This was the KC Royals’ message to players at first full-squad meeting of 2026
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- Royals held first full‑squad 2026 meeting to review campaign goals.
- Team welcomed new players and prospects to boost outfield and roster depth.
- Organization noted pitching strength and pushed competition and relentless effort.
The Kansas City Royals gathered for their first full-squad meeting Monday. It was their first time back together since late September.
Last week, Royals pitchers and catchers reported to spring training in Surprise, Arizona. Multiple position players arrived either to get a head start ahead of the World Baseball Classic or to get extra training before the season.
Monday was the official start for full-squad activities.
The Royals went over the stated goals of the 2026 campaign and welcomed new faces to the clubhouse. Among them were outfielders Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. Matt Strahm, Alex Lange and Nick Mears acquainted themselves with the pitching staff.
The Royals also had several top prospects in camp. Guys like Ben Kudrna and Steven Zobac represented the next wave within the organization. Blake Mitchell was also back after breaking his right hamate bone in camp last year.
There was an infectious energy after the meeting. The Royals were excited to be back after an 82-80 finish in 2025. Even with new faces, the goals haven’t changed for a team looking to get back into the postseason mix.
“It’s fun and it’s nerve-wracking,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of his speech addressing the team. “It’s, ‘All right, let’s go play baseball.’ And I think that’s the sentiment and just everything matters. That’s most of what the players were talking about and what we have talked about all along. Like every little detail, everything we do, leads to an end goal. And that’s what we want to focus on.”
The Royals enter 2026 with an established pitching staff. The questions surround their offense — most notably their outfield production — as they look to compete in the American League Central.
A lot will be asked of young players like Collins and Jac Caglianone. They will get the first shot at being the primary outfielders. Thomas is an intriguing rebound candidate after he missed time with injuries last season.
KC native Carter Jensen will also have a big role in 2026.
The Royals expect most of the spring competition to be reserve roles. The starting lineup is pretty much set with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez leading the way.
“I mean, without naming names, it’s very obvious who some of the everyday guys are,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “The competition is going to be how we fill out the last, you know, I’ll say 10 through 13. You know, we have some guys that have more experience than others, but it’ll play out in spring training. And I think our guys are hungry. I think they understand what the competition is like. They want to go out and win.”
Witt revealed his desire to win early in camp. He focused his offseason on improving physically to ensure his body was ready for the long haul. The same can be said for several others who arrived in their best shape.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Witt said about winning it all. “It’s not just to get there but it’s to go far in the postseason. So it starts today. But you can’t get there today, so we are just taking it one day at a time.”
Witt will spend a few weeks in camp before heading off to join Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He is among multiple Royals who will represent their home country in the global event.
Meanwhile, the non-WBC players will be in Cactus League action. There is an opportunity for guys to win a roster spot with the increased playing time.
Picollo hopes to see a relentless approach all spring. It was his message as he addressed the team on Monday.
“My message was pretty simple,” Picollo said. “Just go out and compete, be aggressive, be relentless and give us effort. I mean, that’s what it is. We have a great fan base and tremendous support from ownership. There’s no reason we can’t be the last team standing, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
The Royals are looking forward to the journey ahead.
“I think there were a lot of conversations throughout the offseason,” Witt said. “Meetings, guys getting together and just knowing, all right, let’s kind of find our foundation. Let’s build what we have and do it day-by-day. And so it’s going to be a lot of fun. We kind of say it’s brick-by-brick, and that’s gonna be our little mantra. That’s what we are going to do.”
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 6:30 AM with the headline "This was the KC Royals’ message to players at first full-squad meeting of 2026."
