Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is not in Saturday's lineup as the Royals continue a three-game set in Queens. Pasquantino was off to a slow start, as he tallied just five hits in his first eleven games. Since then, Pasquantino has hit for a .583 AVG with two doubles and one home run. Salvador Perez will shift to first base today, and Freddy Fermin will serve as the backstop for pitcher Alec Marsh. This will be Fermin's sixth start of the season and will have a difficult matchup as he faces southpaw Sean Manaea, who has a dominant 0.82 ERA and 0.73 WHIP across his first two starts.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Brady Singer allowed one run on five hits across five innings of work during Thursday's win over the Houston Astros. Singer struck out four in the contest while walking two. The 27-year-old is now 2-0 on the season with a sparkling 0.98 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 18/4 K/BB rate. Singer was a sizeable disappointment for fantasy managers in 2023, but he has passed all the tests thus far in 2024. He is set to face the lowly Chicago White Sox in his next projected start and should be rostered in all formats while his resurgence continues.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went 4-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored during Thursday's 13-3 demolition of the Houston Astros. Witt also picked up his third stolen base during the blowout. It was a banner day for the 23-year-old, who is now slashing a robust .358/.414/.755 with four home runs, eight RBI and 13 runs scored on the season. Witt looks like bonafide superstar to start 2024 and is a must-start option whenever he takes the diamond.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino broke out of a slump in Wednesday's 11-2 blowout win over the visiting Houston Astros, going 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a career-high five RBI. Pasquantino doubled to shallow left to drive in two runs in a seven-run third inning for the Royals before homering to right during the fourth frame. It was already a huge evening at the dish, but Pasquantino added a sacrifice fly to bring in one more in the sixth. The 26-year-old former top prospect was a popular fantasy drop candidate after an abysmal 4-for-37 start to the year, but Wednesday's three-hit attack raised his batting average to .175 and his OPS to .552 over 11 games. Pasquantino occupies a premium lineup spot in KC's lineup every day and should continue to have plenty of RBI chances going forward.

Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (back) returned to his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with three RBI while playing seven innings in the field. After playing one rehab game at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and experiencing minor soreness, Massey felt good enough to play on Tuesday. Closing in on a return for KC, Massey likely still needs a few more rehab games before doing so. The 26-year-old lefty-hitting infielder has been on the injured list since Opening Day with lower back tightness, and the Royals hope it won't linger and Massey can return as their everyday second baseman after he slashed .229/.274/.381 with 15 home runs, 18 doubles, 55 RBI, and six stolen bases over 428 at-bats last season. Adam Frazier is filling in as the primary option at the keystone for now, but he's not doing enough to warrant consideration outside of the deepest fantasy leagues.