Hunter Renfroe suddenly offers some hope to the KC Royals

Before the Kansas City Royals' March 16 Cactus League game against the Colorado Rockies was even two innings old, outfielder Hunter Renfroe had already batted twice, doubled twice, and driven in three runs. That his was but a part of a more far-reaching assault on Colorado starter Kyle Freeland — who, along with Dugan Darnell, the Royals battered for eight second-inning runs — could suggest Renfroe was simply sharing in the feast, just another beneficiary of the Rockies' generosity.

But Renfroe wasn't done when Freeland left the mound. Facing reliever Jake Bird in the sixth after grounding out in the fourth, he ripped a triple to left to score both Tyler Tolbert and Maikel Garcia, giving Kansas City a 10-2 lead that held up as the final. Renfroe immediately yielded to pinch-runner Gavin Cross and finished 3-for-4 with five RBI. He's now slashing .348/.464/.739 at spring training, with four doubles, a triple, a homer, and nine RBI. Those nine RBI tie him with Garcia for the club lead.

Simply sharing in the feast? Maybe, but Renfroe's performance against the Rockies might — with a big emphasis on might — mean more. Maybe, just maybe, Renfroe is coming around at the plate after the disappointing season he had last year when he hit 15 homers — the lowest double-digit campaign of his nine-year big league career — and slashed a dismal .229/.297/.392.

Hunter Renfroe has been good lately for the KC Royals

The punishment Renfroe gave the Rockies represents his best game of the spring. After going an unimpressive 1-for-6 in three February appearances and 2-for-10 in his first five March contests, Renfroe rapped a double and single and drove in a pair of runs in the Royals' 9-8 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Angels on March 14.

To be clear, having two consecutive good games doesn't mean he's dramatically and instantly recaptured the form that moved KC general manager J.J. Picollo to add him to the Kansas City outfield during the 2023-2024 offseason. Renfroe had, after all, missed clubbing at least 20 homers in only his 2016 break-in campaign — when he played only 11 times — and the pandemic-truncated 2020 season.

But although an injury forced Renfroe out of the Royals' lineup for almost a month last year, his first season with the club wasn't what anyone wanted, making it quite possible that he's in Kansas City's spring camp only because he exercised his 2025 player option before this winter had barely begun.

Now, he has things to prove, and the club shouldn't give him much time to prove them after the regular season opens on March 27 against the Cleveland Guardians. That's why Renfroe, the Royals, and fans should all hope his recent success somehow foretells good things to come.

We'll see.