The Kansas City Royals have made some modest additions to their offense, but the real improvements may need to come from within the team. While there is reason to be optimistic about what Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas can do to stabilize the outfield, neither is likely to deliver a true impact bat. Considering that the Royals finished near the bottom of the league in runs scored this year, they definitely need all the offensive impact they can get.
General manager J. J. Picollo understands how challenging it is to sign a big-name free agent on Kansas City’s budget, and it doesn’t appear that such a signing will be in the cards this winter. If a trade can’t be finalized for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, the Royals will have to rely on two young hitters to take the biggest leaps possible.
### Royals Believe in Caglianone and Jensen to Step Up
On Monday, Picollo expressed confidence that outfielder Jac Caglianone and catcher Carter Jensen are ready to take on that challenge.
“One of the reasons we’re pretty optimistic about the team is because of Jac and this being his second year in the Major Leagues, along with Carter,” Picollo said, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “Those two swing the bats like we know they’re capable of swinging. Our offense already looks a lot different.”
Caglianone, the Royals’ first-round pick last summer, struggled mightily after his rapid rise to the big leagues. However, Picollo expressed full confidence in the young power hitter’s ability to overcome those early struggles and become the player the Royals drafted him to be.
“Last year was a tough year for him,” Picollo remarked. “I also think about how much we threw at him—from Double-A to Triple-A to the big leagues, playing right field. There were a lot of things that were just not normal for him last year. It’s why we believe he’s going to figure this thing out. What we don’t know is how quickly he figures things out. But the only way he’s going to get better is by facing Major League pitchers. He’s a huge part of our team, our future, and he’s got to get those at-bats somehow.”
Neither Caglianone nor Jensen will be guaranteed a starting spot next season, making it an even riskier proposition to count on them to elevate their games. However, if just one of them can become a star in short order, the Royals could be in great shape moving forward.
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https://www.si.com/mlb/royals/onsi/news/royals-gm-hints-kansas-city-already-has-solution-to-lackluster-offense-jackson3
