The Kansas City Royals centered their focus on outfield help this offseason.
The front office — led by general manager J.J. Picollo — invested resources to better support their young core that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino among others.
Picollo acquired Isaac Collins from the Milwaukee Brewers. Picollo later signed MLB veteran Lane Thomas to a one-year deal. The duo is expected to upgrade an outfield unit that ranked in the bottom-third of the league.
Last season, Royals outfielders posted a .285 on-base percentage — which ranked 30th among all teams. The Royals shuffled through outfielders at a rapid rate. Hunter Renfroe was designated for assignment, and MJ Melendez was demoted to the minors.
The Royals were insistent on getting some outfield help. It led to the acquisition of Mike Yastrzemski at the trade deadline and Jac Caglianone being called up from the minors. Yastrzemski provided a boost, but he elected to sign with the Atlanta Braves in free-agency.
Caglianone got off to a rough start. He posted a .157 batting average with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 62 games. There were alarming strikeout rates, and it led to the Royals sending him back to Triple-A Omaha — on a rehab assignment — to work on his swing.
Now, Caglianone will get his first full regular season. He will get the majority of the work in right field, while Kyle Isbel returns in center field. Collins will play left field after finishing fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season
Isaac Collins of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a two-RBI single during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 21, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Sage Zipeto Getty Images
The club believes it has raised the floor of the roster, but a lot of questions remain unanswered.
The looming outfield production is still a hot button topic.
Caglianone must hit to support the core of the offense. Collins must prove he can replicate his rookie season. And, Isbel has to take the next step offensively.
Here’s a look at the Royals’ outfield unit:
Will Jac Caglianone live up to the hype?
Caglianone arrived to Kansas City with a ton of fanfare. He was a top prospect and made his MLB debut in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
There were a lot of encouraging signs. Caglianone blazed through the minor leagues with viral home runs and unmatched potential. The Royals wanted to give him more time to develop, but their offensive needs pushed him to the majors.
It wasn’t a smooth transition. Caglianone took his lumps — most noticeably charted by his chase rate outside the strike zone — in short order. He learned to be more selective after an injury stint and time back in the minors. When he returned, Caglianone showed improvement during the final stretch in September.
Now, Caglianone must get off to a strong start in 2026. He has the offensive potential to transform the Royals batting order. And he should have his timing after he finishes his tenure with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
If Caglianone can demonstrate more consistency at the plate — while drawing his walks along the way — the Royals will have a huge part of the solution to their previous outfield struggles.
“You know, everybody can’t wait to see what he goes through in the spring,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Caglianone. “He had a great spring last year. I think he went through a whirlwind of everything — first full season, getting to the big leagues and the expectations and all of that stuff. And clearly, it didn’t go the way he or we would’ve wanted in the big leagues. We did see some growth when he came back from his rehab assignment. And, I think he’s done a ton of introspective looking at how things went, and I think we are going to see upside from him.”
Can Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas be impactful?
The Royals identified both Collins and Thomas as key additions this offseason.
Collins was the central piece in a three-player trade that sent reliever Angel Zerpa to the Brewers. Collins posted a .263 batting average with nine home runs and 54 RBIs. And, the Royals were drawn to his .779 OPS (on-base plus slugging) and versatility to play across the outfield and infield.
“The ability to come in (to the infield) allows (Quatraro) to do what he needs to do at the end of the game,” Picollo said.
Thomas is an interesting rebound candidate. He dealt with injuries playing with the Cleveland Guardians last season. However, the Royals love his offensive splits against lefties throughout his career.
Lane Thomas of the Cleveland Guardians steals third base during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees during the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller Getty Images
Keep in mind, Thomas belted 28 homers with the Washington Nationals in 2023. The Royals hope that he can have a resurgent campaign this season.
“Lane Thomas is someone that we always admired,” Picollo said. “Tried to acquire him previously, (and there’s) good reason to believe he’s going to bounce back and bounce back strongly because it was an injury. It wasn’t a full season of not playing well. It was just an injury that affected his play.”
Both players don’t have to be superstars. However, the Royals hope they can fill the gaps and contribute to winning along the margins.
Do the Royals need more outfield help?
The Royals haven’t shut the door on adding more players this spring. They are content with their roster at the current moment but will continue to monitor both the free-agent and trade markets.
“You know, just because we are going into spring training doesn’t mean we don’t have the ability to make our team better up until the trade deadline,” Picollo said. “Once the trade deadline comes, that’s when you’re locked in. That’s what you got for the rest of the year. But, between now and then, you know, we might be in a sit-and-read situation. What do we need to do and how can we capitalize?”
The outfield market didn’t produce many top-tier options. It was slow moving with Kyle Tucker signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cody Bellinger re-signing with the New York Yankees.
There were a handful of smaller deals as well. However, the Royals decided to pinpoint both Collins and Thomas to better fit their team. It’s possible the gamble pays off or leaves the Royals looking for a trade option in July.
Bold Prediction: Jac Caglianone will hit 30 home runs
There was a lot of chatter comparing Caglianone and Athletics star Nick Kurtz last season. Both players were in the same draft class and arrived in 2025.
Kurtz was named the American League Rookie of the Year after posting a .290 batting average with 36 homers and 86 RBIs. He transformed the Athletics’ lineup and became a feared slugger in the league.
Watch for Caglianone to have a better sophomore campaign. He has similar power potential, and the Royals made significant changes in their hitting department.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone signs a baseball card for a young fan during Royals Rally at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Now, Caglianone will work with new hitting coaches Marcus Thames and Connor Dawson. They will be tasked with getting Caglianone to lift the baseball more to all fields.
The Royals also moved their outfield fences inward. This should help Caglianone generate more offense at Kauffman Stadium.
A 30-homer campaign is not out of the question. He will be protected by Witt, Pasquantino, Garcia and Salvador Perez in the starting lineup. With more opportunities to produce, Caglianone could push for Silver Slugger Award nominations in a short order.
Outfield projections
LF: Isaac Collins
CF: Kyle Isbel
RF: Jac Caglianone
Key reserves: Lane Thomas, Michael Massey, Nick Loftin, Tyler Tolbert, John Rave
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