When the Kansas City Royals pulled off their offseason trade for Isaac Collins, the excitement was palpable. After all, this was a player fresh off a stellar rookie campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers—.263/.368/.411 with nine homers and 54 RBIs over 130 games, good enough for a top-four finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The Brewers sent Collins and reliever Nick Mears to Kansas City for pitcher Angel Zerpa, and Royals fans had every reason to believe they'd landed a budding star.

Fast forward a month into the 2026 season, and that optimism has quickly given way to concern. Through 26 games, Collins is hitting just .215/.333/.304 with two home runs and eight RBIs. His defense in left field has also been shaky, far from the polished play fans expected. It's been a frustrating start for a player who seemed poised to anchor the lineup.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently labeled Collins the Royals' "least valuable player" so far. "It was a head scratcher when Milwaukee gave up not only Collins after a solid rookie season but also Nick Mears to get Angel Zerpa from the Royals," Miller wrote. "Perhaps the Brewers knew regression was coming for him? Even after a few multi-hit efforts in the past 10 days, Collins has a .644 OPS and has been a mess on defense in left field."

To be fair, Collins isn't the sole reason for Kansas City's rough start. But with the Royals sitting at 12-19 and dead last in the AL Central, every underperforming piece stands out. The team needs Collins to rediscover the form that made him one of the most intriguing young hitters in the game last season. Whether it's an adjustment at the plate or a sharper focus in the outfield, the Royals are counting on him to turn things around—before this promising trade becomes a cautionary tale. After all, in a division as competitive as the AL Central, every game matters. And right now, Kansas City can't afford many more lackluster performances from their prized offseason addition.