Royals Roundup, Oct 19: Lamkin's Curveball, Picollo's Offseason, Caglianone Extension

[Royals Keep]

Here is some of the latest Royals analysis from around the internet. The roundup covers Justin Lamkin's curveball development, the 2025-26 offseason's failures, Jac Caglianone's potential extension, and Seth Lugo's 2026 performance.

• Learning curve: Royals' LHP prospect Lamkin refining pitch in Arizona Fall League (MLB.com). Notes that Royals left-hander Justin Lamkin is refining his curveball in the Arizona Fall League after adding it to his repertoire last offseason, with his 78-81 mph curve generating a 41.2% whiff rate in two starts.
• Royals' 2025-26 offseason mistakes are now impossible to ignore (Kings of Kauffman). Argues that the Kansas City Royals' 2025-26 offseason was a failure, noting GM J.J. Picollo's focus on low-cost free agents and marginal trade acquisitions like Lane Thomas, Starling Marte, and Matt Strahm, who underperformed, while neglecting to address the rotation and failing to add proven depth, leading to a collapse in the AL Central.
• Signing Jac Caglianone to an extension could be a massive bargain if the Royals act fast (Kings of Kauffman). Argues that signing Jac Caglianone to a pre-arbitration extension could be a bargain for the Royals, citing his .289 batting average, .834 OPS, 23 home runs, and strong exit velocity in his rookie season, and comparing his potential deal to Tyler Soderstrom's seven-year, $86 million contract.
• 2026 Royals season in review: Seth Lugo (Royals Review). Notes the 2026 season of Seth Lugo with the Royals, highlighting his early strong performance, subsequent decline, a 5.17 ERA, struggles against lefties with an .874 OPS, and the impact of his contract on the team's decisions moving forward.