Tyler Tolbert Opens Up on What Changed for Him at the Plate

Speed is what got shortstop Tyler Tolbert to the big leagues, but his bat gave the Kansas City Royals a reason to look at him differently after the 2026 season.

Tolbert spoke with writer David Laurila when the Royals were in Boston for a three-game series in mid-September, and the talk ran as part of a weekly notes column on Sunday.

Laurila asked how he has grown as a hitter, and Tolbert said he just keeps getting better, since each season he tries to find what works for him and get into a groove.

"I've had good hitting years and I've had average hitting years. I don't really chase numbers, though. I just trust my routine and my process. If you're focusing on the process, the numbers are going to be the numbers," Tolbert said.

Those numbers looked good this year, as Tolbert hit .285 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .392 slugging percentage in 148 plate appearances.

He also stole 22 bases and was caught four times, after he hit .280 with 21 steals in 57 plate appearances during his first big league season in 2025.

Tolbert smiled when the talk turned to his speed and said he likes to run a little bit because he feels like he is in scoring position on first base, though he added that he needs to be smart and know the situation and the scouting report.

Running has always been the biggest part of his game, as he went a perfect 60-for-60 on steal tries with High-A Quad Cities in 2022 and now has 43 steals in 205 career plate appearances with Kansas City.

He has only four home runs in that time, so nobody should expect a power bat, but the steady contact this year made him much more than a pinch runner.

Manager Matt Quatraro moved him all over the field, and Tolbert played 23 games at shortstop, 16 in right field, 14 at second base, 10 in left field, nine in center field and two at third base, on top of pitching in five games.

That range is a big reason there is already a case for him to be a much bigger piece in 2027, and I agree with most of it, even if I see his role differently.

With shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. at the center of everything, the clearest path to more at-bats for Tolbert is in the outfield, where left field and center field are the spots that need the most help this winter.

I would not hand Tolbert a starting job off of 148 plate appearances, and his growth should not stop the front office from chasing a real bat for one of those spots.

I would keep him as the first player off the bench, start him a couple of times a week in center field and save his legs for late innings of close games.

At 28, Tolbert has earned a longer look, and his steady approach fits well with a young core that grew up fast around Witt, so I expect him to play a lot more next year, even without a starting spot.