{"id":555443,"date":"2026-02-05T03:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555443\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T03:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:48:21","slug":"do-kansas-city-royals-have-best-infield-in-mlb-here-are-our-biggest-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/555443\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Kansas City Royals have best infield in MLB? Here are our biggest questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kansas City Royals were in the spotlight this offseason. A lot of league-wide recognition<\/a> was bestowed upon their star infield that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino.<\/p>\n

Each of those three was named a Silver Slugger finalist<\/a>, as was the case for catcher Salvador Perez. And Witt and Garcia both earned Gold Gloves for their stellar defense in 2025.<\/p>\n

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The Royals see value in their infield and have rewarded the unit financially.<\/p>\n

Garcia signed a five-year contract extension<\/a>. He posted a career-high 16 home runs and 74 RBIs in 160 games.<\/p>\n

Pasquantino also fared well with 32 homers and 113 RBIs as the top run-producer in the lineup. Last month, he received a two-year contract<\/a> to avoid arbitration. He will make $11 million and can reach around $15.7 million with incentives.<\/p>\n

Perez also earned a two-year contract extension<\/a> last November. He enters his 15th season with the organization as the lone remaining member of the 2015 World Series team.<\/p>\n

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The Royals are set with their infield. Opening day will feature Witt at shortstop \u2014 he was voted the best in the majors by MLB.com<\/a> \u2014 Garcia at third base, Pasquantino at first. Perez also will return behind the plate.<\/p>\n

\"Kansas<\/p>\n

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez speaks to the media during Royals Rally at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Dominick Williams\/dowilliams@kcstar.com<\/p>\n

However, second base is the position to watch. The Royals expect Jonathan India to draw the bulk of the playing time at the keystone spot. He is a tenured veteran but was inconsistent during his first season with the Royals.<\/p>\n

India admitted he didn\u2019t feel comfortable<\/a> in his new environment. He needed time to adjust to the Royals, Kauffman Stadium and his new situation. India also battled through nagging injuries that sapped his effectiveness.<\/p>\n

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The Royals pondered whether to non-tender India this offseason. They ultimately decided to keep him<\/a> and bank on a resurgent 2026 campaign. Now, India will operate alongside teammate Michael Massey at second base.<\/p>\n

The duo will share the positional duties. Massey also has experience playing the outfield, which should keep him in a regular role.<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t many questions surrounding the Royals\u2019 infield. Many pundits believe the overall unit is among the best in the league.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a look at the infield depth heading into spring training:<\/p>\n

Can Jonathan India return to form?<\/p>\n

India was the biggest acquisition of the 2025 offseason. He arrived in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds<\/a> in exchange for starter Brady Singer.<\/p>\n

At the time, India was acquired to be a leadoff hitter and constant threat on the basepaths ahead of Witt in the lineup. There were encouraging flashes \u2014 such as his Royals debut at Kauffman Stadium \u2014 but things ultimately got sidetracked.<\/p>\n

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India was hit in the face<\/a> by Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase early in the year. He also dealt with lower body injuries that he fought through periodically. The Royals kept him in the leadoff spot until it was clear that India wasn\u2019t producing at a high level.<\/p>\n

India saw his playing time decrease as well. He bounced around between third base and left field \u2014 in addition to second. He had never played those positions.<\/p>\n

\"Kansas<\/p>\n

Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India gives his signature to Thomas Smith during Royals Rally at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Dominick Williams\/dowilliams@kcstar.com<\/p>\n

As a result, India hit .233 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs in 136 games. Those were career lows across the board for the former National League Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n

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India vowed to play better<\/a> in 2026. He enters with a normal offseason and smoother path with the Royals. KC is giving him a second chance to make an impression. And now, India has to showcase his skills to endear himself to the fan base.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be the first to admit, you know, a part of what he wants to do this year \u2014 the inability of what he did last year \u2014 was to be himself,\u201d Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. \u201cJonathan is an emotional player. We didn\u2019t see a whole lot of emotion out of him last year. And we had a lot of discussions with him. You know, (we told him), \u2018We want you to be you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Will Vinnie Pasquantino build off 2025 campaign?<\/p>\n

The Royals showed good faith by getting a deal done with Pasquantino before the club heads to spring training in Surprise, Arizona.<\/p>\n

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And for good reason.<\/p>\n

Pasquantino admitted it would\u2019ve been a weird situation if he headed to arbitration looking for what he deemed a fair contract. Both sides avoided that scenario and now Pasquantino enters 2026 looking to capitalize on renewed momentum.<\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t much mystery to his role. Pasquantino is expected to play solid first base and be a top slugger in the lineup. Last season, Pasquantino delivered in his first truly healthy campaign and understands he must do so again.<\/p>\n

