4 Royals players who aren’t receiving enough attention entering spring training

There is a certain amount of work Kansas City Royals fans go through each spring. It is not arduous, but it is a routine that New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers fans rarely have to think about. Big market clubs come with bigger media footprints, wider lenses, and more daily coverage from camp.

The Royals are usually lucky to have two, maybe three, boots on the ground in Arizona feeding fans quick glimpses of workouts, interviews, and early storylines. For everyone else, the job becomes tracking down the best clips, photos, and quotes, especially compared to what fans of other teams get by default.

That might not be a bad thing. It can pull fans deeper into the season buildup and keep a few future contributors just off the national radar until the games start to count. And heading into Cactus League action, a handful of Royals are not getting enough buzz even within the fan base. Here are four who deserve more eyes and ears this spring.

4 Royals players who aren’t receiving enough attention entering spring training

RHP Michael Wacha

Kansas City’s steadiest pitcher over the last two seasons has not been Cy Young vote getters like Cole Ragans or Seth Lugo, or All Stars like Kris Bubic. It has been Michael Wacha. He has been consistently reliable, pairing quality innings with strong run prevention, and he has done it without the flash that usually drives headlines.

Wacha is set to suit up for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, where he should get work in relief while staying sharp for his regular-season role.

Wacha is not the type who lights up radar guns or makes hitters look silly every other pitch. He wins by limiting quality contact, changing speeds, and trusting the defense behind him. Add in his durability, and he is about as dependable as pitchers come in today’s game. For that availability and his underrated two-year run in Kansas City, Wacha deserves more attention this spring.

LHP Matt Strahm

The Royals gave up reliever Jonathan Bowlan to acquire Matt Strahm this offseason, a move that signaled Kansas City’s intent to win now and Strahm’s ability to help them do it. The Phillies needed to shed payroll after offseason additions pushed Strahm down their bullpen ladder, and the Royals pounced.

His work in Philadelphia was excellent, and he steps into camp as Kansas City’s top left handed reliever by a comfortable margin.

Strahm will be hard-pressed to replicate his peak numbers, but the role is clear. He is going to be in late-inning situations whenever he is available. He brings legitimate strikeout ability, experience in big spots, and the kind of swing and miss profile the Royals bullpen has needed. There is also a path, not a crazy one, where Strahm is closing games by the All-Star break if the matchups and performance line up.

RHP James McArthur

It has been more than a year since Royals fans have seen James McArthur pitch in an MLB game. He saved 18 games for the 2024 Royals, but a UCL sprain led to offseason surgery that included hardware in his elbow.

Then came the rare complication: an allergic reaction to the metal, which set him back even further. Now he is in camp and trying to work his way back into the bullpen picture.

It is easy to forget McArthur because the storyline moved on without him, but he is a pitcher Matt Quatraro has trusted, and the manager has made it clear he is eager to see him back.

McArthur also has one of the more enjoyable breaking balls in the relief group when he is right. He might not break camp with the team, but his return could quietly matter a lot for a bullpen that will need depth over 162 games.

C Salvador Perez

Including Salvador Perez is as much a personal reminder as it is a note for the fan base. He is one of the few team captains in Royals history for a reason, and he remains the last active link to the most recent peak in franchise history.

Perez still has juice in the bat, even if batted ball luck made his back-of-the-card numbers look rough at times last year. With so much attention on Carter Jensen, it can start to feel like Perez being replaced is inevitable. But as spring opens, Perez is still the favorite to catch more often than not.

If that is not enough, Perez has a real chance to chase down the franchise home run record with a healthy season. George Brett has a firm grip on so many Royals milestones that the idea of Perez threatening one of the biggest power marks means something.

If the new Kauffman dimensions play the way the team hopes, it only adds fuel to that chase. Either way, Perez deserves a little more respect in the conversation as the season approaches, not just as a leader, but as a bat the Royals still need.