KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2026 MLB season officially begins on Wednesday with the New York Yankees taking on the San Francisco Giants. The Kansas City Royals aren’t too far behind with a game on Friday vs. the Atlanta Braves.
Another season of baseball means that another 26-man group of pitchers and position players (typically 13 of each) has to be finalized, and the Royals announced theirs on Wednesday afternoon.
Advertisement
Could you do it? Viral ‘9-9-9 Challenge’ box to be offered at Kauffman Stadium
Here’s a look at who will be a Kansas City Royal to begin the 2026 season:
Pitchers
Five of the 13 pitchers on the Opening Day roster will serve as starters. The starting rotation, at least through the first five games, will be Ragans (Opening Day), Wacha, Lugo, Bubic (home opener on March 30) and Cameron.
Interestingly, this arrangement means three left-handed pitchers will pitch in consecutive games. For example, if Cameron pitches to open a three-game series, that team will likely only see left-handed starters for the entire series with the way the rotation stands now.
Advertisement
Kansas City led viewership markets during most-watched WBC final
Also of note is the fact that RHP Ryan Bergert, RHP Luinder Avila and RHP Steven Cruz were all optioned to AAA Omaha. While they will likely be on the roster for at least some time this season, each of the three has shown a degree of promise that led many to believe they’d be on the Opening Day roster. It’s a good problem to have for the Royals, considering that injuries will surely occur, and they’ll be able to pivot quickly to other options in AAA.
Catchers
There are no surprises here– Jensen, a Kansas City native, will look to build upon the success he had in his short stint in the big leagues last season, serving as an apprentice of sorts to the veteran Perez. In a perfect world, Jensen would continue to improve behind the plate as well, allowing Perez to play as a designated hitter for a good chunk of the season.
Advertisement
Infielders
There are a few things of note when considering this initial group of infielders. First of all, second baseman Michael Massey is currently on the injured list (IL). See the bottom of this story for the full IL. Massey could very well come back up to the big leagues after getting healthy, replacing either Loftin or Tolbert as a utility player.
‘Beginning of the marathon:’ Vinnie Pasquantino recounts historic WBC run
The Royals are banking on a resurgence from Jonathan India at second base after giving him an $8 million contract early in the offseason. If India continues to struggle at the plate in addition to the subpar defensive numbers he posted in 2025, Loftin and Massey will be looked upon for a heavier load of reps at second base.
Advertisement
Outfielders
While the Royals may not have landed the big-name impact bat that they’ve been craving over the past few years, the team’s outfield is reworked nonetheless.
Kansas City Royals scout saves woman from drowning in Taiwan
The additions of Collins, Marte and Thomas should be at the very least a slight improvement upon a dreadful 2025 outfield. Pairing that with the second-year of Jac Caglianone could allow the Royals’ offense to take the next step in becoming a serious major league threat, especially after moving the outfield fences in.
Injured List
INF Michael Massey — 10-day IL with left calf strain. Retroactive to March 22.
RHP Stephen Kolek — 15-day IL with left oblique strain. Retroactive to March 22.
RHP James McArthur — 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Retroactive to March 22.
RHP Alec Marsh — 60-day IL with right shoulder surgery.
ADVERTISEMENT
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Advertisement
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’
