Scouting Report
Updated May 20, 2026
Starling Marte was scratched from the Diamondbacks' lineup on May 8, 2026 due to illness. This was his second game missed this season (first was in April due to back tightness). Marte has been struggling offensively through the first month-plus of the season, hitting .209/.262/.353 with a .645 OPS through 35 games. However, advanced metrics show he's hitting the ball hard with a .289 expected batting average and .458 expected slugging percentage, suggesting he's been unlucky. He snapped an 0-for-13 stretch with a triple and single against the Pirates, reaching 600 career RBIs. Manager Torey Lovullo attributed Marte's struggles to getting unlucky on well-struck balls rather than poor performance.
Strengths
- + Hard contact and exit velocity metrics suggest quality at-bats
- + Expected batting average (.289) and expected slugging (.458) indicate underlying performance is better than actual results
- + Recently snapped 0-for-13 stretch with multi-hit game including triple
- + Reached 600 career RBIs milestone
- + All-Star caliber player with track record of success
- + Manager indicates mechanical approach is sound
Weaknesses
- - Currently hitting only .209/.262/.353 with .645 OPS through 35 games
- - 0-for-8 in recent stretch before Pirates game
- - 2-for-26 at-bats in one stretch during season
- - Missed games due to illness and prior back tightness
- - Significant gap between expected and actual offensive production suggests prolonged bad luck
- - Early season offensive struggles affecting team performance
Injury Status: day-to-day
About
Starling Marte is a left fielder for the Kansas City Royals.
Player Overview
LF
Kansas City Royals