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When the Kansas City Royals added Mike Yastrzemski at the trade deadline, they expected stellar outfield defense. Kansas City probably did not, however, anticipate a power binge from the seventh-year veteran. But that’s what Yastrzemski has delivered during his brief Royals tenure.
Facing Texas Rangers starter Jack Leiter in the bottom of the first inning Monday, Yastrzemski belted a 3-1 sinker 412 feet to right center. It was his 12th home run of the season and his fourth with Kansas City.
Mike Yastrzemski leads the @Royals off with a blast 💥 pic.twitter.com/2cJzQWYeyt
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2025
More impressively, it was Yastrzemski’s third leadoff homer in just 15 games with the Royals. In modern baseball history, only the late great Rickey Henderson has notched three leadoff dingers in fewer games with a new team, per OptaSTATS. Rickey did it in his first seven games with the Mariners after joining Seattle as a free agent in June 2000.
Mike Yastrzemski finds power stroke with Royals
Yastrzemski’s three leadoff homers with the Royals ties a franchise record for the most in any month. While not known as a prolific power hitter, Yastrzemski is now up to 10 career leadoff bombs.
Of course, Henderson is the all-time MLB leader in the category, with 81 leadoff homers in his Hall of Fame career. He also accomplished his three-leadoff-shots-in-seven-games feat for the Mariners in his age-41 season. And while we’re on the subject, Henderson also holds the major-league record for stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295).
But this isn’t about Rickey Henderson. This is about Mike Yastrzemski.
The Royals landed Yastrzemski in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. He was part of an upgrade at the deadline as KC attempts to reach the playoffs for the second straight season after an eight-year absence.
Yastrzemski got off to a strong start in Kansas City, homering in his Royals debut. He was batting sixth in his first contest with the team. Since then, he’s done his damage out of the leadoff slot. His solo shot on Monday helped Kansas City edge out Texas 4-3.
While the sudden unexpected power display is impressive, as is his .578 slugging percentage, Yastrzemski is batting just .222 with a .327 on-base percentage with the Royals. After hitting eight homers in 96 games with the Giants, the 34-year-old pro is already up to four dongs in 15 games with Kansas City.
