Fastball: 50/60
Changeup: 55/55
Slider: 45/50
Command: 45/50
Ben Kudrna is a local product out of Blue Valley Northwest in Overland Park, Kansas. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school, the same year he won Kansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year award. There was a lot of hype behind Kudrna’s selection, leading him to being ranked as the Royals’ No. 11 prospect during the 2022 season. He has worked his way up the list, landing as the No. 3 prospect in the Royals’ system in MLB Pipeline’s 2024 midseason ranking.
Kudrna has developed a reputation as a very dependable starter. You can count on him to get 5 to 6 solid innings nearly every time he takes the mound. In 2022, he threw 72.1 innings for the Columbia Fireflies, holding a 3.48 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 1.91 K/BB. He followed that up by dominating in Columbia to start the 2023 season, holding a 3.56 ERA in 68.1 IP before earning a promotion to Quad Cities. Things weren’t nearly as smooth at the High-A level, as he held a 5.36 ERA in 40.1 IP allowing opponents to hit .325 against him.
2024 season stats (A+): 69.2 IP, 3.49 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, .226 OBA, 2.22 K/BB
2024 season stats (AA): 30.1 IP, 5.34 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, .297 OBA, 2.46 K/BB
Ben Kudrna has the changeup working tonight. Fastball has good life too. 4.0IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 3 SO.
His season ERA is down to 2.59, despite being in line for the loss tonight because of three errors. pic.twitter.com/dl9Xl9J7J9