4 Royals who've been pleasant surprises after first week of spring training action

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’s a different conversation.

For now, spring is about two things: implementing offseason adjustments and shaking off winter rust. Every baseball fan knows February and March breakouts don’t always translate to April production, but it’s still better to see loud contact and crisp stuff now than the alternative.

While we are turning the page to the World Baseball Classic, let's mark who is trending up in camp right now after a surprisingly strong start.

4 Royals who've been pleasant surprises after first week of spring training action

OF Jac Caglianone

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’t match the way he torched Double-A and Triple-A.

So far, the early returns are exactly what the Royals (and fans) wanted. Pick your favorite highlight: the 460-foot homer, 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.

He’s not perfect, but the impact is undeniable. The next step is carrying this momentum into Team Italy action and then into Opening Day, because that’s how spring hype becomes something sturdier.

RHP Dennis Colleran

Relief prospects rarely get top billing in March, but Colleran is making it hard to ignore him. He’s looked sharp in his first two appearances, and the underlying indicators pop. A 46.2% whiff rate plays anywhere, and he’s not doing it with smoke and mirrors, rather he’s filling the zone and letting his stuff win.

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’s consistently raised his stock over the past year.

He’s still a long shot to break camp, but he’s strengthening his case as legit depth and the kind of arm who could force a 40-man conversation later in the season.

2B Michael Massey

If the Royals were hoping for early comfort at second base, it hasn’t come from the hitless Jonathan India. It has come from Massey, who has been scorching baseballs in Surprise.

Massey’s 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.

The 270 wRC+ won’t last, of course. And yes, he’s looked more aggressive than in prior seasons. But right now the contact quality is loud, the results are real, and the ripple effect matters. An average (or better) version of Massey lengthens the lineup and gives Matt Quatraro more flexibility with matchups.

RHP Steven Zobac

Kansas City protected both Ben Kudrna and Zobac from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, and their early spring returns have been… different. Zobac has looked like the steadier bet so far.

His first outing against Milwaukee was a solid statement: eight big-league caliber hitters, one hit allowed, two walks, and two strikeouts across a scoreless inning-plus. Spring stat lines can lie, but getting whiffs with the four-seamer while showing a starter’s mix is a good place to begin.

Zobac is still relatively new to full-time pitching, which leaves room for growth. Add in the above-average spin across much of his arsenal, and it’s easy to see why the Royals wanted him protected—and why his early camp is worth tracking.