Michael Massey #19

Massey resides in Palos Park, Ill. .. He participated in Royals Rally 2023. .. When Kansas City selected Massey in the fourth round in 2019, he became the highest-drafted infielder in the history of the Illinois baseball program...He was named Illinois Athletics Male Athlete of the Year finalist and the “Best Pure Hitter” in the Big Ten by Baseball America in 2019...As a junior at the University of Illinois in 2019, he was named All-Big Ten First Team as a second baseman, batting .317 with a team-high 69 hits in 55 games...He went 60 consecutive games without committing an error from April 22, 2017-May 12, 2018…he was named ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at second base in 2018, becoming the first Illini ever to win the award...Massey graduated in 2016 from Brother Rice HS (Ill.), where he was a three-year letter winner and team captain as a senior.

2023

Massey made the Opening Day roster in 2023 for the first time and hit 15 home runs—all as a second baseman—becoming the third player in Royals history to record at least 15 HR as a second baseman in a season, following Royals Hall of Famer Frank White (four times) and Whit Merrifield (2017)... Charged with only three errors in 453 chances at second base in 2023 for a .993 fielding percentage, which matched Luis Arraez for the Major League lead among second basemen... His .993 fielding percentage was the fourth-highest mark by a second baseman in Royals history, trailing only Frank White (.994) in 1988, Mark Grudzielanek (.994) in 2006 and José Lind (.994) in 1993... Had 17 extra-base hits in 79 games through the end of July, but matched that total in 50 games over the final two months of the season...Homered in three straight games from Sept. 12-15, becoming the second player in Royals history to homer in three straight as a second baseman, following Carlos Febles from Aug. 28-30, 2001...Had his first career multi-HR game on July 21 at Yankee Stadium, and homered two days later in the series finale, becoming the fifth player in Royals history to hit three HR in a three-game series vs. the Yankees, following John Mayberry in 1975, George Brett in 1980 and 1987, Bo Jackson in 1990 and Chili Davis in 1997.

2022

Massey made his Major League debut as a replacement player during Kansas City’s series in Toronto from July 14-17, 2022 and returned to the minors after…he was selected on Aug. 3 and remained with Kansas City for the rest of the season. .. At the time his contract was selected on Aug. 3, Massey led all Royals minor leaguers in RBI (77), hits (108), extra-base hits (44) and doubles (28). .. He made his first big league start on July 16 in Toronto and recorded his 1st two hits off former Blue Jay and current Royals pitcher, Max Castillo. .. In the Royals home finale on Sept. 25, Massey recorded two hits and four RBI—a two-run homer and a two-run single—as part of Kansas City’s 11-run sixth inning that erased a nine-run deficit…in doing so, he became the fifth player in franchise history to record at least two hits and four RBI in the same inning. .. Massey drew seven hit-by-pitches in an 11-game span from Aug. 22-Sept. 4, setting a club record for the most plunkings in any 11-game span…his eight hit-by-pitches for the season tied for second most among American League rookies. .. He was named Texas League Player of the Week twice, for April 25-May 1, a stretch in which he led the league with 19 total bases and 9 RBI, and for the week of May 23-29, when he hit a league-best .481 (13-for27) in six games, including a go-ahead grand slam.