KANSAS CITY -- It¡¯s Opening Day, and the Royals officially announced the 26 players they will begin the 2025 season with on Thursday afternoon.
While there aren¡¯t any major surprises after the roster moves earlier this week indicated the Royals¡¯ Opening Day roster, the biggest news is that Vinnie Pasquantino is on the roster five days after he suffered a right hamstring strain on Saturday, the final day the Royals played in Arizona.
An intense week of rehab and recovery has the Royals¡¯ slugger ready to go. He got through another full workout with no setbacks on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, allowing the Royals to slot him in as their designated hitter and No. 3 in the lineup on Thursday. Pasquantino said he could have played first base, but the smart move was to DH with the off-day on Friday. By Saturday, he could be back on the field.
¡°Anybody that asked me what my goals are for the season, it¡¯s to be available for every game,¡± said Pasquantino, who has missed time each of the past two seasons. ¡°We were running a little close there. But we¡¯re available today, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±
¡°Every game is just as important as the next, but obviously the opener¡¯s got a little more excitement to it,¡± general manager J.J. Picollo said Thursday morning. ¡°You¡¯d like to go home with a win tonight. Having him in the lineup gives us a better chance. The more left-hand hitters we can get in the lineup, the better. We feel good about it.¡±
That lefty-hitting group also includes utility man Cavan Biggio, who is hitting eighth and playing first base. After signing a Minor League deal with the Royals and fighting for a bench spot all spring, Biggio¡¯s contact was selected to the 40-man roster on Thursday morning. There are now 39 players on the 40-man roster.
Catcher (2): Salvador Perez, Freddy Fermin
Perez will be the Royals¡¯ Opening Day backstop as he enters his 14th big league season. Fermin, an American League Gold Glove finalist last season, returns as Perez¡¯s ¡°backup,¡± or perhaps more accurately, his co-catcher. Perez will likely still hold the edge in innings logged behind the plate, but the two will continue to share the workload.
First baseman: (1): Vinnie Pasquantino
Pasquantino never doubted in his mind that he¡¯d be ready for Opening Day. But after checking all the boxes during a workout on Wednesday, the Royals felt confident enough in Pasquantino. Now they can start the season off on the right foot with their No. 3 hitter in the lineup.
Second baseman (2): Jonathan India, Michael Massey
India will be the Royals¡¯ leadoff hitter after leaving a great first impression this spring (1.067 OPS in 19 games). Now he¡¯ll need to translate those on-base skills to the regular season. India will also see time at third base, and he and Massey both learned left field this spring. The Royals continue to state their confidence in both being able to play out there, so moving them from second to left (and India to third) will be a way to get both in the lineup every day.
Shortstop (1): Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt is fresh off the best season of his young career; what might he have in store for 2025? Maikel Garcia is considered the backup shortstop, and Biggio can play there, too.
Third baseman (1): Maikel Garcia
The Royals hope to see offensive improvements from Garcia in 2025. He¡¯ll still see time at third base, but he¡¯ll have to hit his way to stay in the lineup. He¡¯s also shown that he can play center field as a platoon option for Kyle Isbel and be someone who can bounce around from the infield to the outfield. That will also open up third base for India.
Outfielders (3): MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel, Hunter Renfroe
Can Melendez implement the swing revamp he made into the regular season and take a big step forward in his career? Can Renfroe rebound from a disappointing season? The Royals need them to be power threats in the middle of the lineup.
Isbel is considered the everyday center fielder, and the Royals value his defense. But as mentioned above, he could get more days off, especially against left-handed pitching.
Bench/Utility (3): OF Dairon Blanco, UTIL Cavan Biggio, 1B/OF Mark Canha
The Royals swung a late spring trade to bring Canha into camp, adding a veteran bat to their bench who can play first base and corner outfield. Canha¡¯s power has waned in the past few years, but he gets on base, and that¡¯s what the Royals will be looking for in the late innings of close games. He¡¯ll get a lot of pinch-hit opportunities against lefties, while Biggio -- also known for his ability to get on base -- can hit against righties. Biggio will get playing time all over the field.
Blanco is the Royals¡¯ main pinch-runner late in games and will be relied on again this year in that capacity. He can play all three outfield spots, including center field.
Starting pitchers (5): Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Michael Lorenzen
Ragans will get things started on Thursday, followed by the above order. With Bubic being the only other left-hander in the rotation, the Royals wanted to split him and Ragans up in the order, thus having Lorenzen go fifth in the turn. Bubic earned the rotation spot in camp following a stellar second half of 2024 in the Royals¡¯ bullpen. This will be his first full season since his ¡®23 Tommy John surgery.
Relief pitchers (8): Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez, Hunter Harvey, Chris Stratton, John Schreiber, Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Daniel Lynch IV
Est¨¦vez, Erceg and Harvey will make up the back end of the bullpen, with Zerpa, Long and Schreiber also getting leverage innings, especially as a bridge to those back-end arms.
Lynch competed for a rotation spot in camp but forced his way into the Opening Day conversation even though the Royals put Bubic in the rotation. Lynch¡¯s strike-throwing intent was key to earning the job, and he¡¯ll be a multi-inning option for the Royals. Stratton, too, will be able to throw multiple innings. He¡¯s on a guaranteed contract, earning $4.5 million this year, but must bounce back from the season he had last year to keep his spot.