Three Royals Named AL Silver Slugger Finalists

The Kansas City Royals didn't have the season they hoped for with manager Matt Quatraro in his fourth year at the helm, but they had a few major bright spots in their lineup--Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr.

As a result, the trio were recognized for their dominance at the plate this year, joining the group of AL Silver Slugger finalists filled with a combination of young hitters like Jensen and Caglianone and established veterans.

For the catcher category, the 23-year-old Jensen is stacked up against Detroit's Dillon Dingler who slashed .243/.302/.446 while driving in 91 runs and recording a .749 OPS. On the other hand, Jensen led the Royals with 81 RBI and 27 home runs during his first full major-league season. He also ranked in the 85th percentile among qualified batters with a 12.7% barrel rate per Statcast.

Caglianone compiled an impressive resume as well, slugging his way to a spot in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby in just his second season. Although he bowed out of the event in the first round, he went on to finish the year with 23 homers and a team-best .289 hitting average. However, he'll have stiffer competition given that the Tigers' Riley Greene and Cleveland's Chase DeLauter are among several fellow outfielders vying for an award.

Of course, let's not forget about Witt Jr. The star shortstop put together another remarkable season, leading Kansas City with 157 hits and an impressive .359 on-base percentage. Moreover, he excelled against lefties, batting .297 while his numbers against righties were not that far off as he slashed .276/.349/.434. In addition to being a Silver Slugger finalist, he's also in the running for the AL MVP Award alongside the Astros' Yordan Álvarez and Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero. 

Out of the three Royals listed, Jensen appears to have the best shot at earning an award due to his position and youth. Catchers who can consistently hit for power while having few weaknesses defensively are harder to come by than fielders like Caglianone and Witt Jr.

Although Kansas City should be celebrating the accomplishments of their young core, general manager J.J. Picollo still has work to do this offseason. The club's inconsistent bullpen was a theme this year as it cost them many games and played a role in the Royals missing the postseason for the second-straight season after they fell short to the Yankees in the 2024 AL Division Series.