Maikel

Garcia

Those two are joined by Steven Kwan in the outfield. Other AL winners include pitcher Max Fried, catcher Dillon Dingler, first baseman Ty France, second baseman Marcus Semien, third baseman Maikel Garcia, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and utilityman Mauricio Dubón. Semien getting the nod over Andrés Giménez seems like the biggest upset, though Giménez, who won the previous three years, did miss a bunch of time. Dingler over Alejandro Kirk also rates as a modest surprise.

Garcia ends the year with a neat .800 OPS, which is 186 points better than in 2024. Especially impressive is the evolution of his K:BB ratio. He’s gone from striking out 22.3 percent of the time as a rookie in 2023 to 16.5 percent last year and 12.6 percent this season. His walk rate declined from 7.4 percent as a rookie to 6.7 percent last year before climbing to 9.3 percent this year.

In spite of the win, the Royals were eliminated from postseason contention with their 78-78 record. Garcia has been one of the team’s bright spots this year; he’s 16th in the majors with his .288 average and tied for seventh with 38 doubles. It’s just a bummer that he’s slowed down on the basepaths of late; after going 22-for-31 stealing bases in his first 116 games, he’s just 1-for-1 in his last 39 games.

Garcia’s 110-mph double off the left field wall against Hunter Gaddis would have been a homer in seven ballparks. It was Garcia’s 36th double of the year, leaving him tied for seventh in the majors.

No surprise here after Witt underwent an MRI earlier this weekend that didn’t reveal any structural damage. The 25-year-old fantasy superstar, who is dealing with lower back spasms, will continue undergoing treatment and will be re-evaluated ahead of Monday’s matchup against the division-rival Guardians. It’ll be Maikel Garcia continuing to fill in at shortstop in his absence.

Garcia’s breakout season continued Friday with a two-run home run in a game the Royals would eventually win 2-1. The 25-year-old infielder had 37 steals and 84 runs last year, but he’s turned himself into a complete hitter with a .294 average and 16 home runs this year.

Garcia tagged Tigers’ right-hander Chris Paddack for a 387-foot (98.8 mph EV) two-run blast that gave the Royals a 3-0 lead in the opening inning. That would be his only hit on the night though and would wind up being the extent of the Royals’ offense. The dynamic 25-year-old is having a breakout season offensively, hitting .297/.361/.467 with 14 homers, 63 RBI and 22 stolen bases (in 31 attempts).

The 25-year-old infielder finally broke through and got the Royals on the board with a two-out, two-run single off of Grant Taylor in the eighth inning that pulled the Royals to within two runs at 4-2, setting the stage for their ninth-inning comeback. Garcia is having a terrific season, slashing .297/.360/.463 with 13 homers, 60 RBI and 22 stolen bases (31 attempts). Don’t be surprised when he’s going in the top 150 players overall in fantasy drafts for the 2026 season.

Garcia singled in the third inning and scored on an RBI double off the bat of Salvador Perez. He then added a valuable insurance run with a 389-foot (104.1 mph EV) solo shot on the first pitch that Brenan Hanifee threw in the seventh inning, increasing the Royals’ lead to 10-7. With his two-hit attack, the 25-year-old infielder is slashing an impressive .300/.363/.469 with 13 homers, 58 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 537 plate appearances on the season.

The Royals got all of their runs on homers from Mike Yastrzemski, Vinnie Pasquantino and Garcia. It’s Garcia’s fourth straight game with an RBI. His 12 homers in 510 plate appearances this season are one more than he totaled in 1,164 career plate appearances coming into 2025.