\"A dim view of humanity\" -Lee Judge
Cole Ragans is healthy and ready to compete, writes Jaylon Thompson. The All-Star lefty — who missed a significant time in 2025 — is back. “I’m healthy and I feel good,” Ragans said. “I’ve got some things to work on, obviously, but going into the offseason with a clear conscience of being healthy is a […]
6 days ago | 2 reads
It’s deja vu, for the second straight Sunday, your Kansas City Royals are playing the Brewers. Last week, the Royals were triumphant in a 7-3 victory. It was lefty Bailey Falter that towed the slab to start the contest, however today it’s a different lefty for the Royals, Kris Bubic. It’s good to see Isaac […]
7 days ago | 2 reads
Spring Training is now more than a week old. Are we sick of it yet? Probably not, but we’re getting there. Fortunately, we’ve got the WBC starting up next week, so that should be fun. In the meantime, we do have a little bit of bonus excitement for Royals fans in Scottsdale, Arizona. Presumptive number […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
The Royals had little offensive production from their outfield last year, and while they brought in Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas and are counting on improvement from Jac Caglianone, they are still looking for reinforcements. That could include veteran Starling Marte, as reporter Yancen Pujols indicates. He reports that the Royals are discussing a deal […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Matt Quatraro is having Bobby Witt Jr. leadoff in spring training a bit. “We talked about it earlier in the spring,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters in Surprise, Arizona. “We talked and toyed with the idea of all different lineups. But this, specifically, was to give him a chance (to bat leadoff), because I’m […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Hello and welcome to week two of Spring Training. I was going to write up a separate “perfectly reasonable reactions” post as I usually do at this time of Spring Training but there’s just too much going on this year, so I’m going to hit you with some bullet points here, instead: Anyway, here is […]
9 days ago | 1 read
I didn’t care for baseball as a young child. I knew the Royals were in the World Series, but I was more enamored with the guy in the red uniform doing backflips when he ran on the field than I was with any Royals players. At school, we were asked to draw a picture of […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Fangraphs just launched a new feature called FanGraphs Lab. They’re basically putting up some data visualization tools that people can play with and then asking for feedback on those tools, along with ideas for other things people might want. I thought I would go play with them and see what you can do so you […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
Spring training always brings optimism — and tough questions. In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco break down the latest developments from Kansas City Royals camp, starting with standout performances from non-roster invitees like Jac Caglianone, who continues to turn heads. The hosts also address early concerns about […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you are aware that baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026. MLBPA’s new leader, Bruce Meyer, says that the lockout is “all but guaranteed”. The owners want a salary cap and seem prepared to hold out until they get one. The owners have talked tough […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
Stephen Kolek’s injury from Wednesday was diagnosed as a left oblique strain: Kolek will be shut down for the next five to seven days, but it could be more depending on what the scan shows. “We’re obviously hopeful it’s not too serious,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “[Kolek] is the guy that probably you would have […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
The Royals will try to end their two-game losing skid this afternoon against the local Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan Bergert pitches in his second game, after throwing a scoreless inning in his first time out. The royals won’t start many regulars today, with Lane Thomas at DH, and a good look at young hitters Jac Caglianon […]
10 days ago | 3 reads
Prospects are fun because you can dream big on them, but oftentimes they’ll break your heart. The bust rate is high because (1) it’s very difficult to project how an 18-year-old kid will play when he’s 24 years old; and (2) playing in the big leagues is very, very difficult! A lot of fans try […]
10 days ago | 2 reads
For years, Salvador Perez has been the Royals’ mainstay behind the plate. If he’s been healthy, he wants to catch, and catch he has. But the past several years have seen an aging, albeit still productive Perez shift more to first base and designated hitter. Last year, he appeared in 92 games behind the plate […]
10 days ago | 1 read
When you speak of the World Baseball Classic to Royals fans, their most vivid memories will be how two of their most important players heading into the 2023 season – Bobby Witt Jr. and Brady Singer – were participants on Team USA. Bobby and Brady were going to be vital to whatever success the Royals […]
10 days ago | 2 reads
Anne Rogers writes about the pitchers working on new pitches this spring. Add Schreiber to the list of pitchers working on a kick-changeup, a pitch he introduced last season but then worked on consistently the entire offseason. The right-hander posted a 3.80 ERA and will be a reliever the Royals turn to in middle- to […]
10 days ago | 1 read
The Royals take on their biggest rivals in baseball today – the Seattle Mariners. Noah Cameron makes his Cactus League debut. Does he actually have to “win” a rotation spot? Kameron Misner is in the lineup – he’s been up five times this spring and has yet to put the ball in play with two […]
11 days ago | 4 reads
Baseball is a team game, with everyone on the roster contributing in their own way. Some players get the accolades, the awards, the Whataburger endorsement opportunities. But there are other players that grind, that do the “little things” that help the team win ballgames. Today’s question of the day is “who is the most underrated […]
11 days ago | 3 reads
After months of waiting, the Kansas City Royals are back on the field. Granted, it’s for Spring Training games, but still–you can watch professional baseball players in actual games against other teams. The Royals last played a game on September 28, 2025, so it’s been almost five months since diehard Kansas City baseball fans were […]
11 days ago | 0 reads
The Kansas City Royals enter the 2026 season with a problem that has plagued them for the last few seasons; they are looking for a solution at leadoff hitter. The Royals have not had an above-average offensive campaign from their leadoff hitter since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The team attempted to address this issue last […]
11 days ago | 2 reads
MLB.com’s Anne Rogers talks with Kansas City Royals outfielder Issac Collins after his spring debut. “First game of the spring, so expectations aren’t super high — I didn’t really have many, to be honest,” Collins said. “I was just glad to get back in there and get the adrenaline going again.” Kansas City intentionally delayed […]
11 days ago | 1 read
It’s the first game thread of the year. Are you ready??? Spring Training is here! On one hand, it’s fun to see players who don’t usually start get chances to mingle with the stars and starters, and after months of nothing it is wonderful to see baseball back. On the other hand, everyone is working […]
12 days ago | 0 reads
There is an artistry in sports. The physics-defying Michael Jordan hanging in the air in the NBA. The dizzying jukes of Barry Sanders weaving through defenders in the NFL. The graceful moves of Wayne Gretzky on a breakaway. There are a lot of beautiful things about baseball, but one of the most aesthetically pleasing things […]
12 days ago | 0 reads
The Royals won 82 games last year, five games out of a playoff spot and four games worse than they were in 2025. It was tantalizingly close, and the reason they fell short seemed easy enough to identify – outfield offensive production. Royals outfielders collectively hit .225/.285/.348, a 73 wRC+ mark that was easily the […]
12 days ago | 2 reads
Anne Rogers writes about how Michael Massey turned to physics to analyze his swing as he fights for a role in 2026. At its core, Massey’s focus was on the forces applied in a swing, both with his body and his bat, and how his bat needs to move to contact the ball consistently. In […]
12 days ago | 0 reads