Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. He blasted a two-run shot off Randy Vasquez in the bottom of the first inning to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. The home run traveled 383 feet with an exit velocity of 109 mph. The 26-year-old is starting to heat up at the plate and has homered in two of his last three games. Overall, Pasquantino is slashing .263/.317/.434 with seven home runs, 15 doubles, a triple, 39 RBI, and 27 runs over 56 games in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to start Pasquantino while he's wielding a hot bat.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (foot) had a walking boot on his left foot after being hit by a line drive from the first batter of Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres, and he's heading for scans on Saturday to determine the extent of the damage. The Royals will be able to provide an official diagnosis after the scans are completed, but it's encouraging that the hurler didn't need to exit the contest early. Wacha ended up throwing 5 1/3 innings on Friday, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts without factoring into the decision. The 32-year-old veteran right-hander should be deemed day-to-day until more information comes to light, but his next scheduled start on Thursday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians looks to be very much up in the air. Wacha has a mediocre 4.24 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 56:20 K:BB over 12 starts (68 innings) during his first season in KC this year.

Kansas City Royals catcher/outfielder MJ Melendez went 1-for-3 with a walk and solo home run in Thursday's loss against the division rival Minnesota Twins. Melendez crushed a first-pitch fastball 416 feet off Caleb Thielber in the top of the fourth inning to extend the Royals lead to 4-0 at the time, but it would not be enough. With his homer, Melendez picked up his first RBI on the road in 2024. The 25-year-old entered the season with high hopes, but has struggling through the first third of the season with a .176 batting average to go along with five home runs, 13 RBI and two stolen bases. Having catcher eligibility on most platforms helps Melendez, but his overall struggles make him replaceable for a hot bat on the waiver wire this far into the season.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was 2-for-5 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins. It was Pasquantino's first home run since May 9 and only his second of the month. It has been tough sledding as of late for the 26-year-old as he is batting a paltry .176 over his last 15 games. He also missed Wednesday's game as he was dealing with a shin injury. Pasquantino is slashing .229/.309/.404 with six homers, 35 RBI and 26 runs scored in 2024. The RBI production is helping him stay afloat, but he is in need of a hot streak to regain the trust of fantasy managers.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI during Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Witt has been extra productive at the plate lately as he has 19 RBI over his last 15 games. The 23-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best players in all of baseball. He is slashing .309/.363/.548 with nine homers, 40 RBI, 49 runs scored and 16 stolen bases in 2024. Continue to roll him out with confidence on a daily basis if you are lucky enough to own him.