Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City outfielder MJ Melendez revamped his swing during the offseason. Anne Rogers of MLB.com noted that the 26-year-old lowered his leg kick and adjusted his hands, making his stance more "balanced." Melendez decided to revamp his swing in hopes of tapping into his power more consistently. Throughout his three-year MLB career, Melendez has flashed upside power at times but has yet to show it across a full season. Last season, Melendez held a .206/.273/.400 line with 17 home runs and four stolen bases. He held a strong .440 SLG against right-handed pitching but struggled when facing southpaws, as he posted a .219 SLG. The previous season, he hit 16 home runs and held a similar .235/.316/.398 line. Given his lack of consistency and drastic splits, fantasy managers should expect him to continue to be deployed primarily on the strong side of a platoon in left field. However, a strong spring could open the door for a full-time role.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Nick Pratto, who is out of minor-league options, will get a lot of repetitions in the outfield during spring training this year, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. The Royals want Pratto to increase his versatility in camp since he's out of minor-league options and prove he belongs on the Opening Day roster as a super-utility player. Infielders Jonathan India and Michael Massey are two other Royals infielders that are trying to learn the outfield this spring as well. Pratto, a former 14th overall pick by KC in 2017, has hit just .216/.295/.364 with a .659 OPS, 14 home runs, 55 RBI and 51 runs scored in 144 games in his first two major-league seasons the last two years for the Royals. The 26-year-old figures to be a utility player once again for the Royals if he makes the big-league roster out of spring training, limiting his fantasy appeal to AL-only leagues.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, free-agent infielder Paul DeJong has signed a one-year contract worth $1 million with the Washington Nationals. DeJong spent the 2024 campaign playing with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. Across 139 games, DeJong held a .227/.276/.427 line with 24 home runs and two stolen bases. He generated a strong 10.2 percent barrel rate but was unable to make consistent contact. He posted a weak 34.9 percent whiff rate and a 32.4 percent strikeout rate, both well below the average marks. However, this was a slight improvement compared to the .207/.258/.355 line he held during the 2023 campaign. Fantasy managers should expect the 31-year-old to slot in as a depth option in the infield. He should not be targeted in any fantasy formats, as he is not likely to see consistent playing time.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans has signed a new extension with the organization on Friday. The southpaw has reached a three-year, $13.25 million contract extension with the Royals. This deal will cover the upcoming 2025 campaign and two seasons of arbitration eligibility. At first glance, this seems like a steal for the Royals considering Ragans is one of the best left-handed starters in the MLB right now. However, the 2024 campaign was also Ragans first year with over 100 innings pitched, so this extension does give him some financial security in case of an injury or possible regression. Although, the 27-year-old appears to only be getting better after his fantastic 2024 campaign. Ragans posted a 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 223/67 K/BB ratio across 32 starts. The Royals are hopeful that Ragans can be their ace for the foreseeable future.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Kyle Wright (shoulder), who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since Sept. 28 of 2023 after having surgery to fix a torn capsule in his right shoulder, is slightly behind the other pitchers in camp but he could throw live batting practice next week. Wright was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday and wants to throw at least two bullpens before progressing to live BP. He has extra hurdles to clear since it's been so long since he was 100% percent healthy, but a lot of the hurdles are mental. If healthy, the 29-year-old could compete for a start in KC's Opening Day starting rotation after the former fifth overall pick in 2017 won a World Series with the Braves in 2021 while also leading the majors in wins (21) with a 3.19 ERA in 180 1/3 innings in 2022. Because he's a candidate for an innings limit in 2025 in his first year with the Royals, fantasy managers in mixed leagues can probably avoid him for now.