What the Royals ... and new manager Matt Quatraro ... hope to take from spring training

Spring training delivers a unique experience in the professional sports landscape, with veterans, rookies and minor leaguers preparing together for the upcoming season.

This is particularly true for the Kansas City Royals, who play their first spring training game at 2:05 p.m. Central on Friday against the Texas Rangers with a new manager and combination of seasoned veterans and new faces. This will be the first time players see live in-game reps in preparation for an Opening Day that is just over a month away.

Spring means different things to different people.

Manager Matt Quatraro is excited to see what the team can do with just a week in Arizona. However, he, too, will take this first game to better understand his new role in Kansas City.

“It’s just to figure out what my routine is going to be,” Quatraro said. “How I’m going to see the game differently, what I’m going to pay attention to and just try to get comfortable with it.”

For veterans, spring training is about taking care of business and getting back into a routine.

Relief pitcher Amir Garrett, who does not know when he’ll make his first appearance, is focused on his craft and taking advantage of the spring training environment that helps prepare players for the long season ahead.

“I’m pretty excited just to get out here and get the season started,” Garrett said. “I’m just trying to make sure that I’m ready and not trying to overdo anything.”

For closer Scott Barlow, the spring has always helped him prepare for the season-long grind. Barlow, who had his best season with the Royals in 2022, will return to a closing role this year.

Similar to Garrett, at this point in Barlow’s career, the spring is about honing skills and getting loose. Specifically, Barlow will continue to fine-tune his two-seam fastball.

“I was kind of playing around with that pitch a little bit,” Barlow said. “I’m trying to apply it more this season and work on movement, (finding) the best grip and controlling it on each side of the plate.”

For the younger players, it’s a little different.

For outfielder Tyler Gentry, 24, spring training is his shot. Gentry, who was the Royals’ Double-A Player of the Year last season, received a non-roster invite to spring training for the first time in his career.

Last season in 73 games with Northwest Arkansas, Gentry led the team in batting average at .321 with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs.

Gentry sees this as his first opportunity to make an impression on the organization at the next level, something he is excited to tackle over the next few weeks. He’s focused on taking as much from this experience as he can.

“It’s cool being in the locker room with a bunch of guys who’ve been in the big leagues and know what it takes and just learning from them,” Gentry said. “It’s always exciting when you get to play the first game of the season after having a whole offseason without it. Doing it on a big-league field during spring training is going to be even cooler.”

Friday starts another season for the Royals, one that might be brighter than last year. With what they see as a talented mix of up-and-coming players and veterans, the Royals are hoping to surprise opponents during the regular season.

Energy and excitement defines the clubhouse as Opening Day approaches.

“I have a good feeling about this year,” Garrett said. “Last year wasn’t what we wanted, but we have a great core of young guys that are coming up. You can really do something with a team like this — not just for temporary success, but for long-term as well.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 6:16 PM with the headline "What the Royals ... and new manager Matt Quatraro ... hope to take from spring training."