Can the bats come back alive?
The Royals’ offense has been one of the worst in baseball, and their slow start has resulted in a wide variety of changes in their batting order all season. The first four or five hitters for the Royals rarely change, but the back end of their lineup is consistently a revolving door, with hopes of getting a spark from someone each game.
When you watch the Royals, the lineup almost always begins with Jonathan India, followed by Bobby Witt Jr. Against righties, Vinnie Pasquantino will hit third, and against lefties, Salvador Perez will fill the three-hole. After Perez, you can expect to see Maikel Garcia, and against lefties, Canha will hit early as well.
You begin to run into trouble after that, as the Royals 6-7-8-9 hitters have struggled throughout the year. Guys like Hunter Renfroe, Michael Massey, Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel, and Freddy Fermin have been the most common names in the lineup. Unfortunately, none of them have found enough consistency to earn a spot in the lineup every day.
The consistent changes in the batting order have sparked many debates among Royals fans about who should be in the lineup each day. Today, I took a look at each of the options for the Royals and what players should get the spots at the back end of the lineup.
Freddy Fermin
Fermin is a fan favorite player who has had incredible moments this year, with two walkoff hits already this year. So far this year, Fermin is batting .238/.281/.286, a decline from last season when he hit .271/.319/.366. Fermin has hit for little to no power this year, with just two extra bases hits this year.
The argument for Fermin mainly comes from his defense, where he has been spectacular throughout his entire career, and he has been incredible again in 2025. Since last season, Fermin has had a CS% of 45 percent, which would put him at second-best in the MLB. His framing behind the plate has been slightly above average as well, which makes him a very appealing defensive option behind the plate.
Fermin lacks consistency at the plate, and his OPS has only decreased throughout each season of his career, which has held him back as far as getting into the lineup consistently. But with Salvador Perez becoming more of a DH/1B, Fermin’s defense behind the plate becomes very valuable to keep Perez fully healthy. If Fermin can find the bat that he had in 2023, he could find his way behind the plate more often than not going forward.
Michael Massey
Massey was one of the most consistent members of the Royals’ lineup in 2024, but a brutally slow start this season has raised some significant questions. Massey has started to bounce back, and now he is hitting with a .195/.214./264 line that, believe it or not, is significantly improved from the start of the year.
At the end of April last year, Massey was batting just .188/.206/.219, and was statistically one of the worst players in the major leagues. Massey got hot at the beginning of May, but has slumped again, going 3-for-29 in his last nine games.
Defensively, Massey has been impressive and has done everything he can to contribute anywhere he can. If Massey can improve his performance at the plate, Massey will find his way into the lineup every day of the year.
Drew Waters
After a blazing hot start in AAA, Drew Waters was called up to the major league team with hopes he could bring a spark to the lineup. He made a significant impact the second he was called up, and found his way into the lineup almost every day over the last month.
Waters has hit with a career-high .273 batting average so far this year, but has cooled off some since the start of May. Waters is striking out less, at only 16.3% so far in May, which has always been his biggest struggle at the plate. He also does not walk very often, but has been much better putting the ball in play consistently.
Waters’ defense is quality, giving him a significant leg up over other guys at the corner OF spots. He has proven an ability to play all three outfield spots at a relatively high level, and his speed makes him valuable on the bases as well. If Waters can continue to hit the way he did to start the year, he will make it very hard to leave him out of the lineup going forward.
Kyle Isbel
Isbel has almost been an everyday player in the nine-hole for the Royals over the last two years, as his elite defense is incredibly valuable in Kansas City. Isbel has been near the top of the MLB in outs above average for the entirety of his MLB career.
The issue with Isbel in the lineup has always been his play at the plate, where he has always been a below-average hitter. Royals fans have almost always felt that if Isbel could hit at a league-average line, he would be one of the top centerfielders in the MLB.
So far this year, Isbel has hit with a .284/.289/.448 line, which is the best line of his career. While he is walking significantly less than he has in the past, Isbel has shown some pop at the plate with three homers and eight total extra base hits. If Isbel can keep hitting the way he has so far this year, he will likely find himself consistently in the nine hole going forward.
Hunter Renfroe
Renfroe is one of the main targets of fan criticism online, as his struggles at the plate have made it hard for him to find consistent ABs. So far this season, Renfroe is hitting an abysmal line of .182/.241/.242 which is far and beyond the worst of his career in each category.
Kansas City gave Renfroe a two-year, $13 million deal prior to the 2024 season with a player option for 2025 that Renfroe opted into. This contract has made Renfroe the sixth-highest-paid player in Kansas City, making it very hard for the Royals to move on from him. Renfroe is also a subpar fielder, so if he is unable to make some better contact with the ball soon, he may not be in Kansas City much longer.
Others
The other guys in the majors include Dairon Blanco and Cavan Biggio, who all can compete for one of the spots at the end of the order.
