There is nothing wrong with admitting a bit of spin. The whole perception thing can change with time and a new angle, and the positive spins for this Kansas City Royals season are few and far between. Sure, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is the league’s best five-tool player, but what about the win-loss record? Sure, catcher Salvador Perez is on the cusp of capturing the franchise home run record, but what about his value in the lineup? The list goes on and on, but nothing can overshadow another step back in 2026.
Witt, catcher Carter Jensen, and outfielder Jac Caglianone have had unquestionably good seasons, but that is what fans expected this offseason. The hope was that if they produced and the surrounding pieces held up their end of the bargain, a postseason return would be within reach. But not even Witt’s Herculean efforts can drag the 2026 Royals to October baseball. There are, however, a handful of players who carried low external expectations at one point or another this year but have not been total disasters in their respective roles, even if they are not having star-making seasons.
Let’s look at three depth players and their performances so far this season, and whether they are just flashes in the pan or ready for more expectations ahead of 2027.
Michael Massey has actually looked like an answer to second base problems
There were few Royals players who saw a steeper drop from 2024 to 2025 than second baseman Michael Massey. Injuries were a red flag during his promising 2024 season, but they became a major factor in his 2025 regression. Now, Massey already has more games under his belt than he did all of last season, taking advantage of unfortunate circumstances and showing the bat is still lively.
Massey has mostly been Kansas City’s everyday second baseman since Jonathan India’s season prematurely ended. The Illinois product is living up to his fielding potential at second, and the bat has been one of the team’s best for nearly two months. In 38 games since May 31, Massey is slashing .305/.360/.453 with an .813 OPS and 20 RBI, and his 126 wRC+ in that span ranks third among qualified Royals batters.
The fielding development has been an underrated part of Massey’s 2026 campaign. His 7 Outs Above Average ranks in the 95th percentile this season. Fans often heard about his elite defensive chops, but it never showed up in the metrics and too many failed eye tests cast doubt on whether that potential would ever materialize. Now, Massey ranks second among AL second basemen in SABR’s Defensive Index, the key stat used in Gold Glove voting.
There is still a ton of baseball to be played, but Massey looks more like the lineup extender and everyday player Kansas City has hoped for. The broken trust from 2025’s regression still rings loud, but optimistic eyes see an Opening Day starter in 2027.
Nick Loftin is finally showing his draft day potential six years later
For all the issues that the 2020 MLB Draft class has had in the league, utilityman Nick Loftin is carving out a decent role for himself in Kansas City. He had a strong 19-game run in 2023, but the two seasons that followed saw him look more like a replacement-level player all over the diamond. Now, Loftin is on track for several career highs in a Royals uniform to conclude his age-27 season.
The Royals never needed Loftin to be a star, despite his draft slot. An MLB regular was the ceiling for him coming out of Baylor, and Loftin looks the part over the past month and a half. His glove has been put on the spot trying to replace All-Star Maikel Garcia following his injury at the hot corner, but Loftin is at least swinging the strongest stick of his career. His 108 wRC+ since May 31 only marginally trails the likes of Witt and Jensen, while he has already set career highs in runs scored and RBI.
Most of that extra success comes from one aspect: power. Loftin has often had good plate discipline and does not swing and miss, but the power was lacking. Nearly half of his hits this season have gone for extra bases, including four home runs and 15 doubles in 61 games.
Loftin still does not bring an elite tool set in the field, but he can competently hold down numerous positions and is a positive influence coming off the bench. He may not have Opening Day starter hopes, but the Royals will likely keep Loftin around and see if this season is the outlier or the start of something more.
Alex Lange has looked better than just the one-year flier he was signed to be
Well, now might not be the time to take a victory lap on reliever Alex Lange. He had a tough end to the first half and beginning of the second, when old nemesis Ty France hit a game-tying solo home run off Lange on July 17. But there was a stretch where Lange was performing higher than anyone anticipated, even if it truly was just a flash in the pan.
All the bullpen injuries and Lucas Erceg’s ineffectiveness pushed Lange into more closing situations, and the former Detroit Tigers closer thrived in that spot. Lange recorded eight saves since June 8, tied for the sixth-most among AL relievers in that stretch. It extended a nearly two-year-long streak of Lange converting his save opportunities, but that July 17 episode saw his 12-game run come to an end. It was also the first earned run Lange allowed in a save opportunity this season, bringing his ERA in those situations to 1.08. Meanwhile, Lange has an atrocious 7.34 ERA in his 29 non-save appearances this season.
Fans will likely never feel great about seeing Lange in a Royals uniform, much less following the 2026 season. But for a team without a solid closer in 2026, Lange had a good run of being exactly that. There are more than 60 games left to play, so Lange’s ninth-inning escapades are likely not over, for better or for worse.
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