What should the KC Royals make of Michael Massey’s start to 2025?

Michael Massey was one of the Kansas City Royals’ quiet success stories in 2024. The 27-year-old second baseman put together the most productive campaign of his young career, appearing in 100 games and slashing .259/.294/.449 with a 106 OPS+. He hit 14 home runs, drove in 45, and delivered his second consecutive season with double-digit home runs — an encouraging sign that he was evolving into the legitimate offensive contributor the club anticipated to match his steady glove.

However several weeks into 2025 season, that momentum has hit a speed bump. Entering Friday's matchup, through his first 12 appearances — 11 of them at second base, one as a DH — Massey has hit a power outage of sorts. His glove remains dependable, but the bat that helped him break through last season has disappeared. He's managed just 10 hits in 46 at-bats with five RBIs, good for a .233/.261/.302 slash line. The early signs suggest something is off.

Can the Royals afford to wait on Michael Massey's bat?

The most alarming indicators lie beneath the surface. Massey’s average launch angle has spiked dramatically from 16.8 degrees in 2024 to 23.0 this season — typically a sign of uppercut-heavy swings that result in weak fly balls rather than driven contact. Supporting that trend is a dip in exit velocity, which is down to 85.7 mph from 89.2 a year ago. His max exit velocity has dropped six ticks as well. Add in a barrel rate that’s plummeted from 7.1% to 2.6%, and it paints a clear picture: Massey is struggling to square up the ball.

Even his plate discipline is a mixed bag. He’s striking out slightly less, which is good, but he’s also walking less — limiting his ability to get on base and help the offense in other ways.

This isn’t to sound the alarm just yet. Players slump — especially in April — and it’s entirely possible that Massey is simply hasn't found his footing yet early in the season. After all, he took a step forward in 2024 and hadn’t shown any trends pointing to regression at this point in his 4 year career.

But it does beg the question: how long can the Royals wait for Massey to get back on track? With Jonathan India in the fold — a capable second baseman with a better offensive track record — the Royals have a plug-and-play option at the ready. That could allow them to slot in a more impactful bat at DH, reshaping the lineup without sacrificing too much defensive reliability.

For now, the Royals seem content to let Massey work through it. But if the struggles linger deeper into the season, his everyday role could come under serious review.