Royals Roster Projection 3, Part 1: The Bats

This is the third of four roster projections, so you know it's getting close.

There isn’t a lot of difference from the last projection, but I’m adding some guys who are part of the battle and there is a bit of a change due to a signing since the last edition. We also have some more information now with camp demotions happening, so that helps to clear up the picture a little bit.

I’ve done stat projections on the last two, but today I’ll include their spring stats to shake things up a little bit.

Catchers

Salvador Perez
.455/.520/.909, 3 HR, 8% BB

Cam Gallagher
.357/.538/.357, 0 HR, 12.5% BB

I was wrong about Meibrys Viloria being out of options. Turns out he has one left because he was given a fourth and the Royals used it. While Sebastian Rivero has emerged as a potential heir to one of the above two’s thrones, he’s not quite there yet, so these are your catchers to start the season in KC unless some team loses a catcher and they come calling for Gallagher to save the day. I’m not so sure how much saving would be done, but Gallagher is competent and is a fine backup to Salvador Perez who has walked twice this spring. That’s newsworthy.

First Base

Carlos Santana
.192/.276/.308, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 K

It’s been a slow start to the spring for Santana, but his swing still looks good and he’s doing his usual walking without striking out thing. He just hasn’t had the timing down it seems from the times we’ve had a chance to see him. After a down year, you’d like to see some positives, but also it’s spring and he’s a veteran with a track record, so not much to worry about here.

In the Mix

Ryan O’Hearn
.190/.346/.619, 3 HR, 5 BB, 8 K

Ryan McBroom
.261/.261/.522, 1 HR, 0 BB, 7 K

I don’t think the Royals keep a backup first baseman, but these two are the ones to talk about. If the Royals carry 13 pitchers, I think O’Hearn makes the team, but you’ll see tomorrow that I have them with 14 pitchers. Actually, I guess you see today since there are only 12 bats. Nick Pratto should be the talk of spring if not for some other prospect people can’t stop talking about, but he’s not just yet. He’s having an absolutely bonkers spring, but isn’t part of the conversation for this year. Maybe next, though.

Second Base

Nicky Lopez
.095/.240/.095, 4 BB, 9 K

Hanser Alberto
.385/.500/.462, 3 BB, 0 K

This hasn’t changed from the last projection. Yet. I am like a week away from making a lot of people happy. Alberto has shown everything the Royals wanted from him when they signed him, so that’s not a concern, but Lopez has continued to struggle mightily with the bat. I sort of wonder if these two end up flipping to start the season with Lopez on the bench. If Lopez loses his job this spring to someone, oh I don’t know, in the section below who you may have heard about, it will be more about that player than Lopez, but I think the Royals are hoping that he could at least hold that player off for a little bit.

In the Mix

Bobby Witt, Jr.
.333/.379/.667, 3 HR, 2 BB, 6 K

This is going to come down to how Witt performs in the final couple weeks of spring, and I think the Royals will give him every chance to show what he can do. Hitting him leadoff against Julio Urias on Sunday night was clearly a challenge to the young man and he rose to it. I still don’t think he starts in the big leagues, but if he leaves the Royals no choice, well, he’d leave them no choice.

Third Base

Hunter Dozier
.158/.273/.421, 1 HR, 13.6% BB

He’s the newly extended man and while he hasn’t been good yet this spring, he also hasn’t played a ton and has shown off some of that plate discipline that he was showing off last season. He’s the guy here. There’s not even anyone else in the mix.

Shortstop

Adalberto Mondesi
.333/.385/.500, 7.7% BB, 15.4% K

While many fans would like to see Witt here and Mondesi moved around, I don’t see much of any way that happens at this point. I suppose Mondesi could move to second if Witt would make the team, but I think shortstop is his for the time being. He’s looked good this spring, though his debut was delayed due to a foot issue after being hit by a pitch. He played a full season in 2020 (obviously shortened), so it’s easy to forget that health has been a question here, but if he’s healthy, the Royals are going to give him the chance to show his September was the real deal.

Outfield

Andrew Benintendi
.167/.286/.333, 3 BB, 6 K

Michael A. Taylor
.412/.444/.882, 2 HR, 1 BB, 4 K

Whit Merrifield
.529/.579/.765, 1 BB, 1 K

Jarrod Dyson
.125/.222/.125, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

This is another change as the Royals signed Dyson to be their fourth outfielder and the left-handed complement to Taylor, who has looked really good in spring so far. Of course he’s looked good in spring before for the Nationals, so we’ll see how that goes. Merrifield has been on fire this spring so fire and looks like he might be ready to bounce back from a sort of meh 2020 for him. The Royals have already sent down Edward Olivares and Nick Heath, so there’s not really much in the way of options here as I think these are the four.

Designated Hitter

Jorge Soler
.222/.300/.630, 3 HR, 3 BB, 9 K

This one is easy. As long as he’s healthy and on the roster, he’s the DH. He’s been up and down this spring but had one of the most impressive home runs you’ll ever see the other day when he turned on a pitch in and a little up and just destroyed a baseball.

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This is the part where I talk about my tweet yesterday about how Mike Matheny is pushing for Bobby Witt, Jr. to be on the big league roster. I am seriously so close to putting him in there in my projection, but I think if the season started today, he’d start the year in the minors (okay, the alternate site). As of this moment, I think the timeline for Witt is to play in AA for a few weeks, then AAA and then the big leagues if he can make it.

All that said, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if we see Witt get a ton of opportunities over the next week to 10 days while they try to make that decision. If they do, I assume he’ll play second base as that’s where he’s seen a ton of action in spring games recently, lending credence to the idea that they’re really thinking about it.

For what it’s worth, the decision is about Witt and only Witt. If they believe he’s ready to contribute in a big way at the big league level, he has to be on the roster, service time be damned. It doesn’t matter what Lopez does or doesn’t do if they think Witt is ready. And it also doesn’t matter what Lopez does or doesn’t do if they think Witt isn’t ready. It has to be about Witt’s readiness, and I will say I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision because I change my mind roughly every 45 seconds.

I’ll be back tomorrow with an updated pitching prediction.