The great things about living in a city that won a Super Bowl, aside from all the awesomeness of winning titles and celebrating, is the fact that it means that football season transitions perfectly to baseball season with very little down time. Just a little over a week after the Chiefs capped off their season by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the Royals are in Arizona with their first full roster workout scheduled for tomorrow.
Who will be in camp? Well it will be largely the same players that made up last year’s squad, as the Royals had a very quiet winter. But there will be some interesting new faces, and Royals fans will particularly want to get a look at some of the younger players in big league camp for the first time.
The Royals begin camp with 29 position players and 39 pitchers in camp. Here’s a handy guide on who is looking to break north with the club near the end of March.
An asterisk (*) indicates the player is a non-roster invitee to spring training. (L) indicates left-handed hitter, (S) indicates switch-hitter. 2019 club does not include rehab assignments.
2020 Royals spring training roster - position players
No. | Position | Name | Age | 2019 Club | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Position | Name | Age | 2019 Club | Comments |
2 | SS | Humberto Arteaga* | 26 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Glove-first infielder spent 41 games with Royals last year. |
77 | 2B | Gabriel Cancel* | 23 | NW Arkansas (AA) | Middle infielder with solid pop hit 18 HR last year, but lots of whiffs. |
33 | C | Nick Dini* | 26 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Offense-first catcher failed ot hit much in 20 games with Royals last year. |
17 | RF | Hunter Dozier | 28 | KANSAS CITY | Broke out last year to post the 24th-best wRC+ in the AL last year. |
88 | C | Freddy Fermin* | 24 | Lexington (Low A)/NW Arkansas (AA) | Showed some offense, but has always been a bit old for his level. |
7 | 3B | Maikel Franco | 27 | PHILADELPHIA/Lehigh Valley (AAA) | Hit 88 HR over the last four seasons, but fell out of favor and was demoted last year. |
36 | C | Cam Gallagher | 27 | KANSAS CITY | Solid backup catcher with good framing skills, but not much bat. |
4 | LF | Alex Gordon | 36 | KANSAS CITY | Seven-time Gold Glove winner bounced back with the bat last year. |
16 | 3B | Kelvin Gutierrez | 25 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Solid defender with a decent bat, trying to bounce back from a fractured toe last year. |
75 | SS | Jeison Guzman (L) | 21 | Lexington (Low A) | Great glove got him added to the 40-man roster, but bat still has a lot of development to go. |
73 | CF | Nick Heath (L) | 26 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Led all minor leaguers with 60 steals last year and can get on base. |
76 | CF | Kyle Isbel* (L) | 22 | Wilmington (Hi A) | Promising hitting prospect who lost most of last year to injuries. |
24 | OF | Khalil Lee* (L) | 21 | NW Arkansas (AA) | Top hitting prospect in the upper minors, stole 53 bases last year. |
1 | 2B | Nicky Lopez (L) | 24 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Disappointing rookie campaign, but added weight in the off-season. |
9 | 1B | Ryan McBroom | 27 | Scranton-Wilkes-Barre (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Power hitter acquired from the Yankees late last year, could compete for 1B job. |
26 | IF/OF | Erick Mejia* (S) | 25 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Versatile utility player with speed, but not much of a threat with the bat. |
70 | C | MJ Melendez* | 21 | Wilmington (Hi A) | Power-hitting backstop with great defense, but had a very disappointing 2019. |
79 | 2B | Kevin Merrell* (L) | 24 | Midland (AA)/NW Arkansas (AA) | Acquired from Oakland for Homer Bailey, shows good speed and could move to OF. |
15 | CF | Whit Merrifield | 31 | KANSAS CITY | Led the league in hits in each of the last two seasons, Royals All-Star rep in 2019. |
27 | SS | Adalberto Mondesi (S) | 24 | KANSAS CITY | Great power/speed combo but lost 60 games to injury last year. |
66 | 1B | Ryan O'Hearn (L) | 26 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Impressed in a short stint in 2018, but was disappointing in 2019. |
13 | C | Salvador Perez | 29 | Did not play | Six-time All-Star missed all of last year following Tommy John surgery. |
14 | OF | Brett Phillips (L) | 25 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Outstanding defender but has struck out in 36% of MLB plate appearances. |
19 | IF | Matt Reynolds* | 29 | Fresno (AAA) | Veteran utility infielder with 127 career MLB games with Mets and Nats. |
78 | 3B | Emmanuel Rivera* | 23 | NW Arkansas (AA) | Good tools, but but hasn't developed enough for a corner infielder. |
69 | C | Sebastian Rivero* | 21 | Wilmington (Hi A)/Omaha (AAA) | Considered a very solid defender, but the bat has yet to develop. |
12 | RF | Jorge Soler | 26 | KANSAS CITY | Led the American League with 48 home runs in a career season. |
11 | OF | Bubba Starling | 27 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Former first-round pick shows good defense, but not much bat in 56 games last year. |
72 | C | Meibrys Viloria (L) | 23 | NW Arkansas (AA)/KANSAS CITY | Heady defender with a decent left-handed bat, although didn't hit much in big leagues. |
Royals 2020 spring training roster - pitchers
No. | Throws | Name | Age | 2019 Club | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Throws | Name | Age | 2019 Club | Comments |
48 | RHP | Chance Adams | 25 | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)/NY YANKEES | Former Top 100 prospect with a good spin rate has a 8.18 ERA in 33 MLB innings |
