The Kansas City Royals aren't short on talent, but that guarantees nothing in baseball. The club is 7-9 after Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and it is now ranked 25th in baseball with a .655 OPS.

That's partially because of left fielder Isaac Collins, who's hitting .214 with a .636 OPS, one homer, and four RBIs through 15 games thus far. The Royals acquired the 28-year-old from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for reliever Angel Zerpa in the offseason. They also landed fellow reliever Nick Mears in the deal.

Collins could become a core piece in Kansas City if he performs to his capabilities. The Minnesota native slashed .263/.368/.411 with nine homers and 54 RBIs over 130 games as a rookie for the Brewers last season,

Collins showed why he was called up for 11 big-league games in 2024 after developing in the minors since 2019. However, 2026 has not been as fruitful for the 5-foot-8, 188-pounder thus far, and the Royals need him to get hot.

Collins isn't the only culprit in Kansas City's offensive struggles. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting .153 with a .416 OPS, catcher Salvador Perez is hitting .153 with a .507 OPS, and right fielder Jac Caglianone is hitting .229 with a .627 OPS. 

Pasquantino, who logged a .798 OPS with 32 homers and 113 RBIs last season and led Team Italy to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) semifinal in March, is a core pillar of the Royals' roster. The 28-year-old is under team control through 2028 and has one of the team's best track records, as he has a .773 OPS over 440 career games.

Additionally, Perez is the team captain and the lone holdover from the 2015 championship squad. The 35-year-old is signed through 2027 and notched a .729 OPS with 30 homers and 100 RBIs last season.

Finally, Caglianone was Kansas City's top prospect last season and No. 22 overall on MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old slashed just .257/.237/.532 over 62 games last season, but logged a 1.071 OPS for Italy in the WBC. However, that WBC momentum has not carried over into MLB thus far.

It's not all doom and gloom for the Royals, as third baseman Maikel Garcia is hitting .306 with an .864 OPS, while shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .271 and rookie catcher Carter Jensen has an .830 OPS. But they'll need more hitters to produce consistently to make noise in the AL Central this year.