Dairon Blanco has spent his almost entire career in Kansas City as a pinch runner. He has had some flashes at the plate (especially with the yellow crayon) but has struggled to find consistency. Blanco is also a subpar defender despite his speed, and having him in the lineup removes the value of having an elite base stealer for late in the game. Unless he gets hot at the plate, it’s unlikely Blanco will find consistent ABs in Kansas City.
Cavan Biggio was added to be a utility man, and he has done just that in Kansas City, playing six different roles so far this season. But at the plate, Biggio has struggled, hitting .172/.303/.234 with a good number of walks, but not much pop when he makes contact. Biggio’s ability to get on base allows him to contribute at times, and his utility value makes him valuable in Kansas City. But if he can make better contact on his swings at the plate, he could find a significant role down the line in Kansas City.
Minor league options
The Royals don’t have many players who are day one ready to play in the majors, and their options are few. Guys like Nick Loftin and John Rave have been the most popular names, with other guys like MJ Melendez or Jordan Groshans who could get hot and make their case for a roster spot.
When Loftin is eligible to be called up again, I think he has made a great case to be on the roster and is someone I would immediately find a spot for. Loftin has shown an elite ability to get on base, something that could be very valuable late in the Royals’ lineup. He also provides some utility value as well which could be nice down the line.
Minor leaguers will not be included in my ideal lineup constructions
What is the ideal lineup against RHP?
- LF – Jonathan India
- SS – Bobby Witt Jr.
- 1B – Vinnie Pasquantino
- C – Salvador Perez
- 3B – Maikel Garcia
- 2B – Michael Massey
- DH – Mark Canha (Can rotate to give others a day off)
- RF – Drew Waters
- CF – Kyle Isbel
BENCH – Fermin, Blanco, Maile, Biggio, Renfroe
In my opinion, these are the best hitters the Royals have, and this lineup gives Matt Quatraro a good foundation he can work with and adjust as needed. If someone on the bench gets hot, they can hit in the seven hole, and if someone needs a day off as a DH, the Royals can let one of their better fielders hit in the seven spot as well.
EX. IF Salvador Perez needs a day off, he can be the DH, and Fermin or Maile can hit seventh and play behind the plate.
What is the ideal lineup against RHP?
- 2B – Jonathan India
- SS – Bobby Witt Jr.
- 1B – Vinnie Pasquantino
- DH – Salvador Perez
- 3B – Maikel Garcia
- RF – Mark Canha
- C – Freddy Fermin
- LF – Drew Waters
- CF – Kyle Isbel
BENCH – Massey, Blanco, Biggio, Renfroe
With this lineup, you load your lineup with righties by allowing Freddy Fermin to play behind the plate. Vinnie Pasquantino has been able to bounce back as the season has gone on and has earned my trust to stick at the three-hole. Isbel has also been good enough that I think he can be the everyday player in center, especially with his elite defense. If Loftin were on the major league team, I could include him on this list and would likely force Waters or Isbel out of the lineup. But as of today, I think this is the best lineup I think the Royals can put out there to find success when facing a lefty.
So what exactly should they do?
I have written out the lineups I think will find the most success above, and I think there are a few key takeaways the Royals should implement.
The first of which is to let Maikel Garcia play third base every day and hit in the five hole every day. Garcia has easily been the second-best player on the Royals’ roster, and he deserves to be rewarded by hitting at a key spot in the middle of the order. He also has shown that he is an elite defender at third over the last few years and has earned the right to play at the hot corner every day.
Second, let Mark Canha play at least 4-5 games a week. He simply has not gotten enough ABs despite showing some flashes at the plate, and at this point, Renfroe should not be getting corner OF reps unless Canha needs a day off.
Third, let Kyle Isbel be your everyday center fielder and nine-hole hitter until he gives you a reason not to. Right now, Isbel has an OPS over .700, something he has never done in a full season. With his incredible defensive ability, this performance at the plate has been more than good enough for him to play every day in center.
With that said, fifth is to let Drew Waters sit at the bottom of the order to help him find the bat he had earlier this year. Waters played a significant role in the Royals’ hot streak in late April, but has cooled off since. If Kansas City can let him hit in the eight hole most of the time, it may take some pressure off him to get right again.
Lastly, get Nick Loftin on the roster. Loftin was once a top prospect for the Royals and even cracked the opening day roster last year. But he had some struggles at the plate (similar to Drew Waters) that made it hard for him to find consistent play time. But so far this year, Loftin has been an on-base machine, and his ability to work the count could be very valuable to the Royals down the stretch.
I think even with these moves, Kansas City may still need to make a move at the deadline to add a bat if they want to be contenders, but this is a step in the right direction. So far, Quatraro has been good about giving the hot hand a chance to play, and I think that philosophy has been a part of the Royals’ recent success. If they stay aggressive and continue to show that they are willing to make the necessary changes when guys start to slump, they could see their offense take a big step forward over the next month or so.