Texas Rangers vs Kansas City Royals- Prediction & Match Preview - February 24th | MLB Spring Training 2023

The Kansas City Royals are set to open their 2023 Spring Training tonight against the Texas Rangers. The up-and-coming Royals will be one of the young teams to watch this season thanks to several top MLB rising stars, including Bobby Witt Jr. The speedy infielder will look to continue upon his impressive rookie season as the Royals continue to usher in a new era.

"In 2022, Bobby Witt Jr has 30 SB with only a .294 OBP. I'm expecting that number to go up in 2023. KC T-6th in team SB. Bigger bases/pickoff restrictions. Showed more patience in MiLB, OBP should rise. #1 sprint speed in baseball. A 90+/25+/90+/40 season is within reach." - Eric Cross

The matchup between the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers will be the first game of the 2023 Spring Training schedule. The game is set to begin at 1:05 pm MST at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona.

While it is difficult to predict lineups for Spring Training games, as managers tend to field a mix of veterans and prospects, Bobby Witt Jr. will most certainly be in the opening lineup.

A look at the Kansas City Royals heading into the first game of Spring Training

As mentioned before, the Royals will continue to usher in a new era of baseball for the franchise. It's been years since Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain led the team into the postseason. The team now firmly belongs to Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez.

Here is the projected lineup for today's game:

1. SS Bobby Witt Jr.
2. 2B Michael Massey
3. C Salavador Perez
4. 1B Vinny Pasquantino
5. DH Franmil Reyes
6. 3B Johan Camargo
7. CF Kyle Isbel
8. RF Adam Eaton
9. LF John Rave

All eyes will be on Witt Jr. as the electric young player looks to take his next step toward superstardom. While the matchup against the Texas Rangers may be a difficult one, it will allow the team to measure themselves against a top opponent.

"Daniel Lynch takes the mound in our 2023 Cactus League opener vs. the Rangers. #RoyalsST" - Kansas City Royals

The Texas Rangers will look to get off on the right foot

One of the most active teams in recent offseasons, the Texas Rangers sent shockwaves around the league in recent years, landing Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Jacob deGrom in free agency.

Here is a look at the projected lineup for Texas heading into the first game of Spring Training.

1. 2B Marcus Semien
2. SS Corey Seager
3. 1B Nathaniel Lowe
4. RF Adolis Garcia
5. DH Mitch Garver
6. LF Robbie Grossman
7. 3B Josh Jung
8. CF Leody Tavares
9. C Sandy Leon

If the Rangers opt to go with the lineup listed above, they should be able to walk away with a victory against the Kansas City Royals, giving them their first win of Spring Training. Corey Seager may be the most important player of the season, especially given the banning of the shift, which projects to benefit him the most.