Royals Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Bobby Witt Jr., Cole Ragans, Vinnie Pasquantino, Seth Lugo, Salvador Perez and More
Discussing the top fantasy players from the Kansas City Royals as the 2024 season approaches.
The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles about the top players at every position, and while those kinds of stories will continue until the regular season starts up, we wanted to make sure we covered as many fantasy players as possible, so it’s time to look at options on a team–by-team basis.
We’ve covered the Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox so far, and now it’s time to discuss the Kansas City Royals.
Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!
Top Fantasy Hitters
Eight Kansas City players appear on the FantasySP Average Draft Position list, led by shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. He’s ranked 16th overall with an average ADP of 17.41.
Witt was great a season ago, hitting for a .276 average and getting on base at a .319 clip. He posted 177 total hits, 69 of which were extra-base hits (30 homers). Witt drove in 96 runs, stole 49 bases and scored 97 runs.
That’s great production from a fantasy perspective, especially seeing some of the hitters around him. He improved his average by 22 points from his first MLB season and also saw increases in RBIs, homers, triples, stolen bases, total hits and runs scored - most of the numbers were considerably better, not just a result of playing eight more games.
I’m a little surprised to see his ADP so low. I personally like him around pick five in redraft leagues, while going fourth in dynasty drafts. If you can land a talent like Witt in the second round, that’s incredible value, especially if he improves again, which is what I expect him to do in 2024.
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is the next KC hitter off draft boards, ranking 123rd with an ADP mark of 127.14
He’s played a total of 133 games over the past two seasons. It’s hard to get a gauge on what kind of numbers he could produce over a full season, but in his time in the MLB, he has a .272 average, .355 on-base percentage, 133 hits, 46 extra-base hits (19 homers), 52 RBIs and 49 runs scored. Adding several more numbers in each category to get closer to 162 games played shows Pasquantino could be a pretty solid all-around fantasy asset.
He’s rightfully going around the 12th round in drafts. The big concern will be his durability, but at this point in a fantasy draft, you can usually afford to take a gamble on a guy like Pasquantino. He’s either a first baseman or designated hitter, so he doesn’t give much position versatility. I like drafting Pasquantino if you landed one of the top 1B - if the Royals’ 1B excels, you could plug him into an extra infield or utility spot on a regular basis.
Salvador Perez is next up, ranked 178th with a mark of 152.92.
In 2023, Perez played 140 games, finishing with a .255 average, .292 on-base percentage, 137 total hits, 80 RBIs and 59 runs scored. He had 44 extra-base hits along the way, including 23 home runs.
He played 91 games at catcher and 23 at first base, and should also have DH eligibility in your league. That makes him a bit better fantasy asset, and one that could be a great value pick near his current ADP. Getting him for a backup to your top catcher or first baseman would be preferred, but he does enough to try him out as your starter at one of those positions if you instead want to stock up at other positions.
MJ Melendez is the next Royals’ hitter on the ADP list, with Hunter Renfroe just a bit behind him. Melendez ranks 319th with a mark of 251, while Renfroe sits 324th with a mark of 257.
Melendez played all over for KC in 2023, spending time in right and left field, then as the designated hitter, catcher and first basemen. Check your league’s player universe to see what positions he’s eligible at.
Melendez played in 148 games total last season, finishing with a .235 average and .316 on-base percentage. His average was up 18 points from his first season in the bigs, so while it’s still low, he showed he could maybe still improve in that department.
Melendez finished with 125 total hits, 50 of which were extra-base hits (16 homers). He drove in 56 runs, stole six bases and scored 65 runs. He’s projected to hit leadoff for the upcoming season, so his RBI totals could take a hit as a result, but he might score some more runs and be able to run some more.
Renfroe joins KC after playing for the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds a season ago. He combined for a .233 average, .297 on-base percentage, 116 total hits, 60 RBIs and 60 runs scored. Renfroe homered 20 times among his 51 extra-base hits.
Renfroe is expected to hit fifth, after Melendez, Witt, Perez and Pasquantino. That should afford him some great run-producing opportunities and might be one of the better spots in the lineup. If he can bounce back from a down 2023, he could be a draft steal.
Melendez and Renfroe would be best utilized as backup options, and if they excel, then you can plug them into your lineup in a utility spot at the very least.
Maikel Garcia, Kyle Isbel and Nelson Velazquez are also projected everyday starters for KC, while Michael Massey could fall into a platoon. Garrett Hampson, Dairon Blanco and Adam Frazier could all make a good amount of starts, especially if the season goes as most expect it to. Freddy Fermin is another catching option aside from Melendez.
Garcia is a player I like a bunch. Across 123 games last season, he had 126 hits and a .272 average. He only homered four times, but drove in 50 runs and stole 23 bases. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a late riser in fantasy drafts, but for now, he needs to be taken in deeper leagues and probably deep dynasties too.
Massey was the only other player to play over 100 games a season ago. He posted a .229 average, .274 on-base percentage, 98 total hits, 15 homers and 55 RBIs. Massey is just 25 years old, so he’s a name to track in case he breaks out this season.
Velasquez could add some thump to the lineup after clubbing 17 homers across just 53 games last season - he did that between stints with the Chicago Cubs and Royals.
Fermin and Frazier are two more players to keep an eye on. Fermin hit .281 a season ago across 70 games, with 20 extra-base hits among his 61 hits.
The veteran Frazier had a .240 average and .300 on-base percentage with the Baltimore Orioles last season. Across 141 games, he had 36 extra-base hits across his 99 total hits, drove in 60 runs, stole 11 bases and scored 59 times. In a lineup lacking much MLB success, veterans like Frazier could get hot and get traded to a contender, so definitely keep an eye on this lineup.
Top Fantasy Pitchers
Three KC pitchers appear on the ADP list, led by Cole Ragans. He’s ranked 96th and has a mark of 102.03. Seth Lugo ranks 303rd with a mark of 223.5, while Brady Singer sits 344th with a mark of 305.
Singer was the only one to spend all of last season in KC. He made 29 starts, going 8-11 with a 5.52 earned run average. He struck out 133 batters over 159 2/3 innings. Singer’s ERA was rough, but if he can get closer to his career mark of 4.49, he’d probably be able to eat more innings and be a decent fantasy option, even if it’s just as a streaming option.
Ragans split time between KC and the Texas Rangers. In total, he made 29 appearances (12 starts), going 7-5 with a 3.47 ERA. He struck out 113 over 96 innings. He’s expected to be the team’s top starter for 2024, with Singer serving as the No. 4 option.
Lugo was with the San Diego Padres in 2023, making 26 starts and going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA. He struck out 140 batters over 146 1/3 innings. He’s expected to be the No. 3 starting option with the Royals.
Michael Wacha and Jordan Lyles are expected to fill out the five-man rotation.
Wacha was also with San Diego last season, going 14-4 with a 3.22 ERA over 24 starts. He struck out 124 batters over 134 1/3 innings. Don’t expect as good a win-loss record, but if he can post a similar ERA and make a full season of starts, he’s not a half bad fantasy option.
Lyles was roughed up in 2023, going 6-17 with a 6.28 ERA over 177 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 120 batters across his 31 starts. The starts and innings are solid marks, but everything else needs improvement to make him a streaming option.
KC is expected to use a committee to close games, so instead of talking about several options, we’ll probably cover the situation closer to the season. Be sure to check back for that!
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