58 | RHP | Scott Barlow | 27 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Led all returning Royals with 11.8 strikeouts-per-nine innings. |
64 | RHP | Scott Blewett | 23 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Former first-round pick had a rough go in the PCL and was demoted to Double-A. |
50 | LHP | Kris Bubic* | 22 | Lexington (Low A)/Wilmington (Hi A) | Led the minors in strikeouts and was named BA Royals Minor League Player of the Year. |
41 | LHP | Danny Duffy | 31 | KANSAS CITY | Longest-tenured Royals pitcher with 60 wins and 16 WAR. |
49 | RHP | Heath Fillmyer* | 25 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Started 16 games for the Royals the last two seasons, returned on a minor league deal. |
81 | RHP | Ofreidy Gomez* | 24 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Solid starter finished second on the Naturals in innings pitched and strikeouts. |
62 | RHP | Conner Greene* | 24 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Claimed off waivers from the Cardinals a year ago, high velocity but struggles with command. |
60 | LHP | Foster Griffin | 24 | Omaha (AAA) | Former first round pick was a top starter for Omaha last year. |
32 | RHP | Jesse Hahn | 30 | KANSAS CITY | Returned last September after missing nearly two seasons due to injury. |
39 | RHP | Arnaldo Hernandez* | 24 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Can throw in the mid-90s, but hasn't put up big strikeout numbers. |
71 | RHP | Carlos Hernandez | 22 | Lexington (Low A) | Underrated pitching prospect who missed most of last year to injury. |
54 | LHP | Tim Hill | 30 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Left-handed relief specialist has drawn trade interest. |
35 | RHP | Greg Holland* | 34 | ARIZONA/Harrisburg (AA) | Three-time All-Star returns to Royals after two rough seasons around MLB. |
65 | RHP | Jakob Junis | 27 | KANSAS CITY | Leads Royals with 61 starts and 18 wins over the last two seasons. |
74 | LHP | Jake Kalish* | 28 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Lefty with great command, but lack of strikeouts has hurt him at higher levels. |
56 | RHP | Brad Keller | 24 | KANSAS CITY | Led Royals pitchers with 2.6 WAR last year, former Rule 5 pick from Arizona. |
31 | RHP | Ian Kennedy | 35 | KANSAS CITY | Reinvnted himself as a closer, finishing fourth in the AL with 30 saves. |
37 | RHP | Jackson Kowar* | 23 | Wilmington (Hi A)/NW Arkansas (AA) | One of the top pitching prospects, struck out 144 in 148.1 innings last year. |
28 | RHP | Jorge Lopez | 27 | KANSAS CITY | Former Top 100 prospect has good stuff but it hasn't translated into results yet. |
55 | LHP | Richard Lovelady | 24 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Top relief pitching prospect suffered injuries and underwent knee surgery over the winter. |
82 | LHP | Daniel Lynch* | 23 | Wilmington (Hi A) | Missed over a month due to arm soreness but is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. |
59 | RHP | Andres Machado* | 26 | Omaha (AAA) | Pitched in two MLB games in 2017, had a 2.89 ERA in 74.2 IP for Omaha. |
80 | RHP | Yunior Marte* | 25 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Rubber-armed reliever was great in Double-A but struggled in Omaha. |
61 | RHP | Kevin McCarthy | 27 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Groundball specialist has 164 relief appearances in the last four seasons with the Royals. |
21 | LHP | Mike Montgomery | 30 | CHI. CUBS/KANSAS CITY | Groundball pitcher returns to the Royals to try to make it as a starter. |
68 | RHP | Jake Newberry | 25 | Omaha (AAA) | Posted a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings with the Royals last year with a solid K rate. |
43 | LHP | Randy Rosasio | 25 | Iowa (AAA)/CHI. CUBS/KANSAS CITY | Claimed off waivers from the Cubs late last year, has 65 career MLB appearances. |
40 | RHP | Trevor Rosenthal* | 29 | WASHINGTON/Scranton-Wilkes-Barres (AAA)/Toledo (AAA)/DETROIT | Former All-Star closer with the Cardinals has struggled since Tommy John surgery in 2017. |
38 | RHP | Braden Shipley* | 27 | Reno (AAA) | Former first-round pick pitched in 26 games with Arizona over three seasons. |
51 | RHP | Brady Singer* | 23 | Wilmington (Hi A)/NW Arkansas (AA) | Royals 2018 first-round pick with a chance to compete for a rotation spot. |
53 | LHP | Eric Skoglund | 27 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA) | Missed the first half of 2019 with a PED suspension, returned with a 9.00 ERA in 21 IP. |
57 | RHP | Glenn Sparkman | 27 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Tossed the team's only CG shutout last year, but had a 6.02 ERA overall in 136 IP. |
67 | LHP | Gabe Speier | 24 | NW Arkansas (AA)/Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Lefty specialist got in nine games with the Royals last year, acquired from Arizona in 2018. |
63 | RHP | Josh Staumont | 26 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Can throw in the high-90s but has typically struggled with command, but improved last year. |
46 | LHP | Daniel Tillo* | 23 | Wilmington (Hi A)/NW Arkansas (AA) | Impressed in the Arizona Fall League and for Team USA as a reliever. |
52 | RHP | Stephen Woods, Jr. | 24 | Charlotte (Hi A) | Selected in the Rule 5 draft from the Rays, missed all of 2018 with an injury. |
45 | RHP | Kyle Zimmer | 28 | Omaha (AAA)/KANSAS CITY | Former first-round pick was finally healthy last year but struggled with command. |
83 | RHP | Tyler Zuber* | 24 | Wilmington (Hi A)/NW Arkansas (AA) | Solid reliever prospect has racked up strikeouts at each stop in the minors. |