Kansas City Royals Set 2026 Opening Day Roster The Kansas City Royals have finalized their 26-player opening day roster for the 2026 Major League Baseball season. The team announced the list on Wednesday, confirming that most of the 2025 squad will return, with several new additions to bolster the roster. Key players such as shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., catcher/first baseman/DH Salvador Perez, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, and third baseman Maikel Garcia are expected to lead the offense. The roster also includes veteran signings like Starling Marte and Nick Mears, as well as the retention of southpaw pitcher Bailey Falter in a new role. The starting rotation will be anchored by All-Star pitchers Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Kris Bubic. The Royals aimed to elevate their overall depth by adding experienced players to complement their young stars. Bench spots were filled by utilityman Nick Loftin and speedster Tyler Tolbert, both of whom will play significant roles. Loftin, who posted a .903 OPS in spring training, offers versatility and a right-handed bat, while Tolbert, a 2025 rookie with 21 stolen bases, will provide late-inning speed and flexibility in both outfield and infield positions. Injury concerns remain for second baseman Michael Massey, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left calf. The designation is retroactive to March 22, meaning he could miss several games before a potential return. Massey has remained in Surprise, Arizona, to participate in minor-league games and rehab. The Royals will rely on Loftin, outfielders Starling Marte and Lane Thomas, and reserves to cover his absence until his return.#bobby_witt_jr #vinnie_pasquantino #maikel_garcia #kansas_city_royals #salvador_perez
Bobby Witt Jr. is in control: How Team USA's leadoff man and Royals star has grown into one of baseball's best SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rarely does Royals infielder Michael Massey doubt Bobby Witt Jr.’s ability to make a play. The two are best friends, having come up together through the minors. Massey has seen the heroics long enough to expect them. There’s usually no reason to question it. A few seasons ago, though, was the one time he did. It was 2023. A midseason game. Witt chased a fly ball that Anthony Rizzo sent slicing toward the left-field line. Witt, calm as ever, never hesitated, tracking it in a way that seems exclusive to him, his athleticism always under control. The ball kept drifting. Witt kept running. Then he slid and made the grab. It looked easy. It wasn’t. “I mean, he almost caught it and ran into the left-field foul pole,” Massey said. “It was one of the most incredible things I’ve seen. And he made it look so natural as he was covering the ground. You’re just like, ‘Yeah, that’s not supposed to happen.’” Much of what Witt does isn’t supposed to happen on a baseball field. A quintessential five-tool talent, he carries the traits of an inner-circle Hall of Famer, even as his career is still being written—the type of player whose athleticism never outruns his control. Dayton Moore, the longtime Royals general manager who drafted Witt in 2019, once said the Gold Glove shortstop could just as easily have been a Gold Glove center fielder. “He’s one of those guys that could play anywhere on the field and do it well,” Moore said. “He’s the best player I’ve ever scouted.” That’s saying something considering Moore scouted the likes of Andruw and Chipper Jones during his time with the Braves early in his career.#world_baseball_classic #team_usa #bobby_witt_jr #royals #dayton_moore
