\"A dim view of humanity\" -Lee Judge
Spring Training games start today! Like, real baseball games (that don’t count in the standings)! In yesterday’s Rumblings, Max posted that Stephen Kolek would start today’s game against the Rangers. Jaylon Thompson wrote an entire story about it for The Star: “I’m excited for it,” Kolek said. “It’s a great honor to be the first […]
The Royals have had a full squad working out all week and tomorrow they’ll begin their first exhibition matchups. Spring training performances can be difficult to judge. Many players are working on new pitches, new swings, and with new teammates. The thin, dry air of Arizona is not like the environment players will play in […]
Last week, Royals Review Editor-in-ChLast week, Royals Review Editor-in-Chief Max Rieper asked us to highlight a minor leaguer to watch this spring. I immediately volunteered to write about a guy with a fantastic name who has been racing through the Royals’ system: Carson Roccaforte. Roccaforte was drafted by KC in the 2023 Competitive Balance B […]
At the end of January, I wrote an article about the Kansas City Royals potentially moving a starting pitcher for prospects. The Royals have enviable depth, and I think there are six guys – Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, and Ryan Bergert – who really should be in an MLB […]
Jaylon Thompson wrote about the first full-squad workout on Monday. The Royals expect most of the spring competition to be reserve roles. The starting lineup is pretty much set with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez leading the way. “I mean, without naming names, it’s very obvious who some of the […]
The Kansas City Royals were on the brink of making the playoffs last season, they were in it until the final week of the season, despite the myriad of starting pitching injuries and hitters underperforming. Things like that happen in baseball, everything doesn’t work out the way you want or plan for them to go. […]
The abrupt resignation of MLBPA chief Tony Clark this week over an embarrassing affair with his sister-in-law, who was hired by the union, brings greater uncertainty to future labor negotiations between the unions and owners as the labor deal expires at the end of the baseball season. Many observers are girding for a divisive standoff […]
With apologies to Steve Busby, Paul Splittorff, and 1972 Roger Nelson, the first true ace of the Kansas City Royals was a Brooklyn, New York native named Dennis Leonard. After graduating from high school, Leonard walked onto the baseball team at Iona University, a small Catholic (4,000 students) college located just north of the Bronx. […]
MLB.com’s Anne Rogers talks with new Royals assistant hitting coach Connor Dawson. A 2012 graduate of Olathe North High School in Kansas, Dawson grew up about 25 miles southwest of Kauffman Stadium. He played collegiately at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kansas, but he set his sights on coaching early. He coached the Kansas […]
We all have regrets. That includes baseball teams like the Royals, who have the moves that didn’t pan out, the moments that didn’t go their way, the pivotal decisions that could have worked out differently. Time travel stories and alternate histories are some of my favorite genres of fiction. What if a man decides to […]
The Royals will spend the next few weeks shaping the roster that they will carry to Atlanta for the season opener. One large factor in deciding who makes the team will be which players have options remaining. Options allow teams to send a player to the minors without exposing them to be claimed by another […]
It’s the first week of spring training, pitchers are climbing back onto the mound, hitters are getting their first swings in, and optimism is in the air. And yet, for fans of the Royals, there’s still that lingering feeling that something is missing. All winter long, the expectation has been that the front office would […]
Quinton Lucas gave a State of the City address and noted his desire to keep the Royals in KCMO. John Sherman had some comments. Word got back to Royals owner John Sherman. On Monday, Sherman addressed Lucas’ speech and offered his takeaway. “I appreciate him wanting to do that,” Sherman said. “And I appreciate that […]
The Royals had made moves to contend in 2014, but still, their postseason run had a “we’re just happy to be here” feel, where every day the team was playing with house money. They parlayed that attitude into a pennant, falling just short of winning one of the most improbable championships in modern baseball history. […]
At this time of year, I tend to start thinking through what my expectations are for the coming season. Having a base model in my head helps me avoid overreacting to early-season noise. Part of that process includes looking at the AL Central, the main competition the Royals need to beat to reach the playoffs. […]
In this special Spring 2026 preview episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco sit down with Kansas City Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how the organization is building its staff for the upcoming season. Sweeney walks us through his daily routine during spring training — […]
It’s Friday morning as I write this, and for some reason, the boys are home, the first day of a four-day weekend. Such as it is, we had a movie night last night, and it was my turn* to pick out the film. As I’m impatiently awaiting the start of baseball, in any shape or […]
Jalon Thompson talks to Kris Bubic as he ramps back up after an injury ended his season last year. Bubic faced several hitters during the live batting practice. He showcased his pitching arsenal and had a few minor self-critiques. Overall, he felt his fastball command was there and that his changeup could’ve been a little […]
Jaylon Thompson talks to Alec Marsh, who was placed on the 60-day Injured List, about his setbacks. Marsh dealt with right-shoulder tightness after the 2024 season. He worked to rehab from that injury but suffered setbacks along the way. Ultimately, Marsh missed the entire 2025 season while dealing with constant physical discomfort. “Just impossible,” Marsh […]
The Royals announced they have signed left-handed pitcher John Means to a two-year minor league deal. Means is a Gardner, Kansas native who was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2019, but has battled injuries the last four seasons. Means graduated from Gardner-Edgerton High School and attended Fort Scott Community College before being drafted by […]
Sports give us a socially acceptable outlet for our pettiness. They let us boo, roll our eyes, and carry grudges that would be wildly inappropriate anywhere else in life. You’re allowed to hate teams, from division rivals to big-market behemoths. Which team do you hate the most? There are several possibilities. Which team do you […]
The Kansas City Royals look to enter 2026 with a much-improved outfield over the, shall we say, less-than-stellar 2025 outfit. But they could still use another bat, preferably a right-handed hitter who could be a platoon guy as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos. Kauffman Stadium has been home to a few […]
Last week I asked fans to chime in with the Royals Review fan survey, asking them what they thought about the Royals, downtown baseball, and the state of baseball. We had nearly 400 responses to our fan survey this year. This isn’t a scientific poll, just a fun internet poll. And it’s certainly not binding (unless […]
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco are joined by Royals beat reporter Anne Rogers for an inside look at Kansas City’s spring training and the direction of the franchise heading into the new season. The conversation covers everything from the optimism surrounding camp to the buzz building for […]
Max covered the big story yesterday: The Royals traded for A’s pitcher Mitch Spence. Anne Rogers covered it for MLB: The Royals were interested in Spence ahead of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, but the A’s scooped him up from the Yankees with the first pick. In ‘24, he posted a 4.58 ERA across 35 […]