3 KC Royals players with most to gain at spring training

Teams across MLB are gearing up for spring training, with camps due to open in just over a month. On January 10, the Kansas City Royals announced their list of non-roster invites to spring training, and while multiple prospects will be battling to impress the powers that be, there are also a number of major league players going in with a lot to prove.

From position battles to showing they deserve a second chance, here are the three Royals players with the most to gain at spring training.

Alec Marsh, RHP

Less than a week ago, Alec Marsh was the frontrunner to be the Royals' fifth starter in 2025, but things have changed. On January 6, Kansas City re-signed veteran Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $5.5 million deal, and considering the right-hander's successful stint with the team last season, his return to the Royals may push Marsh out of contention for a role in the rotation.

That is, unless Marsh — who was recently dubbed a "breakout player to watch in 2025" — can prove himself deserving of a spot over Kris Bubic.

In 2024, Marsh started the season in the Royals' starting rotation, but a string of underwhelming outings in June and July — 6.14 ERA in 11 appearances — saw him optioned him to Triple-A on July 31. Lorenzen, who the Royals had just acquired at the trade deadline, took Marsh's place in the rotation, but when a hamstring injury sidelined the veteran just a month later, Marsh was recalled from Triple-A for another shot.

Despite strong stats during his brief reset in the minors, Marsh was only marginally better when he rejoined the Royals at the end of August. He finished the 2024 season having thrown 129 innings for Kansas City, accumulating a 9-9 record, 4.53 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP.

Now, Marsh is going into spring training with a goal of redemption. Since the Royals traded away Brady Singer in November, the three rotation spots behind Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha have been in contention, with Bubic and Marsh as the frontrunners. With Lorenzen returning to the roster, only one spot remains — so can Marsh beat out Bubic?

Bubic spent 2024 in the bullpen after undergoing Tommy John surgery the year prior, and to say he had a breakout season would be an understatement. In 2022 — his last full campaign as a starter — Bubic posted the highest WHIP (1.70), worst OBP-against (.381), and highest percentage of line drives (25.8%) among all big-league pitchers, but in 30.1 innings last year as a reliever, he accumulated an impressive 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and .261 OBP-against, with a walk rate of just 4.1%.

This winter, manager Matt Quatraro has said the Royals want to transition Bubic back to starting, which obviously complicates things for Marsh. Still, Bubic will need to prove that his newfound talent as a reliever will transfer to the longer outings, and if Marsh impresses enough to make it a difficult decision, the Royals may just leave Bubic in the bullpen where they know he can thrive.

Michael Massey, 2B

Michael Massey was the Royals' everyday second baseman in 2024, but his future in the role has been thrown into uncertainty ever since the team acquired Jonathan India in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds on November 22. With Kansas City expected to utilize India as the leadoff hitter they were missing last season, he will almost certainly take preference over Massey at second — unless Massey can impress enough at spring training to prove he both deserves the spot and is healthy enough to maintain it.

Massey started the 2024 season on the IL due to back tightness, and once he was activated on April 19, he only lasted four weeks before being sidelined again with a low back ligament strain. In total, he only managed 100 games last year, and only 82 were at second base since he had to spend time at designated hitter while recovering.

Other than the time he missed on the IL, Massey's 2024 season was decent. He slashed .259/.294/.449 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 356 plate appearances, marking career-highs in batting average and slugging. His defense was also above average, posting 4 Outs Above Average (OAA) and a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 2 at second base.

Going into spring training, the Royals will be looking at how to solve the Massey/India jam at second base, whether that's a platoon situation — which could suit Massey if his back injury continues to be a problem — or one of them moving to another position.

While playing with the Reds, India was expected to be utilized across multiple positions during the 2024 season to make room for Matt McLain at second base, and in preparation for that, he trained as a left fielder. The move never ended up happening and India stayed at second base, but the fact that he was training for the transition means he could likely pick it up for the Royals in 2025, and Massey could take advantage of India's potential flexibility.

Massey has a lot to prove — and potentially gain — at spring training. If he wants to keep second base to himself, he will need to impress enough that the Royals are pushed to develop India as a left fielder. Regardless, second base will be a position battle to watch in Arizona.

Kyle Wright, RHP

The Royals acquired Kyle Wright in a trade with the Atlanta Braves on November 17, 2023, even though they knew it would be at least a full season before he set foot on the mound for them. After dealing with injuries for the entire 2023 season, Wright had undergone surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule in October, causing him to be sidelined for all of 2024. Now, the right-hander has finally been reactivated off the IL, but the Royals are yet to comment on their plans for him in 2025.

Due to his injury issues, Wright only managed 9 appearances (7 starts) for the Braves in 2023, but the season prior, he established himself as a force to be reckoned with. In 2022, Wright went 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 30 starts, leading MLB with the most wins of any pitcher, and helping the Braves secure the NL East division for the sixth consecutive year.

Now, the 29-year-old is finally ready to pitch for Kansas City — so where will he fit?

Ragans, Lugo, and Wacha are locked in as the Royals' 1-2-3 punch, and after successfully starting for the team last season, Lorenzen is almost certain to grab the fourth spot in the rotation. As for the last spot, the Royals have confirmed they see both Bubic and Marsh as potential starters — but Wright shouldn't be counted out quite yet.

Going into spring training, Wright could be a sleeper pick to earn the fifth spot in the Royals' rotation. While his name hasn't been brought up as much as Bubic or Marsh when Kansas City has discussed their starters for next season, the fact that the Royals acquired Wright when they knew they couldn't use him for a year implies that they had big plans for him in the future.

Admittedly, Wright will have his work cut out for him to convince the front office he's ready to take on the number of innings, and perhaps they'll want him to start the season in the bullpen until he proves himself. Still, he has a lot to gain at spring training, even if it's just to prove he's always ready to step up at any moment.