| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | SO | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 1 | 27.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Career Minors | 6 | 6 | 3.44 | 40 | 22 | 1 | 133.1 | 141 | 1.50 |
| G | W-L | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0-1 | 27.00 | 1.2 | 4 | 3.00 |
| Career Minors | 40 | 6-6 | 3.44 | 133.1 | 141 | 1.50 |
| Season | Tm | LG | L | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ACL Royals | ACL | ROK | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.33 |
| 2024 | Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 4 | 2 | 2.52 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 64.1 | 49 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 39 | 71 | 1.37 |
| 2025 | 2 Teams | Minors | 1 | 3 | 3.78 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 64.1 | 71 | 35 | 27 | 3 | 32 | 65 | 1.60 | |
| 2025 | Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 1 | 2 | 4.73 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 32.1 | 41 | 25 | 17 | 1 | 14 | 37 | 1.70 |
| 2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 0 | 1 | 2.81 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 32.0 | 30 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 18 | 28 | 1.50 |
| 2026 | Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 0 | 1 | 27.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3.00 |
| ACL Royals | ACL | ROK | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.33 | |
| Quad Cities River Bandits | MID | A+ | 0 | 2 | 4.01 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 33.2 | 35 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 18 | 32 | 1.57 | |
| Columbia Fireflies | CAR | A | 5 | 4 | 3.26 | 29 | 14 | 1 | 96.2 | 90 | 49 | 35 | 1 | 53 | 108 | 1.48 | |
| Career Minors | 3 Teams | 6 | 6 | 3.44 | 40 | 22 | 1 | 133.1 | 128 | 65 | 51 | 4 | 72 | 141 | 1.50 |
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40
Hansell was in the Royals’ backyard at Wichita State before he transferred to Arizona State for his sophomore and junior years, and they selected him in the 16th round of the 2023 Draft, signing him to a $150,000 bonus -- the max allowed without dipping into their bonus pool. A reliever mostly in college, Hansell pitched in the bullpen during his first full season in 2024, but he transitioned to a starter’s role in '25. He made eight starts at both Single-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities but saw a better ERA at the higher level with a 2.81 mark for the River Bandits. A stress reaction in his back ended his season in July.
Hansell came to the Royals fairly raw in his development, even as a college pitcher, but with really intriguing stuff. His fastball sits around the low-to-mid-90s but can run up to 97 mph. His potentially plus curveball is in the upper 70s with good downer action, getting consistent whiffs. Hansell has a harder breaking mid-80s slider that is average on most days, while his mid-80s changeup is still developing but can get some chase if he’s ahead. Hansell has some work to do on his delivery, which is inconsistent in its tempo. The Royals are working with him on moving quicker and more efficiently.
There’s still a bit of development to go with Hansell, but the Royals really like his weapons and potential. While he needs reps and innings to help with that development, Hansell may end up as a reliever by the time he reaches the Majors, with his stuff ticking up in shorter spurts.
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40
Hansell began his collegiate career at Wichita State before transferring to Arizona State for his sophomore and junior years, pitching primarily out of the bullpen in both settings. That limited his workload, and he actually threw more innings (37) in the 2022 summer in the Alaska League than he did in any of his campaigns on campus. The Royals selected him in the 16th round of the 2023 Draft, signed him for $150,000 (the max allowed without dipping into their bonus pool) and got him work at Single-A Columbia in his first full season, again mostly in relief. Hansell transitioned to starting full-time in 2025 with mostly positive results at Single-A and High-A.
The former Sun Devil certainly has size at 6-foot-6, and he can run his fastball up to 97 mph, though he generally sits 92-94. That’s almost perfectly average velocity these days, but it’s the curveball that’s the clear star of the show in the arsenal. Hansell throws impressive 77-80 mph curves that bend aesthetically downward for consistent whiffs against batters from both sides. A mid-80s slider can give a harder breaking look to righties, and his changeup (right around the same velo band) continues to be an area of focus.
Hansell’s walk rate ballooned in his introduction to the Midwest League, and the lack of a cambio led to some drastic splits in '25. The Royals believe his limited workload in college gives him a longer runway than the typical 23-year-old, and he could certainly use the reps to keep honing his stuff. At the least, he could sit in the upper 90s more often in relief and really rely on the curve to dominate in those shorter spurts.
| Team | Date | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
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03/05/2026 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Kansas City Royals Prospects. |
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11/06/2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits activated RHP Josh Hansell from the 60-day injured list. |
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08/01/2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits transferred RHP Josh Hansell from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. |
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08/01/2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits transferred RHP Josh Hansell from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. |
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07/22/2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits placed RHP Josh Hansell on the 7-day injured list retroactive to July 20, 2025. |
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05/20/2025 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies. |
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05/20/2025 | Quad Cities River Bandits activated RHP Josh Hansell. |
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04/27/2024 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Columbia Fireflies from ACL Royals. |
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08/14/2023 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to ACL Royals. |
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07/18/2023 | Kansas City Royals signed RHP Josh Hansell. |
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03/11/2023 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Arizona State Sun Devils. |
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05/19/2021 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Wichita State Shockers. |
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05/19/2021 | RHP Josh Hansell assigned to Wichita State Shockers. |
