Mike Gillespie

Image courtesy of © Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals, a team striving to rebound from the disappointment of missing the playoffs last year after a stunning return to postseason play in 2024, open their 2026 campaign against the Braves in Atlanta Friday night. Featuring as it will the two clubs’ respective aces — Cole Ragans for the Royals and Chris Sale for the Braves — the 6:15 p.m. CDT tilt at Truist Field sizes up as one not to be missed. And the first game of the year for both teams will also snap a trend to which Kansas City has become so accustomed. After opening at home for five straight seasons and nine of the past 11, the Royals are set to launch their newest pursuit of October baseball on the road. Ominously, the club lost its two most recent openers away from Kauffman Stadium — 7-1 at Minnesota in 2017, and 2-0 at Cleveland in 2020 — and hasn’t beaten an Opening Day host since edging Detroit 5-4 in 2008. How, though, did the Royals fare in their first-ever road opener? Answering that question requires turning the baseball clock back 55 years. The Royals Started on the Road for the First Time in 1971 After kicking off their inaugural 1969 campaign by beating the Twins at Kansas City’s old Municipal Stadium, and then losing the 1970 opener to Oakland at home, the Royals headed West to take on the then-California Angels on Opening Day in 1971. And things went well. The Royals won 4-1 to post the first victory of their third season. Leading the way was starter Dick Drago, an original Royal who went the distance and limited California to six scattered singles; although he struck out only two, he didn’t walk anyone, retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, and put the Angels down in order five times. The only run he surrendered came on a fifth-inning passed ball. Drago won 16 more games that season, a total that would today challenge for the big league lead, but significantly trailed major league leader Mickey Lolich’s 25 in 1971. And in another sign of a bygone era, Drago’s 2.98 ERA wasn’t good enough to crack the majors’ top 10. He won at least 11 games in four of his five KC seasons and retired after the 1981 campaign following stops in Boston, California, and Seattle. Most responsible for giving Drago the offensive support he needed were second baseman Cookie Rojas and left fielder Lou Piniella. Piniella opened the top of the second with a single off California starter Clyde Wright, went to third on Bob Oliver’s single, and scored when Rojas beat out an infield single that gave KC its first run of the season and a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Rojas scored what proved to be the winning run on Buck Martinez’s sacrifice fly to Tony Conigliaro in right. Piniella and Rojas struck again in the fourth. Piniella opened the frame with a double and, after Oliver bunted him to third, came home on Rojas’ sacrifice fly to left fielder Alex Johnson. Kansas City scored once more when third baseman Paul Schaal drove in Amos Otis with a single. Otis and Rojas went on to make the American League All-Star team that year. The Game Featured Three Future Royals Club Hall of Famers KC’s 1971 Opening Day lineup included Rojas, Otis, and shortstop Freddie Patek, all of whom also later became members of the team’s Hall of Fame. Rojas spent half of his 16-year big league career with the Royals before retiring after the 1977 season. Patek played nine of his 14 big league campaigns in Kansas City and didn’t play after 1981 with the Angels, and Otis, a Royal for all but three of his 17 major league seasons, played for the last time in 1984 with Pittsburgh. How Did the Royals Fare the Rest of the 1971 Season? It was a historic campaign — the Royals went 85-76 to notch the first winning season in franchise history. But the A’s, whose departure from Kansas City after the 1967 season paved the way for the Royals to bring baseball back to Municipal Stadium in 1969, were simply too good and finished 16 games ahead of second-place KC in the AL West. The season was the Royals’ best until 1973, when they won 88 times but again ended up second to Oakland in the West. Kansas City didn’t clinch its first division title and playoff berth until 1976. View full article

Image courtesy of © William Liang-Imagn Images As baseball settled in for the winter following the 2021 season, the Kansas City Royals appeared close to a long-term solution to the first base uncertainty created by Eric Hosmer’s departure to San Diego after the 2017 campaign. Nick Pratto, swooped up by the Royals with their first pick of the ’17 draft, had just stunned everyone with a sizzling 36-homer, 98-RBI, 153 wRC+, .268/.385/.602 minor league performance, and Carlos Santana, preparing to play out his short-term contract, was a sure bet to be dealt no later than the 2022 trade deadline. It seemed Pratto was KC’s first baseman of the future, and 2022 would be the year the Royals could finally rest easier at first base. The former notion disproved itself; the latter turned out to be true. Pratto began the 2022 campaign at Triple-A Omaha, immediately fell into an ugly slump, and his Storm Chasers teammate Vinnie Pasquantino jumped onto Kansas City’s roster ahead of him when the club traded Santana to Seattle in June. And Pasquantino hasn’t taken a single step back. His hold on