Stadium, Salvy and more: What to watch for the Royals in 2026
This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Royals avoid arbitration with 6; Pasquantino, Bubic face hearings
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals avoided salary arbitration with six of their eight remaining eligible players on Thursday, the deadline to exchange figures in anticipation of an arbitration hearing if a 2026 salary has not yet been agreed upon. They did not come to an agreement with first baseman Vinnie
Royals 'in a better spot' with Spring Training on horizon
KANSAS CITY -- Isn’t it funny how baseball can feel so far away in December but as soon as the new year hits, we’re closer than ever to the season ramping back up? Well, we’re at that point. It’s 2026, and Royals pitchers and catchers participating in the World Baseball
Execs poll: Top system? Best at drafting? Best at trading for prospects?
For the first three installments of the MLB Pipeline Executive Poll, we asked front offices around baseball to focus on players. For our fourth and final report, we asked them to turn the spotlight on each other. As we have since we started this series in 2023, we are wrapping
Baseball execs reveal which prospects have the top tools
If we had a dime for every time we’ve said or used the word “tools” at MLB Pipeline … we’d sure have a lot of dimes. Tools are, of course, the building blocks for prospects, and a lot of time is spent evaluating all of them to try to determine
With eye on stability, Royals extend Quatraro through '29
KANSAS CITY -- Emphasizing stability in leadership and the growth they’ve seen over the past three seasons, the Royals signed manager Matt Quatraro to a three-year contract extension, the club announced Sunday. Quatraro is heading into the final season of his current contract, so the new extension begins in 2027
Top overall prospect a consensus pick, but execs split on top pitcher
In Part I of the MLB Pipeline Executive Poll, we took a look at the industry’s picks for Rookie of the Year in each league. This next installment will dig deeper into what front offices think about top prospects. The survey, filled out by more than 40 execs across nearly
Latest Royals injuries & transactions
This page will be updated throughout this offseason with any Royals injury updates and transactions.
Kurtz and then ... ? Ranking the top 25 rookies of 2025
Impact rookies certainly left their mark on the 2025 season. Nick Kurtz made history with an iconic four-homer game, on top of one of the best debut seasons we’ve ever seen. Trey Yesavage emerged as a bona fide postseason hero, as did Roki Sasaki and Cam Schlittler. From triple-digit heat
These are the 10 best MLB debuts in Royals history
KANSAS CITY – The very first game a player appears in is a momentous occasion, and it’s one the player will always remember. But sometimes that first game turns into one that everyone remembers. It’s always nice when a player leaves a good first impression. The best part about remembering
Who will win Rookie of the Year in '26? We polled baseball execs
Welcome to the fourth annual MLB Pipeline Executive Poll. Starting before the 2023 season, we surveyed front offices across baseball -- from general managers to scouting directors, farm directors, analysts and beyond -- on a number of questions regarding prospects. As has been our tradition, we’re beginning with who they
Every team's biggest question to answer before Spring Training
As we enter a new year and inch closer to the 2026 baseball season, there's much to be determined for many clubs as they head to Spring Training. While there has been plenty of offseason activity, many key free agents remain on the board, possible trade candidates haven't been moved
'26 Rookie of the Year candidates -- one from each team
The calendar has flipped over to 2026, and we already have year-end awards on our minds here at MLB Pipeline. In 2025, we picked two of the three American League Rookie of the Year finalists in the Athletics' Jacob Wilson and Roman Anthony of the Red Sox. And we singled
Prospects who are primed to break out in '26 -- one for each team
The new year is for new starts, the unknown and the to-be-determined. No one can perfectly say what will happen in this 2026 calendar year, but we can certainly take a few highly educated guesses. In the land of Minor League Baseball, there may not be a more sought-after prediction
After difficult KC debut, Royals bullish on India's rebound
KANSAS CITY -- When the Royals acquired Jonathan India last offseason, they touted him as an on-base hitter who could spark the lineup at the top, a hole the club desperately needed to fill after its 2024 season. One did not have to look far to see why the move
1 prediction for every club in '26
A brand new year means new possibilities for all 30 teams. Whether it's postseason success, individual awards, statistical records or player development, there's something every club can dream on heading into 2026. With the help of MLB.com's 30 beat writers, here's one key prediction for every team ahead of the
One amazing stat for each team from the 2025 season
Part of what makes baseball the best are the feats and amazing stats accruing left and right, every single day. We chronicle them throughout the year, but there’s no better time than before the calendar flips to take a look back. It’s hard to pick just one per team, after
1 breakout candidate for each MLB team in 2026
A new year brings new opportunities -- to build on the positives from last year, to improve on a disappointing season, or to finally reach expected potential. One or more of those could apply in 2026 for players on the verge of a breakout year. These are players who, for
Each team's longest home run of 2025
Happy holidays, baseball fans. As our gift to you, we're back with the tradition we are determined to make happen: our yearly list of every team's longest home run of the season just past. Admittedly, we always think these lists make for good gifts, but we have a pretty good
Prospects who broke out -- 1 for every team -- this season
With the Minor League season in the rearview mirror and a new year on the horizon, we took a look at how some of the top prospects performed in 2025.
2025 Draft picks Gamble, Hammond set to debut in '26
The 2025 Draft has early promising returns with several players making great first impressions in the months after signing. First overall pick Eli Willits, just 17 at the time, slashed .300/.397/.360 at Single-A. SEC standouts Andrew Fischer and Wehiwa Aloy posted an .848 and .856 OPS respectively. The Rockies' first
Each team's prospect to watch for in 2026
Nick Kurtz. Drake Baldwin. Roman Anthony. Trey Yesavage. Nolan McLean. They and so many other rookies left their marks on the 2025 season. One year ago, they were mere prospects who had yet to make their MLB debuts, and another host of newcomers will inevitably be difference-makers for their clubs
Revisiting every team's best win in 2025
While the old adage says that a win is a win, most would agree that not all victories are equal in terms of overall significance to a team -- or simply from an entertainment perspective as a fan. With that in mind, and with the help of all 30 MLB.com
Potential solution to KC's offensive needs? Caglianone and Jensen
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals have been searching for ways to improve their offense for 2026, both from a personnel standpoint and a procedural standpoint. They believe that their core hitters -- Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez -- will carry the bulk of run production,