This KC Royals player has quietly emerged as Team MVP in April

The Kansas City Royals entered the 2025 season with cautious optimism after a historic 30-win improvement the year prior. However, nearly a month into the season, they find themselves sitting below .500 and clinging to third place in a competitive AL Central. While the struggles aren’t surprising — especially on offense — the team is still finding ways to stay afloat. And that’s largely thanks to a quiet breakout happening in the emergence of Maikel Garcia.

The Royals have scored just 71 runs — the fewest in the American League and tied with the Colorado Rockies for the fewest in all of baseball. Their -23 run differential underscores just how flat the offense has been. It’s not for lack of pitching either. The rotation has performed admirably, and the bullpen has been steadily progressing. The missing ingredient has been consistent offense. That’s where Garcia comes in.

For a roster long fueled by the spectacular play of Bobby Witt Jr., it’s refreshing to see someone else step up. Witt Jr. was nothing short of sensational in 2024, finishing second in AL MVP voting and serving as the engine for the Royals’ leap forward. But another superhuman season from Witt shouldn’t be the only path to contention. The Royals needed a complementary piece, and Garcia is answering that call.

Maikel Garcia’s advanced stats show a legitimate breakout on the horizon in 2025

Maikel Garcia’s name wasn’t high on many breakout lists this spring — if any at all. He hit just four home runs in 2023 and seven in 2024. But in 2025, he’s already clubbed two homers — tied for the team lead — and driven in 10 runs, also tied for second. His slash line of .278/.354/.417 is solid, but when you peel back the curtain, Garcia’s underlying metrics are even more eye-popping:

• Top 8% in MLB in average exit velocity (93.6 mph)
• Top 4% in hard-hit rate (58.3%)
• Top 11% in expected batting average (.303 xBA)
• Chase rate of just 23.0%
• Walk rate of 11.0%

These aren’t just the signs of a player who’s “hot” — this is the profile of someone who’s evolving into a high-quality, top-of-the-order bat. He’s hitting the ball harder than he ever has, seeing the strike zone better, and taking a mature, steady approach to every at-bat.

Yes, it’s tempting to lean toward the starting pitching staff for early-season MVP honors. Kris Bubic, for example, looks reborn with a 1.45 ERA through four starts. But this staff was always expected to hold its own. The offense was the wild card, and Maikel Garcia is trying to tilt the deck back toward respectability.

If Garcia can maintain this pace while Vinnie Pasquantino regains his rhythm, Mark Canha re-establishes himself post-injury, and Salvador Perez climbs out from below the Mendoza Line, the Royals’ lineup could soon have real bite. And if that happens, it won’t just be Bobby Witt Jr. powering the engine — it’ll be a 1-2 punch with Maikel Garcia riding shotgun.

It’s still early, but in a month tainted by inconsistency, Maikel Garcia has been a beacon of hope. Quietly and undeniably — he’s been Kansas City’s MVP of April.