first base is so strong that the Royals recently rewarded him with a new two-year contract that will pay him at least $11 million. And on the strength of the 70 homers he’s hit, the 262 runs he’s driven in, and the serviceable (but not spectacular) defense he’s displayed since KC entrusted him with the first base bag, the position is his for the 2026 season… and probably well beyond that. Royals Catchers At A Glance Starter: Vinnie Pasquantino Backup: Salvador Perez Depth: Nick Loftin, Jac Caglianone Prospects: Brett Squires The Good The Royals are loaded at first. Pasquantino’s bat is big and getting bigger — despite missing the last month of the 2024 regular season with a fractured thumb, he finished with 19 homers and 97 RBI, then hammered 32 homers and drove in 113 runs last season. And the thought of him playing all 162 of his club’s games this year isn’t far-fetched. After injuries so disrupted each of his first three big league seasons, he appeared in all but two games last year and avoided the Injured List altogether. More likely, however, is that manager Matt Quatraro will afford his star first baseman some rest in the form of a handful of days off supplemented by a healthy dose of turns at designated hitter (he DH’d 34 times in 2025). Who, though, plays first when his skipper gives Pasquantino time off? Expect Perez, coming off a productive season of his own (30 homers, 100 RBI), to be Quatraro’s prime choice and spend even more time at first than he did in 2025, when he appeared there 30 times. That will also give Perez valuable respite from the demanding rigors of catching. Nick Loftin, who may or may not make the club’s Opening Day roster, also has major and minor-league experience at first, and Jac Caglianone played 10 games there last season and has a dozen Cactus League games at first this spring. A first base prospect to keep an eye on is Brett Squires, who, through Tuesday’s Cactus League action, was hitting .267 with an .800 SLG, 1.094 OPS, and two homers, two doubles, and seven RBI in 12 games. He’s moved up a level in each of his first three seasons in the minors and should begin this year at Triple-A Omaha. The Bad All things considered, not much about their first base situation should give the Royals pause. Only if Pasquantino and Perez suffer major injuries at the same time will the club be in any trouble at first … and if in such a disastrous situation Loftin and Caglianone aren’t hitting, KC might have to make a trade they'd prefer not to make. The Bottom Line After trying and failing to replace Hosmer with such candidates as Lucas Duda (twice), Ryan O'Hearn (before he flourished after leaving Kansas City), Hunter Dozier, and Santana, who was a temporary fix only, the Royals have found their solution in Vinnie Pasquantino. First base is his, and that’s a good thing. Previous Installments: Second Base Position Analysis Catcher Position Analysis View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Big questions gnaw at the Kansas City Royals. Will offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas, and now Starling Marte, breathe more life into the infamously poor offensive production of KC’s outfielders? Can Jonathan India or Michael Massey come through at second base? Will the starting rotation, so strong in 2024, shake the injury bug that struck too hard and too often in 2025? And is Jac Caglianone ready to prove he can handle big league pitching? No such questions, though, loom over Kansas City’s catchers. When the Royals take the field at Atlanta’s Truist Park to open the season against the Braves on March 27, and absent a late spring training injury, look for nine-time All-Star Salvador Perez behind the plate, where only twice since 2013, his first full big league season, has he not been stationed on Opening Day. And backing him up will be promising Carter Jensen, the franchise’s No. 1 prospect and heir apparent to Perez when the club captain retires. But expect some change at the position. Not a lot, mind you, but some. Royals Catchers At A Glance Starter: Salvador Perez Backup: Carter Jensen Depth: Luca Tresh, Elias Díaz, Jorge Alfaro Prospects: Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez, Hyungchan Um Royals fWAR Ranking Last Year: 18th of 30 Royals fWAR Projection This Year: 18th of 30 The Good There’s a lot about his catchers for manager Matt Quatraro, a former professional backstop himself, to like. Perez, still primarily a catcher as he preps for his 15th big league campaign, threw out 43.8% of runners who tested his arm last season (43.9% is his career high) and KC pitchers seem well-satisfied with his game-calling. His five Gold Gloves speak for themselves. And although the five-time Silver Slugger winner slashed only .236/.284/.446 in 2025, his 30 homers and 100 RBI prove he can still produce. Jensen is, of course, a work in progress, but the progress is excellent. After slashing .290/.377/.501 with 20 homers and 76 RBI in 111 games split between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last season, he spent September with the Royals, where his 20-game .300/.391/.550 line and 159 wRC+ made him a cinch for the club’s 2026 Opening Day roster. He’ll also get plenty of work at DH. Perez and Jensen will probably be it for the Royals — carrying a third catcher seems unlikely. But the club should be in good stead if