Royals held first full-squad workout Monday. They say there’s a new mentality in camp
Vinnie Pasquantino compared it to the first day of school.
On Monday, Pasquantino was among the Kansas City Royals in the clubhouse. He spoke with new teammate Jonathan India, whose locker is a few steps away, and met with a few young prospects experiencing their first big-league camp.
“It’s like the first day of real school, but like fun,” Pasquantino said. “I want to be here.”
Elsewhere, outfielder Kyle Isbel admitted he couldn’t sleep. He was awake at 5 a.m. because the anticipation was too great to ignore.
“I felt like it was opening day,” Isbel said. “Just good to wear baseball pants again and super excited to get around all the guys and get after it.”
The Royals held their first full-squad workout Monday. While many players — including Pasquantino and Isbel — reported early to camp, the Royals set Monday as the official start date for position players.
There are several new faces in camp this spring. The Royals welcomed India and All-Star reliever Carlos Estévez to the organization. Both are expected to have a key role during the upcoming season.
Estévez has already impressed the coaching staff. He arrived last week alongside Royals pitchers and catchers. In bullpen sessions, Estévez showcased his command and high-velocity fastball.
“He looks good,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He is such a physical guy. He is imposing physically and the way he threw the ball, with as many strikes that he threw and executing pitches that quickly, I know he was excited.”
The Royals return the majority of their 2024 squad. Last October, KC fell in the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees.
It was a tough end for several players. Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. admitted the postseason loss was a valuable learning experience.
“Now that we’ve got a taste of that, we know what we need to do to get there and how hard we need to work,” Witt said. “We are here today, and we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. We’ve got to be able to control today and get better every day.”
That has been the Royals’ mentality in camp. The Royals are focused on becoming a perennial AL contender, which starts with winning their division.
“The goal is to make the playoffs,” Pasquantino said. “However that happens, we want all those teams looking at us and not us looking up at them. It’s nothing personal against those teams, but it’s just how everybody feels.”
The AL Central is likely to be a formidable division in 2025. Last season, the Royals were joined by the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians in the playoffs. The Minnesota Twins were just outside the mix, while the Chicago White Sox are rebuilding.
Any of those teams have a chance to win the divisional crown.
“I think the Tigers came on strong last year,” Pasquantino said. “Cleveland is always there and Minnesota is there. Chicago has a lot of young guys. It’s a really good division and we are excited for the opportunity to go and try to fight for the title. That is something we really want.”
The Royals have built their foundation on starting pitching. There are four former All-Stars in the rotation, including 2024 AL CY Young finalists Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans. However, the Royals know their offense is critical to their success.
India provides an offensive upgrade in the leadoff spot. He is expected to help the lineup generate more runs consistently.
“It creates a little more staying power, so to speak,” Pasquantino said. “You know what it’s going to look like and you get used to who you are hitting around and everything. I think for the team it’s a great addition because it just kind of sets the table for us every day.”
The Royals will open Cactus League play against the Texas Rangers on Friday at Surprise Stadium. It will be the first opportunity this spring to see the team on the field together.
“We all have been there now,” Pasquantino said. “Now we know what it tastes like, and now we want more of the taste.”
