Royals Announce Naturals 2026 Roster
TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Royals Announce Naturals 2026 Roster

Published on March 31, 2026 under Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, Ark. - The Kansas City Royals have announced the 2026 Northwest Arkansas Naturals breaking roster, featuring 21 returning players and seven ranked within the MLB.com top 30 Royals prospects. An official Opening Day roster will be finalized prior to the team's first game of the season on Thursday, April 2nd, against the Wichita Wind Surge in Wichita, Kansas.

The Naturals roster features over a half-dozen top prospects according to MLB.com, with RHP Drew Beam (#12) making his first Double-A roster. He's joined by RHP Félix Arronde (#14), OF Carson Roccaforte (#18), RHP Dennis Colleran Jr. (#25), SS Daniel Vazquez (#26), LHP Frank Mozzicato (#29), and LHP Hunter Patteson (#30). Beam and Arronde are both newcomers while Roccaforte, Colleran Jr., Vazquez, Mozzicato, and Patteson each have prior experience with the Naturals.

The rest of the pitching staff is filled out with returners like RHP Ethan Bosacker, RHP Zach Cawyer, LHP Christian Chamberlain, LHP Caden Monke, LHP Hunter Owen, LHP Oscar Rayo, RHP Ben Sears, and RHP Henry Williams. Fresh faces like LHP Chase Jessee, RHP Tommy Molsky, and LHP Andrew Pérez bring varying levels of experience from all over baseball.

The Naturals will carry two catchers to start the season with Omar Hernandez, who joins the Naturals for the third time in his career, and Canyon Brown.

The position players are hardly strangers to Arvest Ballpark, too. Colton Becker, Dustin Dickerson, Justin Johnson, Brett Squires, and Daniel Vazquez are all back with the Naturals after spending some or all of 2025 with the team. Jack Pineda has logged 98 games in a Naturals uniform between 2024 and 2025, and he returns for 2026.

In the outfield, the most familiar face is Rudy Martin Jr., who has logged 100 games with NWA. He's joined by Carson Roccaforte, the top ranked position player on the team, and Connor Scott who missed most of 2025 after an injury. Sam Kulasingam, an Air Force product, makes his Double-A debut as a member of the Naturals and rounds out the outfield core to start the season.

Northwest Arkansas hits the road to start 2026 with three games in Wichita, Kansas, against the Wichita Wind Surge. First pitch in the season's first game is scheduled for 6:35 PM and can be heard on nwanaturals.com and the MiLB with the "Voice of the Naturals", Shawn Murnin on the play-by-play call.

The Naturals home opener is set for Tuesday, April 7, with a 7:05 PM first pitch against the Amarillo Sod Poodles, the Double-A Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Opening Night is presented by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers along with Black Hills Energy. The first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Naturals Wiffle Bat and Ball Set, courtesy of Ozarks Coco-Cola. Season tickets, mini packs, individual tickets, and group tickets are now available at www.nwanaturals.com.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from March 31, 2026


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