injuries hit: Luca Tresh can be called up from Omaha in a pinch, and don’t be surprised if at least one of the two major league veterans working in spring camp on non-roster invitations — Elias Díaz or Jorge Alfaro — sticks around and heads to Omaha with Tresh. There’s also Blake Mitchell, our No. 2 KC prospect who’s in line for No. 1 when Jensen compiles enough big league time to drop off its list. Mitchell, the Royals’ top 2023 draft pick, will reach the majors, but probably later rather than sooner — he’s had some bad injury luck and has yet to see a Double-A pitch. Don’t be shocked, though, if the club gives him a taste of The Show in September. The Bad Perez isn’t, and never will be, a great framer, and he doesn’t block pitches as well as he used to. He’s also entering his age-36 season and will need more time at first base and DH than he’s accustomed to. All that isn’t terrible, though, and beyond the need to rely more on the less-experienced Jensen behind the plate, there isn’t much about KC’s catching to worry Quatraro. The Bottom Line The Royals are in good shape behind the plate. Expect good performances from Perez and Jensen, with Jensen making even more strides under Perez’s tutelage. Previous Installments: Second Base Position Analysis View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Kansas City Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV won’t earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Nor does a spot in his own club’s Hall of Fame seem likely. He hasn’t made an All-Star team, won any major awards, or flirted with stardom. Nevertheless, Lynch is one of the most interesting pitchers the Royals have. That may seem odd considering he doesn’t draw a lot of attention, and when he does it sometimes comes, as it did this winter, in unflattering questions about his suitability for the majors, speculation that he isn’t quite good enough for the Royals, and suggestions that his one remaining minor league option means KC should farm him out and give another reliever a seat in manager Matt Quatraro’s bullpen. Maybe it’s because Lynch doesn’t profile like so many believe successful big league pitchers should. His four-seamer and sinker velocities aren’t especially intimidating. He toils frequently in middle relief, where stars typically aren’t made or imagined. Maybe he just isn’t flamboyant enough. This much is clear, though — Lynch is a pretty decent pitcher, an asset the Royals shouldn’t take for granted. Despite those inclined to think otherwise, he deserves a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. But that hasn’t always been the case. Daniel Lynch IV Spent A Lot of Time on Shaky Ground Lynch climbed the minor league ladder quickly but didn’t enjoy early success in the majors. Taken by the Royals with the 34th selection of the 2018 amateur draft — an extra pick KC received for losing Eric Hosmer to the Padres in free agency — Lynch arrived in Kansas City during the 2021 season and went 4-6 with an alarming 5.69 ERA and troubling 1.63 WHIP. Things didn’t get much better, and by the end of the 2023 season, he’d lost over twice as many games (23) as he’d won (11) and had a 5.18 ERA in 51 starts. The nagging shoulder issues that limited him to nine starts in 2023 didn’t help. Then he went to the bullpen. And everything changed. Daniel Lynch IV Becomes a Solid Reliever for the Royals Lynch’s mid-July victory over Detroit was, unfortunately, his final appearance of the 2023 season — and one of his last starts for Kansas City. Needing to strengthen their bullpen (and almost everything else, for that matter) after losing 106 games that year, the Royals made Lynch a reliever in 2024, and he came through with a career-best 3.32 ERA, excellent 0.99 WHIP, perfect 2-0 record, and, for good measure, his first career save. The sample size wasn’t huge — 43 1/3 innings, to be precise — but the results were good. And he was even better last season. Lynch’s workload increased to 67 2/3 innings; he just missed dipping below 3.00 in ERA at 3.06, and he won six times while losing only twice. He’s now 8-2 with a 3.16 ERA since shifting primarily to relief work two seasons ago and boasts a 2.72 ERA in 68 appearances out of the bullpen. Lynch’s more advanced metrics, though, aren’t overwhelming. Take last season, for example — per Baseball Savant, his 15.6 K% ranked in the fifth percentile, his 9.0 BB% in the 32nd, his 22.3% whiff rate in the 25th, and his 20% chase rate in the 20th percentile. But despite his lack of eye-catching advanced numbers, Lynch has built himself into a solid reliever. That he wasn’t always so competent makes that achievement even more impressive. That he’s a left-hander adds to Lynch’s value. Yes, the three-batter rule has diminished, at least to some extent, the importance of bullpen southpaws, but they still have their place, especially on clubs managed by handedness-match disciples like Kansas City’s Quatraro. And Lynch is pitching effectively this spring. In four Cactus League appearances, he’s surrendered just one run, struck out five, and hasn’t walked any of the 15 batters he's faced (which helps explain his 0.75 WHIP). Lynch may not be overpowering, overwhelming, or spectacular. But he’s been good for the Royals. So, give credit where credit is due. Look for Lynch in Atlanta when Kansas City opens the season there on March 27. