Spring Temperature Check: Who's Hot and Who's Cold in Royals Camp? (Mar 16-Mar 19)

Major League Baseball games are right around the corner. A week today, the games will count, the statistics will count, and the Kansas City Royals’ quest to return to postseason baseball will begin in Atlanta. 

Now is the time when fans want to see their players get into a groove and look ready to face MLB-caliber pitching. As always, these spring training statistics don’t matter, but here is one of the final looks at the hot and cold performers in Royals camp. 

Who’s Hot? 🔥

Bailey Falter

Acquired at last year's trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Falter struggled to find his footing in a Royals uniform. After turning in a 7-5 record with a 3.73 ERA and 1.18 in Pittsburgh over 22 starts, the wheels fell off following the trade. In four appearances (two starts), Falter went 0-2 with an ERA of 11.25 and a WHIP of 2.25. Opponents hit .370, and Falter walked seven batters across 12 innings. 

With a clean slate this spring, Falter has been up-and-down, but the left-hander’s last outing gave belief that Falter could have a role on this team when camp breaks next week. Falter threw three shutout innings, allowing no hits, no walks, and striking out five. 

With Mason Black and Ryan Bergert being optioned to Omaha earlier this week, the door has opened for Falter to claim a long relief role in the Royals’ bullpen. If injuries do strike, Falter has put himself in a position to be an option to fill a role, based on his career ERA of 4.58. 

Daniel Lynch IV

Lynch IV continues to build on a strong 2025 campaign this spring. Through seven spring outings, Lynch IV has pitched to a record of 1-0, an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 1.17. In the left-hander’s most recent outing, Lynch IV struck out the side, requiring only 16 pitches to set the Rangers aside. 

Last season, Lynch IV went 6-2 with an ERA of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.36 over 57 outings. With the trade of fellow left-hander Ángel Zerpa during the winter, Lynch IV could be in line for more opportunities to continue to grow as a left-hander coming out of the Royals’ bullpen. 

Kyle Isbel

Isbel got hot at the right time. After struggling through the earlier portions of camp, Isbel is making sure he finishes strong. Over his last three games, Isbel is 5-for-8, with one double, one triple, two RBIs, and one walk. 

Isbel’s spring slash line now sits at .276/.382/.379, while also chipping in two steals. If Isbel can provide this level of offense, to go along with his great defense, the Royals would be over the moon about the 29-year-old’s production. 

Last season, Isbel batted .255 with four home runs and 33 RBI’s, to go along with an OBP of .301. A raised OBP could help allow Isbel to challenge his career high of 11 stolen bases, set back in 2024. 

Who’s Not? 🧊

Nick Mears

Spring training has been a struggle for Mears, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason. The 29-year-old has appeared in seven games, posting an ERA of 10.80 and a WHIP of 2.10 across 6 ⅔ innings. 

Mears has struggled with both giving up hits and control, allowing nine hits and walking five. Last season, Mears was a key piece of the Brewers’ bullpen, going 5-3 with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 0.97. Opponents struggled to hit off Mears, generating an average of .213, while also only walking 13 in 56 ⅔ innings. 

With the regular season around the corner, the Royals are going to need Mears to find his stride to be a key piece in what could be a strong Royals bullpen. 

Noah Cameron

Cameron put together a very nice rookie season in 2025. Over 24 starts, Cameron went 9-7, posted an ERA of 2.99 and a WHIP of 1.10, finishing fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. 

This spring, over five games (four starts), Cameron has gone 0-1 with a 6.19 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP. After holding opponents to a .214 average against during his rookie campaign, teams have been able to hit .343 off the left-hander, which is a concerning development. 

Cameron last pitched against the Cleveland Guardians on March 19, where the lefty went 4 ⅓ innings, allowing four runs on five hits, two home runs, two walks, while also hitting a batter. Having Cameron find his stride as the regular season opens could be one of the biggest storylines for the Royals, who could field one of the stronger rotations in MLB in 2026. 

Isaac Collins

Collins, like Mears, was also acquired from the Brewers in the trade that sent Zerpa to Milwaukee. After batting .263 with nine home runs and 63 RBI’s and a .368 OBP with the Brewers last year, Collins has struggled to find his footing in his new home this spring. 

Through 21 at-bats this spring, Collins has batted .095 and posted an OBP of .174. The Royals’ outfield struggled to produce last season, so the acquisition of Collins was hoped to fill a hole that had persisted for much of the 2025 campaign. 

With four spring training games remaining on the exhibition schedule, players will want to start seeing results as the statistics begin to count in a week's time.