Rivera a player to watch as Royals reach quarter mark

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers' Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Royals surpassed the 40-game mark of the 2022 season on Sunday and now sit at a 14-27 record after Monday night’s 9-5 loss against the D-backs at Chase Field. By no means has this been the start of the season the Royals envisioned. They have struggled to find an offensive rhythm, although the organization hopes that changes as Alec Zumwalt, the new hitting coach, implements his philosophy at the Major League level.

While starters Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch and Brad Keller have taken significant steps forward, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar and Carlos Hernández have yet to establish themselves.

And despite the reliability of high-leverage relief arms like Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont and Collin Snider, the Royals bullpen ranked No. 28 overall with a 4.67 ERA entering Tuesday.

For as many frustrations as there are with the Royals, there are still storylines to watch as this summer plays out. You’re going to hear a lot about Kansas City’s youth over the next few months; Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel have begun to establish themselves on the Major League roster. Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto are banging at the door in Triple-A Omaha.

Here’s one more young player you should know about: Emmanuel Rivera.

The 25-year-old Rivera entered the season as a depth piece, but has since seized a spot in the lineup because of his bat, hitting .222 with an .788 OPS for the season -- and slashing .255/.327/.575 since taking over a starting spot on May 8 and ahead of Tuesday's finale. In that time, he has three home runs -- including blasts on back-to-back nights over the weekend -- nine RBIs and a 159 wRC+, according to FanGraphs.

"I feel really good at the plate working on recognizing pitches,” Rivera said. “Definitely feeling like I'm gaining trust in these at-bats. It just feels good to be having that kind of confidence at the plate."

The Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, native was the Royals’ 19th-round MLB Draft pick in 2015. Those close to him call him “Pulpo,” meaning octopus, because that’s what they call Rivera’s dad, Miguel, in Puerto Rico. Rivera used to be “Pulpito,” but he’s graduated to just “Pulpo” -- and his teammates are catching on to the nickname now, too.

Rivera came to the organization with good tools and a potential for power if he kept up his bat-on-ball skills. It wasn’t until last spring that Rivera truly caught on with the big league club; he received rave reviews about his hard-hit rate and mental improvement when it came to preparation and approach.

Defensively, Rivera has shown off a cannon of an arm at third base, as well as quick reflexes and an expanded range now that he’s getting more comfortable. Playing him every day at the hot corner has pushed Witt Jr. to shortstop, which is the 21-year-old’s natural position.

“I think it’s his hands,” manager Mike Matheny said. “It seems like he’s gotten to that point where, ‘You know what, I do belong here, and I trust that I can make plays.’ I’m seeing really good range. Seeing him able to make throws from odd angles, and especially coming in, and that makes a pretty good left side of the infield the way Bobby’s been going, knowing that he’s got Emmanuel to cover the hole as well.”