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Royals’ 4-0 victory over Team Cuba on Tuesday gave fans a taste of things to come while the club’s World Baseball Classic participants — Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Vinnie Pasquantino, among others — are gone from spring camp. Until they return, KC’s lineups will feature more players on the Opening Day roster bubble than usual. This temporary shortage of star personnel will disappoint many Cactus League fans, but there’s a silver lining to the cloud — manager Matt Quatraro and his staff get longer looks at players they might be considering for the few available Opening Day roster spots. What better time, then, to wonder what the 26-man roster could look like when the season opens in Atlanta? Royals Keep examined that question before spring training began; now, let’s take a fresh look. Royals Pitchers Starting Rotation Cole Ragans Seth Lugo Michael Wacha Kris Bubic Noah Cameron No surprises here. Unless the dreaded injury bug hits or the Royals receive an irresistible 11th-hour trade offer for Bubic, the five-man rotation is set. Yes, Cameron stumbled in his second spring outing — he gave up three runs, six hits, and hit a batter in 2 2/3 innings against the Angels — but don’t expect that to continue. Relievers Carlos Estévez Lucas Erceg Matt Strahm Daniel Lynch IV John Schreiber Alex Lange Bailey Falter Nick Mears Consider these hurlers bullpen locks. Estévez is the presumptive closer (his recent velocity drop bears watching, though), Erceg and Strahm will set him up, Lynch is a valuable lefty who pitched well last season, and Schreiber’s two years in Kansas City have been solid. Free agent signee and former Detroit closer Lange’s lack of any minor league options makes him a bullpen shoo-in. He’s struck out four in 2 2/3 innings this spring and could sneak into a set-up role if he returns to his 26-save form of 2023. Falter, last year’s trade deadline pickup, who opponents battered for 12 runs in 15 innings before an August bicep injury ended his season, is also out of options and will make the club because it must see what he offers post-injury. Five-year big-league veteran Mears came to KC via the December trade with Milwaukee, which also made Isaac Collins a Royal and sent Angel Zerpa to the Brewers. Like Collins (more on him in a moment), Mears will be in Atlanta on Opening Day. Royals Position Players Catchers Salvador Perez Carter Jensen Like its starting rotation, Kansas City’s catching corps is set. The only question, and it’s a good one, is how much of Perez’s time behind the plate will become Jensen’s. Perez will need more “rest” time at first base and DH in his 15th big league season, and Jensen’s bat is too good to keep on the bench with only occasional reps at DH. First Base Vinnie Pasquantino Who else, and rightfully so? Although he’s only 3-for-15 and hasn’t homered yet this spring, Pasquantino’s bat is big, and he’s KC’s best first baseman since Eric Hosmer left after the 2017 season. Second Base Jonathan India Michael Massey Will someone please convince everyone they deserve to start at second? No one did last season — India flopped at the plate and his glove left much to be desired, and injuries held Massey back, although he slashed .375/.412/.482 with a .896 OPS after returning for good in August. For now, the nod goes to India. Somewhat surprisingly, considering offseason speculation that they wouldn’t bring him back, the Royals handed India an $8 million 2026 contract that suggests the job is his to lose. And although he’s struggling with one single in eight at-bats this spring, and the fact that Massey has spent more spring game time in the outfield (including Tuesday’s game, which doesn’t count in the stats) than he has at the keystone, hints, perhaps, that he may start the season in a Whit Merrifield-type utility role. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. What else is there to say? Third Base Maikel Garcia Also enough said. That’s what a Gold Glove, .286 average, .351 OBP, 121 wRC+, and a new five-year, $57.5 million contract will do. Outfielders Kyle Isbel Jac Caglianone Isaac Collins Starling Marte Lane Thomas No matter what happens in spring games, at least four things are certain about the outfield. Isbel will start in center, Caglianone will get a shot at right field redemption after his horrendous 2025 debut (so far, so good — he’s slashing .400/.550/.733 this spring), newcomer Isaac Collins is the left fielder, and Starling Marte is here to play. Isbel’s defense is too good to pass up, and Caglianone’s potential is too great to ignore. The club acquired Collins to boost its everyday outfield offense, not its bench depth, and newcomer Marte’s .270/.335/.410 line and nine homers in 98 games with the 2025 Mets prove he has something left to offer. Marte and Thomas won’t play every day, but expect Quatraro to get them in the lineup often. Utility Tyler Tolbert No, not Nick Loftin, although with a minor league option left, he'll remain in the organization. Instead, it's Tolbert who should land the final roster spot — as a rookie last season, he played second, short, third, and every outfield position, and in 64 games stole 21 bases (he was caught only twice) and hit .280. That Loftin hit only .208 with a 73 wRC+ in 67 games cinches the deal for Tolbert. View full article