Black brings 'breath of fresh air' to Royals camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. — After adding a curveball and focusing on trusting himself this offseason, Kansas City Royals right-hander Mason Black is already seeing results early in Spring Training.

Previously relying on a five-pitch mix that leaned primarily on his four-seam fastball and sweeper, Black refined his repertoire this offseason. The adjustment, along with support from the Royals’ pitching staff, has helped him settle into his new organization.

Black worked with assistant pitching coach Mike McFerran on his curveball release point, especially when facing left-handed hitters.

“That’s been a big help just getting into this organization, having the support staff around us here,” Black said. “Just [to] take the ball whenever they ask me to, whether that be starting, mid relief, short relief. I'm good with whatever [I have to do] to go out there and try to throw zeros.”

Black, 26, believes his early success in Spring Training has also come from embracing a new perspective and remaining open to learning from the Royals’ coaching staff — a sentiment shared by manager Matt Quatraro.

“He's been great,” Quatraro said. “He's been really approachable, a good teammate, really coachable with the guys. So he's been a real breath of fresh air.”

Black has appeared in four games this spring, totaling five innings with six strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP. He allowed no runs in his lone inning of work in the Royals’ 15-9 loss Thursday against the Rangers at Surprise Stadium.

“They [want] me to go out there and be the best version of myself,” Black said. “That meant a lot, just hearing that they had confidence in that and being able to go out there and do that every day.”

As for Black’s role this season, Quatraro said the club is continuing to build him up while evaluating where he best fits on the pitching staff. The Royals hope to avoid limiting him to one specific role at this point.

“We view him more as a reliever. Just as a reliever? Not necessarily. If you need a spot start, maybe that would be the case,” Quatraro said.

The Royals acquired Black from the San Francisco Giants shortly after he was designated for assignment in November 2025.

Black made his lone MLB appearance of the 2025 season on July 4 against the Athletics in Sacramento, throwing four innings in relief and striking out five batters while posting a 6.75 ERA.

He spent most of the season with Triple-A Sacramento, appearing in 30 games (24 starts) for the River Cats while going 3-10 with a 5.81 ERA (77 ER in 119 1/3 IP). Black recorded 114 strikeouts (8.6 K/9), ranking ninth among all Giants Minor Leaguers in 2025.

Now with a new organization and a fresh opportunity, Black said the transition to Kansas City has been smooth.

“It's been great, the guys have been awesome,” Black said. “Got in here a little bit early, which I think kind of helps get everything situated. You never really know what to expect coming into a new team, but everyone’s been amazing and welcoming. It's made a world of a difference.”

If his early spring performances are any indication, Black is making the most of his fresh start as he works to carve out a role on Kansas City’s pitching staff this season.