Royals Opening Day roster hopeful is passing spring training test with flying colors

Entering spring training, the Royals appeared to have two bench spots up for grabs, with the likelihood of Michael Massey and top prospect Carter Jensen taking up the other two.

This left players like utility men like Tyler Tolbert or non-roster invitees like Josh Rojas or Kevin Newman fighting for those places on the Opening Day roster.

But there was one more name that was somewhat of a Royals major league mainstay in the later parts of the 2025 season that's right there in the mix as well. This of course was Nick Loftin.

And now with the addition of Starling Marte, those available bench spots have likely dwindled down to just one, meaning the Royals have to be very cautious of who they award it to out of spring training.

Early on in camp, manager Matt Quatraro seemed to lay out the plan for how Loftin could nab a spot in the lineup, as verstility seemed to be the key.

But not only has Loftin proven he can be versatile both over the course of his professional career and this spring, he's also been more than a worthwhile addition to the lineup with the bat so far in spring training as well.

Nick Loftin more than deserves Royals' remaining bench spot

With the ability to play all around the infield and in the corner outfield, paired with his semi-recent standing as a top Royals prospect, Loftin already had plenty going in his favor when it came to a roster competition.

However, what often didn't seem to play in his favor was his bat, as for the past two seasons in The Show he's never exceeded a wRC+ total above 73, an OPS better than .635 or an average above .208.

Bench bats don't need to be the greatest stat merchants in the world, but they need to be reliable at least, and nothing about his game, apart from his versatility, screamed reliable.

But in Surpirse this spring, he's been nothing short of one of the Royals' best hitters.

Leaned on heavily as one of just 10 qualified hitters on the roster with 26 plate appearances across nine games, Loftin is slashing .318/.423/.682 with two homers, a team-leading nine RBI, a 15.4% walk rate to just a 7.7% K-rate and a 183 wRC+.

When you look at the competition around him, while Rojas and his 185 wRC+ may be outperforming him ever so slightly, Loftin is still more versatile defensively and has the logistical advantage of already being on the 40-man roster.

And his main 40-man competition in Tyler Tolbert, who's speed an ability to patrol center may be an asset, has not nearly been the offensive force Loftin has been this spring. He may be hitting .294, but his .686 OPS and 85 wRC+ are certainly underwhelming.

Bottom line, Loftin looks the part of a major leaguer right now, and with many key Royals off playing in the World Baseball Classic, he has the opportunity for increased at-bats to continue to showcase what might the start of his long-awaited breakout.