The end of the NFL season represents the start of baseball season. Royals pitchers and catchers report to Surprise on February 12, ushering in the official launch of the 2025 season. The first full-squad workouts aren’t much later — on February 15 — and the team’s Spring Training schedule kicks off against the Texas Rangers on February 21. The Royals have made some notable moves this offseason, but more or less looked to build on strengths after acquiring leadoff man Jonathan India early on. With spring training just days away, what are some notable things to keep tabs on for Royals fans?

Notable storylines for the Royals as Spring Training gets underway

Joey Wiemer’s early role could be telling for the season ahead

Ask any Royals fan what they think about the team’s outfield and they’ll likely have some gripes. The group is unchanged on the surface, but there are options. The inclusion of Joey Wiemer in the Brady Singer trade is more notable than many fans seem to think. It’s reminiscent of the Aroldis Chapman trade. At the time, it seemed many fans were excited about the upside Roni Cabrera offered. Cole Ragans was perhaps a solid toss-in but looked more like a failed top prospect than a true big-league impact.

Of course, we know now that Ragans was an incredible return. He’s the ace of the staff. Joey Wiemer offers similar post-hype potential. General Manager J.J. Picollo has done a nice job targeting value in trades and hasn’t been hesitant to roll the dice on post-hype top prospects. It hasn’t just been Ragans. Taylor Hearn, Drew Waters, and Kyle Wright are the notable names in that category added by Picollo. Wiemer is the next name on the list, and his usage early in spring should give an idea of just how much the Royals want to give him a chance.

Although MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe seem on track to start to open the season, Wiemer could very well force his name into the mix by Opening Day. A strong spring offensively would make the upside hard to ignore. Wiemer already has proven defensive value, giving him a leg up on many of the other options vying for an outfield spot in 2025.

How do the fringe arms look as the competition kicks off?

The Royals’ pitching staff is among the deepest in the American League, if not the entire Majors. Competition in Arizona will be extreme, with nearly double-digit arms vying for the final two or three roster spots. Last spring, the largest competition came down to the team’s final rotation spot. Daniel Lynch, Alec Marsh, and Jordan Lyles squared off for the fifth spot, with Lynch ultimately heading to Omaha and Marsh opening the year with the job.

This time around, Lynch and Marsh will again be in the mix. Lyles has been swapped out for Kris Bubic — now further removed from Tommy John Surgery in 2023. Prospect Noah Cameron will have a [very] outside shot. His chances are slim, not because of his talent, but simply the immense depth ahead of him. Then there’s Kyle Wright. Wright is set to pitch in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. It seems unlikely he will earn a shot by Opening Day, but how he looks in spring will be highly telling regarding what his eventual role could be in the regular season.

Does Melendez or Garcia arrive with any apparent off-season tweaks?

The Royals can’t wait much longer for MJ Melendez to figure things out. He’s shown great flashes at times but lacks consistency and has been far more bad than good. Garcia has been in the big leagues one less season, but likely reaches the end of his rope around the same time as Melendez. Garcia simply doesn’t offer the same power ceiling that Melendez has. For Melendez especially, tweaks to his swing seem long overdue. There have been some glimpses at perhaps a new look via some offseason workout videos, but it remains to be seen if that sticks into the regular season.

Much of the Royals offseason road has led back to Melendez. The front office made many efforts to upgrade the outfield, but nothing yet has come to fruition. That lack of traction could be a final opportunity for Melendez to prove it. I took a deeper look at Melendez’s swing early this winter, and with some positive changes, there’s still everyday talent there.

As for Garcia, his defensive talent makes him valuable in the big leagues. That value, however, at third base seems a bit short. There simply isn’t the power upside for Garcia to stick in the big leagues at the hot corner. There have been reports that the team will test him in center field in 2025. If that experiment works out, it should buy Garcia more time to stick around in Kansas City. However, an inability to play well in the outfield — alongside Jonathan India to man the hot corner — could spell trouble for Garcia’s chances to remain an everyday option for the Royals.