Logan Porter continues to be KC Royals fans' favorite minor leaguer

When catcher Logan Porter made his MLB debut, it was more of a necessity than a luxury. Freddy Fermin landed on the injured list with a fractured finger, and Kansas City needed someone behind Salvador Perez to end the 2023 season. The former Royals clubhouse attendant completed his story by reaching The Show. But there should be more chapters in the 28-year-old's MLB career.

The KC Royals need a jolt. Could Logan Porter be the answer?

Kansas City didn't keep the fan favorite on the 40-man roster following the 2023 season but retained him on a minor league deal. Porter was still in spring training with the club, his third straight as a non-roster invitee. It's hard to assess Porter's performance in Surprise as he only had 24 plate appearances across 16 games, which is a limited sample size for evaluation. Kansas City sent him back to Triple-A Omaha, where Porter is a familiar Storm Chasers name.

The Royals are currently in good health, despite dealing with a few injuries leading up to Opening Day and a brief scare involving Perez's condition. So, that forces Royals minor-leaguers to force the organization's hand if they want to join the big league club. Several players are doing their best in Omaha, but none may be better than Porter's.

He is starting the season red hot, including earning International League Player of the Week for the week of April 8–14. The righty is raking for Omaha, where his .500 OBP and 1.412 OPS both lead all players. He saw less action while on the Royals taxi squad but is still tied for the team lead with four home runs. Porter's power is playing, and his stat line reflects a player Royals fans should be clamoring for at the major-league level.

Something I felt people overlooked with Porter was his skills behind the plate. The Storm Chasers pitching staff is comfortable with him behind the plate with above-average framing. His arm absolutely plays well too, with six runners caught stealing already in 2024. He possesses both the strength to throw the ball well and the precision to place it where the second baseman requires it.

Fermin is having a rough start to the season, which should make Porter's MLB return more probable. He is doing everything within his control to come back to Kansas City. If the Royals want their organizational depth to believe their performance controls their baseball destiny, then promoting Porter should be in order. There is more on the business side to make that possible, but it is well worth it to improve the 40-man roster, both from a health and production standpoint.

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