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\"Vinnie<\/p>\n

Vinnie Pasquantino #9 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates with his teammates after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 11, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

At Royals Rally, Pasquantino said he is in the best shape of his life<\/a>. He revealed he passed his physical and was all smiles discussing the upcoming season. After dealing with multiple injuries in recent years, it seems Pasquantino is ready to strike.<\/p>\n

There is a chance he topples his career-defining 2025 season. The Royals moved in their outfield fences, and that could lead to more offensive production. Additionally, the Royals also built a deeper lineup with the acquisitions of outfielders Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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There might be more runners on base when Pasquantino steps to the plate. It will be just up his alley as he led the team with 113 RBIs. For the Royals to return to the playoffs, Pasquantino knows he must be healthy and productive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis team is built to win,\u201d Pasquantino said. \u201cWe need to do that. That\u2019s the expectation and that\u2019s the standard. It\u2019s going to start here in a few days. And just knowing if that is this team, we are built for the playoffs. We\u2019ve got to go do it. There is no other option, really, because we\u2019ve got to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

How soon will Carter Jensen get up to speed?<\/p>\n

One of the biggest storylines this spring will be rookie catcher Carter Jensen\u2019s development at the major-league level.<\/p>\n

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Royals fans caught a glimpse of the Kansas City native<\/a> in September. He posted a .300 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 20 games.<\/p>\n

Now, Jensen will get a full 162-game slate. There are sure to be growing pains as he navigates his first full campaign in Kansas City. Opposing pitchers will adjust to him, and he has to prove he can handle a prominent role.<\/p>\n

The Royals will put him in the best position to succeed. Jensen will get to learn from Perez and won\u2019t have to shoulder the entire catching load. Expect a similar split \u2014 ideally what Freddy Fermin had with the club<\/a> \u2014 with the ability to add more offensive reps at the designated hitter spot.<\/p>\n

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Jensen is 22 years old. The future is bright as 2026 begins a new chapter in a long partnership with the Royals.<\/p>\n

Bold Prediction: Vinnie Pasquantino leads American League in RBIs<\/p>\n

Pasquantino came close to leading the American League in RBIs last season. He posted 113 RBIs and trailed Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh \u2014 who had 125 \u2014 for the most in the league.<\/p>\n

There is a chance Pasquantino can surpass Raleigh in 2026. As mentioned earlier, the Royals have given their offense more chances with new outfield dimensions. Expect Pasquantino to thrive.<\/p>\n

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He hit a ton of sacrifice flies over the last two years. It\u2019s possible some of those deep flyouts become homers at Kauffman Stadium. The new outfield dimensions will also lend well to more extra-base hits.<\/p>\n

Pasquantino had 33 doubles and a .798 OPS last season. Those numbers could be elevated and lead to a breakout campaign.<\/p>\n

Projected infielders\/catcher<\/p>\n

1B Vinnie Pasquantino<\/p>\n

2B Jonathan India<\/p>\n

SS Bobby Witt Jr.<\/p>\n

3B Maikel Garcia<\/p>\n

C Salvador Perez<\/p>\n

Key Reserves: Tyler Tolbert (UTIL), Nick Loftin (UTIL), Michael Massey (IF\/OF), Carter Jensen (C)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Kansas City Royals were in the spotlight this offseason. A lot of league-wide recognition was bestowed upon…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2387],"tags":[5,1351,757,3297,21682,50,135,51,406,2127,4362,2161,936,2123,55,2596,2595,3183,3540,2162,2128,4,15108,2160,252,62822,373,65,57061,2122,1907,2126],"class_list":{"0":"post-555443","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kansas-city-royals","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-bobby-witt-jr","10":"tag-brady-singer","11":"tag-cal-raleigh","12":"tag-carter-jensen","13":"tag-cincinnati-reds","14":"tag-cleveland","15":"tag-cleveland-guardians","16":"tag-emmanuel-clase","17":"tag-freddy-fermin","18":"tag-isaac-collins","19":"tag-jonathan-india","20":"tag-kansas","21":"tag-kansas-city","22":"tag-kansas-city-royals","23":"tag-kansascity","24":"tag-kansascityroyals","25":"tag-kauffman-stadium","26":"tag-lane-thomas","27":"tag-maikel-garcia","28":"tag-michael-massey","29":"tag-mlb","30":"tag-nick-loftin","31":"tag-pasquantino","32":"tag-royals","33":"tag-royals-rally","34":"tag-salvador-perez","35":"tag-seattle-mariners","36":"tag-the-kansas-city-royals","37":"tag-the-royals","38":"tag-tyler-tolbert","39":"tag-vinnie-pasquantino"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}