Scouting Report

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

After having two position players selected in the top five rounds of the previous 15 Drafts, Louisiana-Lafayette could match that total this year with Roccaforte and catcher Julian Brock. One of just three NCAA Division I players to reach 15 homers and 25 steals in 2022, he has changed his approach since seeming overmatched by wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. Though he's not hitting for nearly as much power, scouts still appreciate his hitting ability and athleticism, which earn him some Andrew Benintendi comparisons. 

Roccaforte had a more leveraged left-handed swing last year, when he drove the ball with authority to all fields. This spring, he's using a flatter stroke and both his strikeout and ground-ball rates have risen. If he can make adjustments, he has the potential to be a solid hitter with average power, and he did rank fourth in NCAA Division I with 26 doubles.

Roccaforte has plus speed and looks to swipe bags and take extra bases. A right fielder as a freshman and a first baseman as a sophomore, he has made a nice transition to center field in 2023. With his quickness and instincts, he's a solid defender with an average arm in center.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

The Royals selected Roccaforte in the supplemental second round of the 2023 Draft at pick No. 66, and the Louisiana-Lafayette product quickly became the best center field prospect in the system. He won the organization’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and '25. After spending all of ‘24 in High-A, Roccaforte went back there to begin ‘25 and saw more power, with 13 home runs and an .830 OPS in 82 games. He joined Double-A Northwest Arkansas in July and was even better there, with a .290/.387/.475 slash line in 45 games.

Roccaforte found his power stroke in 2025, and seeing it translate to Double-A at the end of the year was an encouraging sign. However, seeing his strikeouts go up (29.4 percent from 26) and his contact rate (69.6 percent from 74.1) go down are trends to monitor. Roccaforte stands tall at the plate, and keeping his weight balanced in between his legs helps put him in better positioning to succeed. A natural center fielder, he has an above-average arm and takes efficient routes on the grass. He’s not a burner of a runner, but he does have above-average speed that helps him in center and on the bases, where he swiped 43 bases in 2025 while only getting caught 12 times.

Roccaforte’s development is coming along nicely, especially with his offense, but he still has work to do to profile as more than a fourth outfielder; however, it’s not out of the question for the Royals to talk about him potentially helping in Kansas City soon if the production remains consistent.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 65 | Overall: 40

When Roccaforte was drafted in the supplemental second round (No. 66 overall) in the 2023 Draft, he became the highest-drafted player from Louisiana-Lafayette since 1995. He got his feet wet in pro ball with a stint in Single-A at the end of ‘23, then went to High-A Quad Cities in ‘24. Roccaforte spent the whole season as the River Bandits’ center fielder, logging 1,042 innings with just one error. That performance earned him Kansas City’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year honors. It was more of a struggle offensively as Roccaforte slashed .208/.293/.342 with 23 doubles, 10 homers and an 85 wRC+, along with 34 stolen bases.

Roccaforte is the Royals’ best center-field defender, a glove-first player who has good instincts and jumps and knows where the ball is going to be. He’s not a burner; rather, he seems to just glide in the grass. He takes efficient routes and above-average arm strength helps him out there. Offensively, there’s more to unlock. He had some good bat-to-ball skills in college but has been aggressive in pro ball and struggles especially with spin. Some of the problem in ‘24 was getting caught on his back side, causing him to rush to pitches or carry forward too much and have poor swing angles. He’s made an adjustment to tone down his leg kick and work on keeping the weight in between his feet. But he does have quickness in his hands, which leads to better contact rates, and if he’s able to keep better positioning, there should be more room for success.

With his athleticism and instincts, Roccaforte has the tools to stick in center field all the way up to the big leagues, but his bat will need to improve some in order to get there. He has strong makeup and is a quick learner and a hard worker. Double-A, where he arrived in the second half of ‘25, is a good test for him both offensively and defensively as he gets used to better pitchers and hitters.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Roccaforte became the highest-drafted player from Louisiana-Lafayette since 1995 when the Royals took him in the supplemental second round (No. 66 overall) in 2023. His 26 doubles in his final season as a Ragin’ Cajun ranked fourth-best in Division I ball, and when he begin pro ball later that summer, he continued the momentum. He went 8-for-15 with five stolen bases in Rookie ball before finishing the year in Single-A Columbia with a .733 OPS.

Possessing good bat-to-ball skills, Roccaforte is more of a gap-to-gap hitter than home run slugger, especially early on in his career. His hands are high in his compact setup at the plate, and he has a leg kick, but it’s a smooth movement with a good bat path. Roccaforte might be a tick behind other outfielders in the system in terms of pure hitability right now, but his overall game is more well-rounded because he plays center field and can stick there. He’s not a burner out there, but he moves better than he looks, with good instincts and jumps and a keen perception of where the ball is going to be. That makes him an above-average defender with an average arm, so he’ll likely play all three outfield spots. He also has good speed and instincts on the bases.

Roccaforte will need to hit more to reach and stick in the big leagues, especially after a rough start at High-A Quad Cities, but his defense will carry him far. He projects as a fourth outfielder.

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

After having two position players selected in the top five rounds of the previous 15 Drafts, Louisiana-Lafayette nearly match that total this year with Roccaforte and catcher Julian Brock (eighth round). One of just three NCAA Division I players to reach 15 homers and 25 steals in 2022, he has changed his approach since seeming overmatched by wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. Though he's not hitting for nearly as much power, scouts still appreciate his hitting ability and athleticism, which earn him some Andrew Benintendi comparisons. The Royals selected him 66th overall in July and signed him below slot at $897,500.

Roccaforte had a more leveraged left-handed swing last year, when he drove the ball with authority to all fields. This spring, he's using a flatter stroke and both his strikeout and ground-ball rates have risen. If he can make adjustments, he has the potential to be a solid hitter with average power, and he did rank fourth in NCAA Division I with 26 doubles.

Roccaforte has plus speed and looks to swipe bags and take extra bases. A right fielder as a freshman and a first baseman as a sophomore, he has made a nice transition to center field in 2023. With his quickness and instincts, he's a solid defender with an average arm in center.

Awards

MID Player of the Week

Week	Team
07/13/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	CF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Kansas City Royals Prospects.
	01/27/2026	Kansas City Royals invited non-roster CF Carson Roccaforte to spring training.
	09/10/2025	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Surprise Saguaros.
	07/22/2025	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Quad Cities River Bandits.
	03/06/2025	activated CF Carson Roccaforte.
	02/27/2025	CF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Kansas City Royals.
	04/03/2024	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
	03/25/2024	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Columbia Fireflies.
	03/15/2024	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Kansas City Royals.
	03/07/2024	Kansas City Royals Prospects activated OF Carson Roccaforte.
	08/07/2023	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals.
	08/01/2023	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to ACL Royals.
	07/18/2023	Kansas City Royals signed OF Carson Roccaforte.
	06/14/2023	OF Carson Roccaforte assigned to College Workout.