Anne Rogers writes about the team awards handed on yesterday.
And all three won Royals team awards Monday, as voted on by the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Witt was
named the Les Milgram Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season — all four seasons of his Major League career. Cameron was named the Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year. Garcia earned the Joe Burke Special Achievement Award, given to an unsung player who contributed beyond what was expected or someone voters felt deserved recognition for an outstanding season….
“I can’t wait for opening night in Kansas City [to] receive my Gold Glove,” said Garcia, who was sporting bright pink hair when he hopped on a Zoom call with local media. “It’s a dream come true. And I think Bobby inspired me to fight for a Gold Glove. … So many guys play this game and they never win a Gold Glove, so to be able to win one, it’s amazing.”
That’s right, Maikel Garcia has pink hair now.
David Schoenfield at ESPN grades his preseason predictions for each team.
The prediction: Vinnie Pasquantino hits with .300 with 25 home runs and makes the All-Star team.
Pasquantino did break out his best season, hitting .264 with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs, although he did not make the All-Star team as his power surged with 17 home runs in 64 games after the All-Star break. While he had a fairly low BABIP of .271, he matched his “expected” average of .263.
Grade: C+
Looking ahead to 2026: Pasquantino has turned into a dead-pull hitter — he pulled all 32 of his home runs — and while he keeps the strikeouts down (83rd percentile), he probably won’t turn into a .300 hitter with his fly-ball-oriented approach. His defensive metrics are weak and he’s slow, but he has a case as the No. 2 first baseman in the AL.
Joe Rutland at Royals Keep writes how Bobby Witt Jr. can improve his line in 2026.
Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman writes about the prospects the Royals don’t want to lose in the Rule 5 draft.
Josh Naylor signs a five-year, $92.5 million deal to stay with the Mariners.
The Padres re-sign pitcher Kyle Hart.
The Yankees re-sign pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.
The Phillies are interested in bringing back Harrison Bader.
The Diamondbacks are optimistic about a trade to fill their pitching needs.
Could Boston pursue free agent Pete Alonso?
The Blue Jays could make a run at Kyle Tucker.
Boston is eyeing Twins pitcher Joe Ryan.
On replay reviews, should the tie go to the runner?
Which free agents are most likely to accept the Qualifying Offer today?
Former Royals pitcher Jorge de la Rosa is inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame.
What are the Chiefs’ playoff odds at this point?
What NBA stars are most likely to be traded this season?
MrBeast opens a Saudi theme park.
What’s the chance your plane could be hit by space debris?
A top country song on the charts may be AI-generated.
Your song of the day is 2hollis with cliche.
