2024 Royals Lineup
Getting back to what we love about the Royals
By Brad Ziegler
After tying the team record for fewest wins in a season, the Kansas City Royals were busy in the offseason, signing a number of free agents and trading for additional pieces of what they hope will be a much more competitive roster.
Although a large majority of the team’s 2023 position players have returned for 2024, the team has added a few players to strengthen their offense and their depth, while adding two veteran starting pitchers to the rotation and several new relievers. Their ability to attract free agents was enhanced by their signing their young star, Bobby Witt, Jr., to a long-term contract, the longest and highest paying in the team’s history.
Witt anchors a returning crop of infielders that was strong defensively last season but was not able to consistently provide the offense the team needed to be successful. They will add Vinnie Pasquantino back to the lineup at first base after he missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Pasquantino should provide additional power and productivity to a team that finished 26th in home runs in 2023 and 23rd in runs batted in.
The Royals are also expecting a step forward offensively from Maikel Garcia, who was one of the top vote getters for AL rookie of the year after his 2023 season at third base, and Michael Massey, who has shown flashes of offensive potential at second base. Should either Garcia or Massey not get off to a hot start this season, the team may turn to 32-year-old Adam Frazier, a career .269 hitter who the Royals signed in the offseason after he had the best power numbers of his career in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles. Frazier is a versatile veteran who can play multiple positions and may keep infielder Nick Lofton off the opening day roster due to his experience. Lofton is a 25-year-old who played well at several different positions in 19 games for the Royals at the end of last season, and who has gotten off to a hot start this spring.
The 2024 season will be team captain Salvador Perez’s 14th year with the team and the Royals were able to keep him on the field for 140 starts last season by mixing in 20 starts at first base and 29 additional starts at DH. The emergence of Freedy Fermin as a solid backup behind the plate helped to ease the transition and the team has added veteran Austin Nola in the offseason to give them additional options at the position.
The outfield will look similar to last season except for the addition of free agent outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who will be joining the team after eight seasons with six different teams. Renfroe should provide additional power to the lineup, averaging more than 25 home runs over his seven full seasons. 2023 opening day starters MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel return this season and the team is looking for both of them to take steps forward offensively for the Royals to compete.
Garrett Hampson was signed by the team in November to a one year contract to provide depth in the infield and outfielder Drew Waters will need a great Spring to make the opening day roster after getting nearly 400 at bats with the major league team last season.
Nelson Velazquez will be the team’s primary designated hitter but will get occasional starts in the outfield as the team will look to keep his bat in the lineup after forty very productive games at the end of last season. Nick Pratto has shown improvement in his approach this Spring and will also be fighting for a spot as a backup first baseman, outfielder and DH.
The Royals starting rotation will be more experienced in 2024 with the off-season acquisitions of free agents Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. Wacha was 25-6 over the last two seasons with the Red Sox and Padres. Lugo is coming off his best season as a pro and the Royals hope both pitchers can provide consistent innings and veteran leadership to their 2018 first round draft class of Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, and Kris Bubic. Singer followed a promising 2022 season with a step back in 2023, posting an 8-11 record and a 5.52 ERA. Lynch missed the first two months of the season with a shoulder strain and went back on the injured list for the last half the season after showing glimpses of improvement in his nine starts in between. The Royals project Bubic to return from Tommy John surgery by mid-season.
Jordan Lyles returns looking to improve on his 2023 season, which he finished with a 6-17 record and a 6.28 ERA.
The Royals bullpen went through a major shakeup after finishing near the bottom of all of baseball in nearly every category. They started with re-signing former Royal Will Smith to likely serve as their closer and followed it up with signing Chris Stratton and trading for Nick Anderson and John Schreiber. Returning relievers James McArthur, Carlos Hernandez and Rule 5 acquisition Matt Sauer will also likely open the season in Kansas City. Angel Zerpa and Alec Marsh will challenge for the back end of the rotation or be available for long innings in relief.
Pre-season prognosticators and odds makers project that the Royals will add 15-20 wins to their 2023 record, but that level of success will require needed steps forward being taken by the younger players and healthy seasons from the veterans. Second-year manager Matt Quatraro and his staff are looking forward to working with the new options that General Manager JJ Picollo has provided them, a roster costing nearly $40 million in additional payroll. The MLB schedule maker will make it difficult for the team to get off to a strong start, however, as they face five 2023 playoff teams in 21 of their first 31 games.