Royals Infielder's Big Season Changes Second Base Outlook for 2027

The Kansas City Royals went into last offseason with second base near the top of their list of problems, but the season second baseman Michael Massey put together in 2026 has taken it off that list.

His turnaround has given the Royals a different outlook at second base heading into 2027, according to MLB.com's Perla Paredes, and with second baseman Jonathan India now a free agent, Massey enters the winter as the team's leading option at the position.

Massey's 2025 season was rough, as an ankle sprain, a wrist fracture and recurring back issues limited him to 77 games and he hit .244 with a .581 OPS.

When he came back from the injured list that August, he did not hide from it.

"Obviously, what I was doing before, there were quite a bit of holes in it. I'm not blind to that," Massey said at the time, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers.

He spent last winter studying the physics behind his swing, per Paredes, and the work showed up right away.

A left calf strain kept him on the injured list to start 2026, but once he returned on April 6, he played a career-high 131 games and hit .274 with a .305 on-base percentage, a .430 slugging percentage, 13 home runs, 25 doubles and 50 RBIs, good for a .735 OPS that was 154 points better than the year before.

India's season ended when he had left shoulder surgery in April, which opened the door for Massey to play his natural position more often.

He made 126 of his appearances at second base and finished with +11 outs above average there, earning a spot as a Gold Glove finalist, though Seattle's Cole Young won the award at second base.

The timing is great for the front office.

The Royals went 69-93 this season, and Paredes reported that the club's biggest priorities remain rebuilding the bullpen and adding starting pitching, so having a second baseman they trust lets general manager J.J. Picollo put his time and money into those areas instead of chasing another infielder.

Third baseman Nick Loftin gives them depth as well, since he played second base, third base and right field and was a Gold Glove finalist at third while third baseman Maikel Garcia dealt with injuries.

Kansas City could still look for another bat this winter, but second base no longer has to be where that bat comes from.

There have already been calls for the Royals to give Massey an extension, and after the year he had, I get it.

The club made its option decisions last week, and now the real work on the pitching staff begins.

Outside expectations for this team are low, as a harsh power ranking showed, and the Royals have plenty of work to do.

Massey staying healthy is the big question after injuries in each of the last two seasons, but I believe he has earned the first shot at second base in 2027, and if he plays like he did this year, Kansas City can spend the winter fixing a pitching staff that needs far more help than the infield does.