Kansas City Royals news Friday, November 6, 2026

No. 1 in the 30-second version

Royals add Hunter Mense as assistant hitting coach, one year after he was the Giants' hitting coach.

Reporters Mark Feinsand and Maria Guardado say Mense will join Marcus Thames as the Royals' hitting coaches, with Connor Dawson's title listed as offensive coordinator. The Royals reassigned hitting coach Alec Zumwalt to focus on working with minor leaguers. According to SB Nation, the Giants averaged 4.13 runs per game under Mense, fifth-lowest in baseball.

Sources: Royals Review · McCovey Chronicles

No. 2 in the 30-second version

Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone are Silver Slugger finalists.

Witt is seeking a third straight Silver Slugger after winning in 2024 and 2025, and he hit .281 with 18 home runs and 45 stolen bases with a 7.0 fWAR, second in the majors. Jensen, a rookie, hit .239 with 27 home runs, a Royals rookie record. The Royals are one of five teams with at least three finalists, and winners will be announced Nov. 17.

Source: Royals Review

No. 3 in the 30-second version

Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Junior Caminero are 2026 Silver Slugger finalists; White Sox lead with four.

Brewers, Tigers, Royals and Cubs each have three finalists, according to Yahoo Sports. All six MVP finalists are also in the running for Silver Slugger honors. Winners will be announced Nov. 17.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Mets hiring Johnny Washington as co-hitting coach.

Joel Sherman reported this afternoon that, according to sources, the Mets are hiring Johnny Washington to be a co-hitting coach. Presumably, by hiring Washington, the Mets are replacing Jeff Albert’s previous role as director of hitting. Washington played minor-league and independent-league ball for several years before moving into coaching.

Sources: SNY · MLB.com · NY Post Sports · Amazin' Avenue

Mariners introduce Jason Kanzler, a 36-year-old first-time manager, after firing Dan Wilson.

According to SB Nation's fan blog, Kanzler previously coached with the Astros and most recently served as the Cubs' farm director. Per Lookout Landing, a fan blog, Jerry Dipoto called Kanzler far and away the most impressive candidate the team interviewed. ESPN describes Kanzler as coming from an analytics and data-friendly background.

Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · Lookout Landing

Yankees' Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are named American League Silver Slugger finalists; winners announced November 17.

Rice is a finalist at DH after hitting 41 homers with a .534 slugging percentage, and SNY reports Yordan Alvarez is the other AL DH finalist. Bellinger, a finalist in the outfield, already has a Gold Glove this offseason, and a Silver Slugger would be his third. Per SB Nation, the awards are voted on by coaches and managers, not the BBWAA.

Sources: SNY · Pinstripe Alley

Blue Jays distance themselves from Anthony Santander's anti-Islam Instagram story posts.

USA Today reports Santander reportedly shared two videos to his Instagram story on Wednesday, Nov. 4, one captioned 'America voted for Sharia (law) last night!' and another reading 'Islam is not peaceful,' both after the midterm elections. The posts followed Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate win, which NY Post reports will make him the first Muslim U.S. senator once he takes office in January. Santander, 32, was limited to 54 games in 2025 by shoulder injuries and is on a five-year, $92.5 million contract. Toronto's statement said 'Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs.'

Sources: USA TODAY Sports · Yahoo Sports · NY Post Sports

Athletics hire Brewers executive Cam Castro as general manager under new president Taylor Smith.

Castro spent seven years in Milwaukee's organization and was most recently the Brewers' senior vice president of player development and performance, according to ESPN. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the hire, which Castro would be taking from the World Series champion Brewers. Castro will be Smith's second-in-command in the front office.

Sources: ESPN · Athletics Nation