
