Bobby Witt Jr. set to anchor Royals’ infield, but questions remain as offseason begins

The Kansas City Royals began the season with undeniable defensive magic on the infield. They featured a three-headed infield monster boasting range, athleticism, arm strength and instinctive play, with Adalberto Mondesi in the middle at shortstop, flanked by Bobby Witt Jr. and Nicky Lopez.

The Royals began the season with 11 consecutive games without an error, which set an American League record.

Then Mondesi tore his ACL about three weeks into the season.

But by season’s end, the infield had become a bit of a rotating cast and regularly featured characters who weren’t even on the 40-man opening day roster, much less the club’s active major-league roster.

Heading into next season, the Royals’ biggest infield questions figure to revolve just how young of a group they’re willing to run onto the field, and how ready their relatively inexperienced yet talented youngsters are to hold down everyday jobs.

Witt set to anchor the infield

The Royals intend to turn the shortstop job over to Witt, a rising star and potential future face of the franchise.

Witt began last season as the Royals’ starting third baseman but will return to his natural position of shortstop. That’s primarily where he’d played in the minors and it’s where many have always seen his long-term future.

Witt, 22, turned in a highly productive season offensively with all eyes on him as a promising rookie, a campaign highlighted by 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. But he also had his growing pains in the field when he moved to shortstop on a regular basis.

He produced incredibly athletic, gasp-inducing highlights with his glove and arm, but he also committed a team-high 19 errors (16 in his first 97 games) and ranked near the bottom of AL-qualifying shortstops in such defensive metrics as outs above average and SABR Defensive Index.

With a season of major-league experience under his belt and an offseason to focus solely on playing shortstop, Witt could make significant strides defensively in his second season.

The role of Witt’s double-play partner up the middle could come down to whether or not the Royals believe youngster Michael Massey is ready to unseat Lopez.

Lopez has proven himself an elite-caliber defender at second base or shortstop. He provides a measure of experience — he debuted in 2019 — and defensive versatility that’s unmatched by any of the other infield options.

Lopez turned in his best season at the plate in 2021, when he batted .300 as the Royals’ everyday shortstop. But his slash line dipped to .227/.281/.273 this season.

Massey, a fourth-round pick in 2019, has a higher offensive upside and more power than Lopez. Massey mashed 16 home runs and a compiled a .532 slugging percentage in 87 games in the minors last season.

But Massey began this season having not played above High-A ball, and he still has played in just 52 MLB games. It could be tough to give the starting second base job to Massey based on upside and a small sample size against top-tier competition.

At the same time, Lopez would theoretically provide a valuable asset as a utility player, providing depth at multiple positions and giving the next manager a versatile piece off the bench if the starting combination were Witt and Massey.

Corner questions

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino gave the Royals quality at-bats on a consistent basis after KC traded Carlos Santana to Seattle.

The left-handed Pasquantino brings a patient approach when he’s batting behind free-swinging, right-handed slugger Salvador Perez in the middle of the lineup.

After a slow start offensively, Pasquantino finished the year with a slash line of .295/.383/.450, with 10 home runs in 72 games. In his final 40 games, he batted .362.

Defensively, Nick Pratto is an elite defender. He had an incredibly productive season in the minors in 2021.

But he did not show the same sort of consistent production that Pasquantino contributed in the majors this season. Pratto slashed .184/.271/.386 with seven home runs in 49 games. He also struck out 66 times for a strikeout rate of 36% in the majors.

That high tendency to swing and miss could force Pratto to spend more time in the minors and leave Pasquantino to dominate the big-league playing time at first base.

Third base served as a bit of a revolving door after Witt moved to shortstop. The others to log time at third base this past season included Emmanuel Rivera (now with the Arizona Diamondbacks), Hunter Dozier, Nate Eaton and Lopez.

Dozier, who is under contract through 2024, appears to be the likely incumbent at third base, though he started at four positions in the field, including the corner-outfield spots.

Dozier’s ability to play the outfield could open the door for the Royals to explore the option of adding a veteran hitter to lengthen their lineup this offseason.

With several young players continuing to adjust to the majors, an established hitter who could play third base could make a lot of sense.

The wild cards

Mondesi’s latest injury and the rise of Witt paves the way for the Royals to stop viewing Mondesi as an everyday starter. They’ve shown no indication that they’re willing to cut ties with a player in whom they’ve invested in for years based on his five-tool ability.

Even if he’s not the Royals’ everyday shortstop, Mondesi could still contribute in multiple ways with his mix of speed and power.

If he’s willing to play multiple positions in a supporting role — he’s shown some willingness to do that in small doses in the past — then he could be a valuable X-factor without the Royals building their lineup or defense around him.

If the Royals keep Ryan O’Hearn on the roster this offseason, he too would give them depth at first base if Pratto starts in the minors or injury issues arise.

Eaton showed tremendous athleticism and ability to play third base, as well as the outfield, during three brief stints in the majors (44 games). He’s one of the fastest players in the organization, and he drew interest from clubs as a pitcher coming out of college.

THE ROYALS’ INFIELD

Start of the season: Hunter Dozier (first base/third base/outfield, sixth season), Nicky Lopez (second base/shortstop, fourth season), Whit Merrifield (second base/outfield, seventh season), Adalberto Mondesi (shortstop, seventh season), Ryan O’Hearn (first base/outfield, fifth season), Carlos Santana (first base, 13th season), Bobby Witt Jr. (shortstop/third base, first season).

End of the season: Hunter Dozier (first base/third base/outfield, sixth season), Nate Eaton (third base/outfield, first season), Nicky Lopez (second base/shortstop, fourth season), Michael Massey (second base, first season), Ryan O’Hearn (first base/outfield, fifth season), Vinnie Pasquantino (first base/designated hitter, first season), Bobby Witt Jr. (shortstop/third base, first season). Injured List: Adalberto Mondesi (shortstop, seventh season).

Playing time breakdown: Hunter Dozier (38 starts at first base, 25 starts at third base), Nate Eaton (13 starts at third base), Maikel Garcia (6 starts at shortstop), Nicky Lopez (62 starts at second base, 20 starts at third base, 45 starts at shortstop), Michael Massey (46 starts at second base, one start at third base), Whit Merrifield (54 stars at second base), Adalberto Mondesi (15 starts at shortstop), Ryan O’Hearn (6 starts at first base), Vinnie Pasquantino (37 starts at first base), Nick Pratto (39 starts at first base), Emmanuel Rivera (27 games started at third base), Carlos Santana (42 starts at first base), Bobby Witt Jr. (50 starts at third base, 96 starts at shortstop).

Royals 2022 infield production: First basemen: .239/.318/.386 slashline, 34 HRs, 125 runs, 124 RBIs, 0.1 WARf, 154 weighted runs created, 0 defensive runs saved, 5.5 UZR (ultimate zone rating). Second basemen: .235/.289/.322 slashline, 10 HRs, 118 runs, 78 RBIs, 2.5 WARf, 92 weighted runs created, -11 defensive runs saved, -0.3 UZR (ultimate zone rating). Shortstops: .239/.286/.352 slashline, 20 HRs, 137 runs (most in majors), 105 RBIs, 3.6 WARf, 108 weighted runs created (highest in majors), -18 defensive runs scored, -3.1 UZR (ultimate zone rating). Third basemen: .251/.297/.417 slashline, 27 HRs, 122 runs, 114 RBIs, 3.2 WARf, -9 defensive runs saved, -5.7 UZR (ultimate zone rating).