Now is prime time for the first stab at a Kansas City Royals roster projection. David Lesky started his take over at Inside the Crown with a good layout of the process.
Every year at the start of spring, I like to take stock of where the Royals roster is at that moment. What we see on February 10 (or whatever day I’ve started in the past) is generally a good chunk of what we’ll see on Opening Day, but there are always some surprise entrants. This year’s Royals roster is filled with some guaranteed
spots, but there are still roster battles, both on the bench and among starters. Some of those battles may be more ceremonial than anything, but sometimes those become very real.
Today I’m going to start with the position players and tomorrow I’ll shift to the pitchers. Today, I’m going to include last year’s stats with each player. In another round, I’ll shift to some projections, including maybe even my own if I ever get those done. I look at this as a running piece that I’ll do every couple of weeks or when there’s a reason to make a shift and I’ll run it right up to probably around March 19 or so.
Jaylon Thompson has the latest from pitchers and catchers reporting on Tuesday, including asking Michael Wacha about the fence movement in Kauffman Stadium.
The offense should make a significant leap in 2026. That is due to both the new additions and the club’s decision to move the outfield fences in at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals expect an influx of extra-base hits as the changes are tailored to their lineup.
In the same vein, the pitchers welcome the new challenge. “I’m not even thinking about it really,” Wacha said. “As a pitcher, at least for me, you know, I’m going to stick to what’s worked for me. I tend to be more of a flyball pitcher, but I feel like I’m able to get weak contact at times as well. Hopefully, rely on that weak contact and get a bit more swing and miss than I did last year. I’m not too worried about it though.”
The MLB Pipeline crew is not too worried about Carer Jensen’s chances of making the Royals’ Opening Day roster.
Carter Jensen, C, Royals (MLB No. 18)
Callis: 100 percentMayo: 100 percent: That’s an easy one.
The Royals took to social media to announce that royals.tv is open to subscribers!
With an influx of teams being available through mlb.tv adjacent services, there is rightfully a flood of questions with few answers. How do you prefer your explanation? Perhaps from the source itself, MLB.com.
“We are proud of the award-winning production MLB has offered clubs while increasing the reach of the games, enhancing production features, and offering greater access to the players and game,” MLB Deputy Commissioner for business and media Noah Garden said in a release. “Additionally, we are listening to our fans who want blackouts eliminated. MLB’s in-market streaming option allows us to remove a point of friction for the fans.”
For the 15 non-RSN teams, MLB.TV subscription prices will be the same as last year — $99.99 per season or $19.99 per month. Fans can bundle a club’s local streaming service with an MLB.TV out-of-market subscription — giving them access to the entire league’s local games — for $199.99 per season or $39.99 per month, a 20% savings off individual pricing of the two services.
Hard to go wrong with AP, in my mind.
Those who subscribe to Spectrum, DirecTV, Fubo TV, Hulu Live TV and Verizon Fios have access to ESPN Unlimited subscription as a part of their TV plan. The rest, including cord-cutters, pay $29.25 per month for all of the ESPN networks. The local in-market streaming products for 14 teams whose games are produced by MLB will be available on the MLB site and through the teams. So far those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, San Dieg
For all the catch-alls, Forbes is a good way to go, too.
Technically There’s No Double-Dip Subscription Required
There has been some reporting that, under this new agreement, customers are locked into a dual-subscription model to access MLB.TV. Users may choose to retain ESPN Unlimited and access the wide range of other sports options available there, but there’s no requirement. Again, you have the option to opt out at any time.
CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson has a way-too-early 2027 free agent rankings, with Kris Bubic rounding out his top ten of the group.
As with Rogers, this is an aggressive rank that Bubic will have to earn — with both quality and quantity. He’s thrown 162 innings total at the big-league level over the last three seasons, with nearly three-quarters of those coming in 2025. Bubic was sensational when he was healthy, but he had his campaign end prematurely on account of a strained rotator cuff. Stay tuned.
Caleb Moody laments about Kansas City not making a deal like Monday’s between the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.
For the Royals, a name like Durbin would’ve given even more cover at second over their questionable duo of Jonathan India and Michael Massey and Monasterio and his 111 wRC+ in 2025 provided a versatile infield upgrade over current utility options like Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert.
And while the Royals top trade piece from their starting pitching surplus, Kris Bubic, may not exactly match the Brewers return of Harrison – given the latter’s remaining team control and prior prospect pedigree – it’s not as if Bubic is their only tradeable starter.
Kevin O’Brien is not too worried about blocking metrics painting a picture of Jensen behind the plate in 2025.
An encouraging trend is that Jensen has bounced back in minimizing passed balls in his repeat of a level the following season. He improved by 15 points in High-A from 2023 to 2024. He improved by 16 points from 2024 to 2025 in Double-A. An encouraging part of his trend was that, while he had some regression in Omaha, he kept it below 0.20 (unlike his first stints in High-A and Double-A in 2023 and 2024, respectively).
Thus, while Jensen has some work to do, he will have plenty of time to improve his blocking skills during Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. Thus, he should see some improved blocking metrics at the MLB level as a result, especially as he gets a bigger sample of innings behind the plate for the Royals in 2026.
Is he an old friend if he never pitched for the big-league club?
The Texas Rangers are giving away bloody Nolan Ryan jersey replicas later this spring.
Here is Robbie Dudzinski using Python and the Markov process to break down an at-bat. Call me a baseball math sadist.
Justin Verlander is back in all-too-familiar threads with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year, $13 million deal.
The injury bug is already biting the New York Mets, as star shortstop Francisco Lindor’s hand injury casts doubt on 2026 status.
Singles savant Luis Arraez finds a home with the San Francisco Giants on a one-year, $12 million pact.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson won his arbitration case, earning a $6.8 million salary for the 2026 season.
In case you need a reminder, Kyle Boddy knows ball.
All that glitters is not gold, or as durable as the precious metal, when it comes to the Olympic medals.
Luck and timing are impossible to account for in fantasy sports. Here is an interesting experiment in fantasy football about what could have been.
Baseball is nearly here, but even football has an offseason.
How two mid-market Midwest teams were anything but mid at the NBA trade deadline.
Joe Posnanski is back talking about FROGs again, this time with a basketball lens.
In Milan, Milo and Tina are taking stoats to the next level.
Nielsen’s final numbers are in for Sunday night’s Super Bowl viewership, with the game and halftime show falling shy of record marks and initial estimates.
A new type of Rocky is coming to theaters this year in Project Hail Mary.
Today’s song of the day is tiptoeing by senses.
