Maikel

Garcia

Garcia spent a lot of time hitting cleanup down the stretch last season, but he’s led off in all three of his appearances this spring, suggesting that the Royals are leaning towards employing him there in the regular season. That would give Salvador Perez’s stock a little boost, since he’d move up from fifth to fourth. Jonathan India, who opened up in the leadoff spot last year, would hit in the bottom half of the order if Garcia leads off, making him a weaker bet as a late-round, bounce-back option.

The long-term agreement, which keeps Garcia in Kansas City through at least 2030, is now official. The 25-year-old third baseman took a meaningful step forward in the power department, emerging as one of the most impactful fantasy contributors at the hot corner last season, slashing .286/.351/.449 with a career-high 16 homers and 23 stolen bases across 666 plate appearances over 160 games. He’s quietly solidified himself as a foundational piece for the Royals alongside franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., and projects as a borderline top-five fantasy option at third base next season even if some regression in over-the-fence pop shows up.

Passan notes that the extension will also have a club option for a sixth season. Garcia was excellent this past season, slashing .286/.351/449 slash along with 16 homers and 23 stolen bases over his 160 games. He also was a deserved Gold Glove Award winner at third base, and he and Bobby Witt Jr. will make up one of the better left sides of an infield for the foreseeable future. The long-term agreement keeps him in Kansas City through his entire prime and into his early 30’s as one of their key building blocks.

It doesn’t sound like a serious concern with roughly two-plus months left until the outset of spring training. The 25-year-old third baseman finished as a top-10 fantasy contributor at the hot corner this past season when he batted .286/.351/.449 with 81 runs scored, 16 homers, 74 RBI and 23 steals in 666 plate appearances over 160 games. There should be an official update on his status from the Royals at some point in the near future.

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.