Last year, the Royals fielded 16 different players in left and right field. After Mike Yastrzemski’s arrival in July, he solidified a spot in right field, but he has since left for free agency, joining the Atlanta Braves. Despite his struggles at the plate, Jac Caglianone hopes to make right field his own in 2026.

With prospects like John Rave, Drew Waters, and Tyler Tolbert unable to make a meaningful impact, the Royals decided to look elsewhere to round out the outfield by trading for Isaac Collins and signing Lane Thomas as a free agent. The Royals also brought in veteran outfielder Starling Marte to provide additional depth.

Royals Corner Outfielders At A Glance

Starters: Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins

Backups: Lane Thomas, Starling Marte, Nick Loftin, Michael Massey

Depth: Tyler Tolbert, John Rave, Kameron Misner, Drew Waters

Prospects: Gavin Cross, Carson Roccaforte

Royals fWAR Ranking Last Year: 30th out of 30 in LF, 30th out of 30 in RF

Royals fWAR Projection This Year: 23rd out of 30 in LF, 20th out of 30 in RF

The Good

Most importantly, the Royals made changes to address their biggest weakness this offseason. Lane Thomas and Starling Marte have proven track records of MLB success, and Isaac Collins is coming off an excellent season where he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Jac Caglianone has looked good in spring training with a slash line of .400/.550/.733 in 20 plate appearances. Caglianone has also impressed with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, slashing .364/.563/.727 in 16 plate appearances. Most notably, Caglianone has shown improved plate discipline, walking more often than striking out in his combined appearances in spring training and the WBC with nine walks against six strikeouts.

Caglianone is also hitting the ball hard this spring. He represents the 100th percentile in both 90th percentile exit velocity and max exit velocity. 

While it may be easy to get excited about his strong spring training, it is important to remember that Caglianone had a strong spring last year with an OPS of 1.776. While the circumstances of his call-up in 2024 were not ideal, being rushed up to replace underperforming players, Caglianone was not able to translate his good spring into MLB success last season.

Another positive going into 2025 is flexibility. The Royals have a lot of flexibility in platoon options and positioning. Thomas and Marte can provide relief against left-handed pitching when needed for Caglianone and Collins (who has struggled against left-handed pitching despite being a switch-hitter). Thomas can also be a platoon bat for Kyle Isbel in center field. Marte Will also factor in at designated hitter.

Michael Massey and Nick Loftin are primarily infielders, but more can be options in the outfield if needed. Ideally, with their current depth, Loftin and Massey won’t be needed in the outfield as often as they were last season.

The Bad

There are question marks surrounding all three outfield additions when it comes to health and availability.

Collins had a delayed start to spring training after receiving injections this offseason to address tendonitis in both of his knees. On March 13th, there was also a report that Collins was dealing with minor back tightness, which has caused the Royals to be more cautious with his playing time. As the likely starting left fielder, it will be important for Collins to stay healthy and not have to test the Royals’ outfield depth and flexibility right when the season starts.

Thomas has also suffered injury issues in 2025, playing only in 39 games. He is only a couple of years removed from a season where he slashed .268/.315/.468, but Thomas will need to prove that he can both return to that level of production and stay healthy for a long stretch of the season.

Marte has not dealt with significant injuries recently, but he is entering his age-37 season and is past the point in his career where he can be counted on as an everyday contributor. Marte has not eclipsed 500 plate appearances since 2022, but when he does play, he has proven to still provide an above-average bat, posting a wRC+ of 112 last season. 

After the top four anticipated contributors, there are a lot of players who have not yet been able to make a meaningful impact at the major-league level. Tyler Tolbert, John Rave, Kameron Misner, and Drew Waters all have struggled to impress in their limited time in the big leagues. While there is still time for any of them to grow into contributors in MLB, the Royals will hope that their services won’t be necessary in 2026.

The Bottom Line

The Royals were the worst team in MLB when it came to production from the corner outfield positions in 2025, and they made an effort to improve their outlook for 2026. The Royals are also assuming a lot of risk in relying on Caglianone to take the next step in his development, and that Thomas and Collins perform despite their injury concerns.

If everything goes right, the Royals will be applauded for their shrewd business in the offseason to target sensible improvements to raise their floor. If injuries or regression hit, however, the Royals might be looking at a repeat of the woes from 2025.

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