Royals Isaac Collins' latest comments indicate he's ready for new challenge in KC

Did the Kansas City Royals sufficiently address their outfield this offseason? That question will not have a real answer until the 2026 season is complete, but a major piece of that evaluation rests on newly acquired outfielder Isaac Collins.

The former Milwaukee Brewers outfielder is coming off a strong 2025 campaign that even earned Rookie of the Year consideration.

Now, the late bloomer enters his first spring in Kansas City with legitimate big league expectations attached to his name, both from the organization and from a fan base that knows the outfield cannot afford another flat year.

After strong rookie season, Issac Collins needs solid sequel with Royals.

“Rent’s due every day,” Collins told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. “I have something to prove every single day. This is an extremely hard league, and success is rented. You don’t get it every day. You’ve got to earn it. Every hit, every walk, every play is earned.”

That mindset fits a player who has had to scratch and claw for every opportunity. Collins has not had many chances to showcase himself yet this spring, in part because of a measured ramp up in Arizona. There may have been more behind that slow start than simple caution.

My podcast co-host Jeremy Greco floated the idea that Collins’ lagging second half production in 2025 had more to do with health than regression. That theory gained some traction this offseason.

Collins dealt with patella tendinitis in both knees late last season and received platelet rich plasma injections this winter, according to Rogers. The Royals were aware of the issue when they completed the trade with Milwaukee and built a plan around easing him into camp.

His first Cactus League appearance was quiet, hitless with two strikeouts. That hardly sets off alarms in February. If anything, it is better to shake off the rust now than in late March.

The bigger question is whether Collins can be the steady presence this lineup needs.

He does not offer the raw power of Jac Caglianone or the defensive highlight reel of Kyle Isbel, but Collins brings a profile that has real value. Entering his age 28 season, projection systems peg him as an average big league hitter built on contact and on base skills.

That formula worked in 2025. He posted an elite 18.4% chase rate and a 12.9% walk rate over 130 games. His 122 wRC+ would have made him the Royals’ best outfielder at the plate last season by a comfortable margin.

Opportunity should not be an issue. There are no new outfield additions pushing him aside this spring, and the upper levels of the minor leagues do not offer much immediate competition. Add in his above average defense and switch hitting ability, and manager Matt Quatraro has plenty of reasons to lean on him.

“[Collins being a switch hitter] makes it harder for opposing teams to match up with us and understand what we’re going to do, especially if he’s equally effective from both sides of the plate,” Quatraro said. “And depending on where we slot him in the batting order, it’ll make bullpen decisions for other teams more challenging.”

That chess piece quality matters over 162 games. Collins may not be the headline addition some fans hoped for, but he fits a very specific need. He controls the zone. He extends at bats. He forces pitchers to work.

His skill set can absolutely translate to steady big league production. Still, as he said himself, rent is due every day. And in Kansas City, the outfield needs him to pay up.