Outfielder Kyle Isbel has made the Royals’ Opening Day roster, manager Mike Matheny announced Wednesday (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). The Royals already have a full 40-man roster, so they’ll have to make room before officially adding Isbel to it.
Isbel, who turned 24 earlier this month, has been a Royal since they used a third-round pick on him in 2018. He hit well at the rookie and Single-A levels during his first two years in the organization, though Isbel batted just .216/.282/.361 (86 wRC+) with five home runs and eight stolen bases in 214 plate appearances during his High-A debut in 2019. Nevertheless, he remains a well-regarded farmhand for Kansas City, as Baseball America ranks Isbel the team’s sixth-best prospect and writes that he could be a high-average, 15- to 20-HR hitter who offers “plus speed” and quality defense in the majors.
There was no minor league season in 2020, but Isbel turned heads at the Royals’ alternate site and then came back strong this spring with a .333/.420/.548 line and five extra-base hits (three doubles, two homers) in 42 at-bats. Along with Isbel, Andrew Benintendi, Michael A. Taylor and Jarrod Dyson figure to be the Royals’ top choices in the outfield at the start of the season.
Ok.
ok.
Okay.
okay
Okey-dokey.
O.K.
All righty then.
I like it. I have Royals at 200 to 1 to win it all this year.
Sucker bet. Lol.
Loving it. Kid can flat out play. Picked him as my AL ROY and put a bet on it about a month ago at crazy odds. Still a long shot, but the odds just got a lot smaller.
what did you get him at?
300/1
ooh snap. that’s bank right there.
300/1 which is fairly standard for any off the radar rookie. ROY doesn’t go as far out as like CY or MVP just because you can get some crazy winners and more playing time increases the odds by a lot.
Your praise was apparently all I requires to go directly to my fantasy roster and add Isbel to my bench.
good for him. guy can mash.
Remember when there was pithy exchange of thought/dialogue on the comment section?
I long for those back & forth articulate discussions…
Yeah that definitely used to be a thing.
When was this? Was it a tuesday? Because I was busy tuesday.
Royals rebuild is inching ahead.
Isbel will find that MLB is not like the minors or Spring Training. When the bell rings everyone plays for keeps….and the more they see you, the more difficult it gets for quite a while. Just ask Niki Lopez.
Mr. Isbel is playing for one of the best organizations in MLB run by an experienced GM. He needs to listen to his coaches, his team leaders, and most of his teammates – they can help him through this. Dayton Moore has always believed in continuity of team leaders and a strong style of fundamental team baseball – in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It works. Mr. Isbel just needs to buy in and know he has support when his boat starts rocking.
Saw him play. He has some great attributes both at bat and in the field. Wish the young man well.
Now the lights turn on at Kauffman for you Kyle. Have fun and take it all in.