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With a week of Cactus League action in the books, the Kansas City Royals are back to being a daily fixture. The routine is familiar again: a lineup notification on your phone, a mid-afternoon first pitch, and just enough game action to start shaping expectations. It would all feel a little more meaningful if watching the games were possible, but that\u2019s a different conversation.<\/p>\n
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For now, spring is about two things: implementing offseason adjustments and shaking off winter rust. Every baseball fan knows February and March breakouts don\u2019t always translate to April production, but it\u2019s still better to see loud contact and crisp stuff now than the alternative.<\/p>\n
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While we are turning the page to the World Baseball Classic<\/a>, let’s mark who is trending up in camp right now after a surprisingly strong start.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n No one entered spring with a wider gap between 2025 results and 2026 expectations than Caglianone. The former first-rounder showed flashes in his debut, but the overall production didn\u2019t match the way he torched Double-A and Triple-A.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So far, the early returns are exactly what the Royals (and fans) wanted. Pick your favorite highlight: the 460-foot homer<\/a>, the 120.2 mph exit velocity the next day, or the more subtle stuff: getting on base, holding his zone contact together, and showing a clearer pull-side intent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He\u2019s not perfect, but the impact is undeniable. The next step is carrying this momentum into Team Italy action<\/a> and then into Opening Day, because that\u2019s how spring hype becomes something sturdier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Relief prospects rarely get top billing in March, but Colleran is making it hard to ignore him. He\u2019s looked sharp in his first two appearances, and the underlying indicators pop. A 46.2% whiff rate plays anywhere, and he\u2019s not doing it with smoke and mirrors, rather he\u2019s filling the zone and letting his stuff win.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sinker sitting around 97 mph gives him a real foundation, and his simple, direct arsenal is working. Colleran was a project pick with underwhelming college numbers, yet he\u2019s consistently raised his stock over the past year. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He\u2019s still a long shot to break camp, but he\u2019s strengthening his case as legit depth and the kind of arm who could force a 40-man conversation later in the season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If the Royals were hoping for early comfort at second base, it hasn\u2019t come from the hitless Jonathan India. It has come from Massey, who has been scorching baseballs in Surprise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Massey\u2019s 2025 season was one to forget, health included. But there was a reason Kansas City explored moving India off the position and started Massey at the keystone last Opening Day. After one week of spring action, he looks like the steadier option.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 270 wRC+ won\u2019t last, of course. And yes, he\u2019s looked more aggressive than in prior seasons. But right now the contact quality is loud, the results are real<\/a>, and the ripple effect matters. An average (or better) version of Massey lengthens the lineup and gives Matt Quatraro more flexibility with matchups.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n4 Royals who’ve been pleasant surprises after first week of spring training action<\/h2>\n
OF Jac Caglianone<\/h3>\n
RHP Dennis Colleran<\/h3>\n
2B Michael Massey<\/h3>\n
RHP Steven Zobac<\/h3>\n