Spring Temperature Check: Who's Hot and Who's Cold in Royals Camp? (Mar 2- Mar 5)

The excitement is building for baseball fans. As the calendar hits the first Friday in March, the Kansas City Royals are only three weeks away from opening day in Atlanta. 

As always, spring training statistics don’t mean a lot in the big picture, but with the countdown until the regular season begins, players will be getting close to wanting to find their groove before camps break at the end of March.

Who’s Hot? 🔥

Carter Jensen

Jensen continues to show why he is ready to be a full-time Major League Baseball player. After appearing in 20 games last season, where the catcher batted .300 with three home runs and 13 RBI’s, Jensen has followed that up with a .400 average through his first 15 spring training at-bats. 

With two home runs and five RBI’s this spring, Jensen is making a case to become a middle-of-the-lineup bat, which would be a great boost to the Royals’ lineup after last season’s offensive struggles. 

Ryan Bergert

Bergert made his third appearance of the spring on Tuesday, pitching two shutout innings against Team Cuba. Through six spring training innings, Bergert has yet to allow a run, allowing two hits, one walk, and striking out six. 

Bergert remains in the mix to earn a spot on the Royals’ opening day roster, especially with the injury to Stephen Kolek. After posting an ERA of 3.66 and holding opposing batters to a .215 average last season, Bergert is setting himself up to be a strong option for the Royals. 

Lucas Erceg

Erceg made his first appearance of the spring on Tuesday, recording a scoreless inning with one strikeout. A major factor in the Royals’ bullpen last season, Erceg will be tasked with helping set up for closer Carlos Estévez.

Last season, Erceg went 8-4 with an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.17 across 61 ⅓ innings. Erceg will look to strikeout more batters in 2026 after recording only 48 last year. 

Who’s Not? 🧊

Cole Ragans

Ragans was roughed up by the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, allowing six earned runs over 1 ⅔ innings. The left-hander allowed one home run, one walk, and hit one batter, requiring 52 pitches to get through his outing. 

Ragans likely has three more outings prior to opening day, giving him a chance to get right before the 2026 season kicks off. The likely candidate to be named the Royals’ opening day starter, the main concern is a healthy spring after last year’s injury troubles. 

Kevin Newman

Signed to a minor league contract in December, Newman has struggled across 18 at-bats. Newman has hit .211, with zero home runs and no RBI’s. In 114 at-bats, last season with the Los Angeles Angels, Newman hit .202 with two home runs and 11 RBI’s.  After recording an on-base percentage of .209, Newman is on the outside looking in at a big league spot. 

John Schreiber

Schreiber was hit hard by the Rangers on Thursday night, giving up five hits in one inning of work. The right-hander allowed four runs, while walking one and striking out one. Facing many of the Rangers’ regulars, Schreiber allowed four straight hits to Corey Seager, Jake Burger, Kyle Higashioka, and Josh Smith. 

Last season, Schreiber appeared in a team-high 74 games, going 3-3 with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.19. The 32-year-old will be a big part of the Royals’ bullpen in 2026.