Royals call up their top speedster. He has stolen 241 bases in the minor leagues
It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for Kansas City Royals infielder Tyler Tolbert.
Tolbert, who awoke Sunday with Triple-A Omaha in Des Moines, Iowa, later in the day received the call he has always wanted: He was being promoted to the big leagues.
The Royals called up the 27-year-old speedster after outfielder Dairon Blanco was placed on the 10-day injured list with right Achilles tendinopathy.
“It’s a dream come true,” Tolbert said. “I feel like a kid on Christmas right now. I’m just trying to take it in and just trying to help this team win a ballgame in any way possible.”
Tolbert, 27, will help fill Blanco’s role as a pinch-runner. He should also get the chance to play a position. Last season, he was the KC organization’s Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year after recording 48 stolen bases across two levels in the minor leagues.
The Royals selected Tolbert in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He was a part of the same draft class as Bobby Witt Jr., Michael Massey and Vinnie Pasquantino, among others.
Tolbert has stolen 241 bases in the minors while being caught just 16 times. That’s the highest success rate (93.8%) in either the majors or minors since 2019.
“I’ve seen a whole lot and played a lot,” Tolbert said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. The journey is just as beautiful as the destination.”
Tolbert took a scenic route to join the Royals in Milwaukee. He caught a 4:50 a.m. flight from Omaha, Nebraska, and arrived in Chicago later in the morning. From there, a 90-minute Uber ride was required in order to make sure he arrived at American Family Field in time for Monday’s scheduled first pitch at 1:10 p.m.
Tolbert is wearing No. 2 with the Royals. He was expected to have family and friends in attendance for his MLB debut during the series.
As for whom he called first to relay the news, Tolbert said he got a hold of his parents via FaceTime.
“I called my mom first,” Tolbert said. “I tried to FaceTime my mom and dad together. My dad was doing laundry and he didn’t have his phone on him. So I FaceTimed my mom and she was laying on the couch watching TV and she was ecstatic. And I got my dad on the phone and he just went mute. He was like, ‘Hold on, stop messing with me.’”
The Royals have elevated Tolbert steadily through their minor-league system. He was among the final players in spring training to be assigned to the Class AAA Storm Chasers.
Now, he will get a chance to make a quality first impression. The Royals utilized Blanco as a pinch runner in important spots. It’s a key role that has been held previously by the fleet-footed likes of Jarrod Dyson and Terrance Gore.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say he can just step in and be Blanco, who has done that in high-leverage situations, but he is the best equipped to fill that role,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
Tolbert, who starred at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), grew up watching such former major-league stars as Jose Reyes, Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano.
He’s about to write his own big-league chapter with the Royals.
“It’s slowly starting to hit me,” Tolbert said, “and I guess when the national anthem hits, it will really hit me. I just want to thank God and thank everybody that was a part of my journey.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 1:51 PM.
