Cactus League Risers: Haggle Young, Lugo, and the Royals' Spring Surge
From 460-foot bombs to re-engineered sliders, Joel Penfield breaks down the early storylines from Surprise.
The 2026 Royals campaign is officially underway in Arizona, and while spring training samples are small, the exit velocities are anything but.
On the latest episode of One Royal Way, Joel Penfield analyzes the early returns from Surprise, headlined by a massive 460-foot home run from Jack Haggle Young. While the power remains elite, Penfield notes that Haggle Young’s swing decisions remain a work in progress as he prepares to represent Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
The pitching staff is also showing signs of evolution. Seth Lugo impressed in his debut with a metrically different slider—averaging nearly 86 mph with a sharper “cut” profile—while his fastball velocity sat a full mile per hour above his 2025 average. On the injury front, the team is monitoring Steven Kick, who is day-to-day with a left oblique strain. Penfield emphasizes that this is where the Royals’ newfound organizational depth, including non-roster invites like Josh Rojas, becomes vital.
Other highlights include:
Michael Massey: An overhauled swing developed with aerospace engineers is already paying dividends with a 1.286 OPS through early play.
Carlos Estevez: Utilizing his first outings to focus exclusively on secondary stuff (slider/changeup) before joining the Dominican Republic WBC squad.
Bullpen Dark Horses: Dennis Caller and LP Longan are flashing triple-digit potential as they push for future high-leverage roles.