This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers' Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- In the buildup to Spring Training, we¡¯ll utilize this newsletter to go around the horn to assess the Royals¡¯ roster for 2025 and take a peek at what the club¡¯s farm system looks like at each position.

We¡¯ll start with catcher this week, even though there are very few questions or surprises with who will serve as backstop this year.

But looking into the Minor Leagues, the position might be as deep as it has ever been: Four of the Royals¡¯ Top 30 Prospects, via MLB Pipeline, are catchers, with three in the top 10. That¡¯s a great spot to be in, not only for Kansas City¡¯s future, but also as the Royals discuss trades with other organizations.

Projected starter: Salvador Perez
No surprise here, right? Perez is entering his 14th big league season and will once again guide the Royals on the field and in the clubhouse as their captain. What¡¯s interesting, though, is the fact that Perez is entering the final guaranteed season on his four-year, $82 million contract he signed in 2021. The Royals hold a $13.5 million club option for 2026 or a $2 million buyout. Perez has stated before he wants to be a Royal for life, but the club must decide what the future holds for its veteran backstop and potential Hall of Famer in Kansas City.

Part of the decision will hinge on Perez¡¯s performance, but the 34-year-old sure doesn¡¯t seem to be slowing down, at least not offensively. He slashed .271/.330/.456 last season with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs. He was an All-Star for the ninth time and won his fifth Silver Slugger Award. Given what he means to the organization and the city, it would be foolish for the Royals to part with Perez -- especially if he puts together another season similar to 2024.

But as we¡¯ll see below, catching is a real strength of the organization. It¡¯s also fair to wonder how many games Perez will catch. He logged 765 innings behind the plate last year but also a career high in innings at first base with 392 1/3. There¡¯s no doubt that helps Perez stay fresher, allowing him to perform better offensively.

Regardless of what the future holds, Perez is the Royals¡¯ catcher in 2025. And who knows what he has in store? He keeps surprising everyone; this year will be no different.

Backup: Freddy Fermin
Part of the reason Perez was able to get as much time at first base and designated hitter as he did in ¡¯24 was because the Royals are very comfortable with Fermin, their backup catcher who isn¡¯t really a backup because he logged 663 innings there last season. Baseball Reference¡¯s version of WAR had Fermin (3.0) valued higher than Perez (2.5) last year; FanGraphs still had Perez (3.2 WAR) higher than Fermin (1.9). Fermin grades better defensively than Perez on some catching metrics and was a finalist for an AL Gold Glove at the position this year, too.

Even though he slashed .271/.319/.366 last year, Fermin is a defense-first catcher and seemed to get exposed more at the plate when he played for long stretches, so that¡¯s something the Royals have to consider when figuring out the lineup. But Royals pitchers love throwing to both Perez and Fermin, and it seems likely that Fermin will continue to catch more and more in 2025.

Entering his age-30 season, Fermin isn¡¯t the Royals¡¯ long-term answer at catcher, but the club is in a great position with him under control until 2030. Not only does Fermin¡¯s ability allow Perez to get off his feet more often, but it also means the Royals don¡¯t need to rush their catching prospects up to Kansas City before they¡¯re ready.

Also on the 40-man roster: None
The Royals don¡¯t have a third catcher on the 40-man roster, which might change by the end of Spring Training if they decide they want more protection (like last year when they signed Austin Nola to a Major League deal).

Along with prospects Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, the Royals invited several non-roster catchers to Spring Training: Kyle Hayes, Omar Hernandez, Brian O¡¯Keefe and Luca Tresh. They need plenty of catchers to catch bullpens and live BPs in the spring, but it¡¯ll also be a good audition for those who end up in Triple-A this year, a step away from Kansas City in case the Royals need to make an emergency move.

Top 30 prospects: Blake Mitchell (No. 2), Carter Jensen (No. 5), Ramon Ramirez (No. 10), Hyungchan Um (No. 25)
What stands out with this group is the potential for some big-time hitters to emerge. Jensen is the closest to the Majors after he posted an .809 OPS between High-A and Double-A in 2024. Then the Kansas City native finished the year strong in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .425/.582/.800 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 12 games. Jensen, 21, should be in Triple-A by the end of this season and be knocking on the door to the big leagues by 2026.

Mitchell, the Royals¡¯ first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is still getting settled into his pro career but had a solid first full season, slashing .232/.368/.424 with 18 homers, mainly in Single-A but finishing out the year in High-A. That¡¯s where he should return in ¡¯25 for a full season there. He impressed all around in ¡¯24, with his bat and plate discipline, his arm and his leadership.

Ramirez and Um are both in the lower levels of the Minors and need more development time, but there¡¯s excitement for both, especially Ramirez. The 19-year-old was in Rookie ball this past summer and posted an .838 OPS, flashing a good foundation at the plate and behind it.

There¡¯s power potential at a premium position for the Royals¡¯ catching corps, and that makes the future bright as we look out into the next five years.