SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Although it featured a few faces that likely won’t be penciled into the lineup on Opening Day, the Royals’ first inning of Thursday’s Cactus League game against the White Sox provided a snapshot of the lineup that the front office spent much of the offseason piecing together.

Andrew Benintendi laid down a one-out bunt, followed by Adalberto Mondesi's single to left field and Salvador Perez loading the bases after being hit by a pitch. Carlos Santana drew a bases-loaded walk to score the first run. After Jorge Soler popped out in foul territory, Hunter Dozier lined a three-run double to left field for the biggest hit of the inning -- batting seventh in the lineup.

“I think that’s kind of the team we have,” Benintendi said. “We have a bunch of guys around the big boppers in the middle of the order, and our job is to be on the bases and create havoc, and score runs when those guys come to the plate.”

Lineup combinations vary over the course of the season, depending on the opposing pitcher and other factors. Still, with two weeks until Opening Day, the Royals’ lineup is beginning to come together. Here’s how it could look on April 1:

Leading off: Whit Merrifield

It’s not a surprise to see Merrifield at the top, as he’s batted leadoff in more than 400 games over the previous four years. The right fielder has led the Majors in hits twice in his career (192 in 2018 and 206 in ’19), and he makes for a tough at-bat with his ability to foul off pitches and lengthen the plate appearance. That’s what you want out of a leadoff hitter.

Batting second: Andrew Benintendi

Benintendi is a contact hitter with a career .353 on-base percentage, a combination that fits best near the top of the lineup. He has seen the most time batting second in his career, with a .281 average and a .351 on-base percentage across 960 plate appearances -- more than twice as many as in any other spot. His approach and comfort there make it a good fit with the Royals.

“I think second is my favorite spot,” Benintendi said. “It gives me time to go on deck and watch the pitcher as the leadoff hitter hits, just to kind of gain a little information. … But wherever I hit in the order, wherever it may be, it is what it is. It’s not going to change my approach.”

Batting third: Carlos Santana

Santana drawing a bases-loaded walk on Thursday was exactly the kind of plate appearance the Royals wanted to see when they signed him. He’s a dangerous hitter because he can take his walks, but Santana also isn’t afraid to swing it, as he showed on Friday when he ripped a two-run double to center field in the fourth inning.

If the Royals want to see someone else, like Adalberto Mondesi, near the top, Santana could easily be pushed down to fourth or fifth because he can still do damage as a middle-of-the-order bat.

Batting fourth: Salvador Perez

Some might argue Soler fits better hitting cleanup because he’s the hitter most likely to do damage when healthy. And that may be true, and these fourth and fifth spots could be in flux to start the season until manager Mike Matheny finds the order he likes. But if Soler can return to the hitter the Royals saw in 2019, and Perez finds the production he had last season, those two going back-to-back gives Kansas City serious power in the middle of its lineup.

Batting fifth: Jorge Soler

Soler is healthy after an oblique strain caused him to miss time in 2020, and he’s beginning to find his rhythm in Spring Training. The way he turns on a ball and cranks a moonshot is something not many hitters can do, and batting him fifth allows him to appear in different situations for the Royals, whether it’s driving runs in or getting on base for the rest of the lineup.

“What he brings is unique, just how much power he has, and when he gets into one, what it looks like,” Matheny said. “You’ve got some depth behind him on guys that can do some damage as well. He’s one they’ve got earmarked -- don’t let this guy hurt you.”

If Matheny wants to utilize left-right matchups, the switch-hitting Santana could slot in fifth and push Perez and Soler up one slot.

Batting sixth: Hunter Dozier

Dozier is praised for his versatility on defense, but he also is versatile on offense. The third baseman could appear in almost any spot for the Royals' lineup. He had a .344 on-base percentage despite seeing a dip in production in 2020, which allows him to set the table for those who bat behind him. But he has power potential, as Kansas City saw during his breakout year in '19, with 26 home runs and 10 triples. Batting sixth utilizes that power if the inning is extended or utilizes his on-base ability if he’s first up in the later frames.

“Any spot really,” Dozier said about his batting order preference. “I know it’s going to change throughout the year depending on how guys are swinging it. We have a really good lineup right now. If I’m hitting seventh one day, fifth the next day, ninth, whatever. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Batting seventh: Adalberto Mondesi

Mondesi is the wild card in this lineup. His highest single-season on-base percentage is .306, so it might make sense to have him in the bottom half. But based on how he finished 2020 -- .356/.408/.667 across 100 plate appearances in the final month -- and how his swing looks this spring, Mondesi can do damage at the top of the lineup. Being a switch-hitter gives the Royals versatility, too, so it’s not unreasonable to think he could hit near the top -- and use his speed to help the sluggers behind him, too.

“If we’re watching Mondi be Mondi like we saw at the end of the season, where do you want him?” Matheny said a few weeks ago. “Where’s the best spot? That’s the kicker. When he’s going right, you want to see him as often as you can.”

Batting eighth: Michael A. Taylor

Taylor offers speed at the bottom of the lineup to go along with production he has shown this spring. He sprays line drives to all parts of the field, getting on base for when the lineup turns over. Taylor also has some pop, which lengthens the lineup and provides depth down the order.

Batting ninth: Nicky Lopez

The Royals' weakest hitter on paper is Lopez, who figures to start the season at second base -- although the club is being “open-minded” on whether to promote Bobby Witt Jr. and have him play second base. But if Lopez, who has already shown he's an elite defender, can see it click at the plate, he doesn’t have to more than find ways to get on base. That will let his speed play on the bases, as well as set the table for the lineup to turn over.

“That’s the kind of player Nicky is going to need to be, and whether you call them little things or not, the idea of moving runners over, the idea of laying down a bunt, the idea of putting pressure on,” Matheny said. “There’s certain players, with what we know about them, this is the kind of player we need you to be.”