Shari Clapp Assistant Director of Academic Services, Academic Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Shari Clapp Assistant Director of Academic Services, Academic Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
Michael Massey, second baseman for the Kansas City Royals, had a productive 2024 season, appearing in 100 games. He achieved a slash line of .259/.294/.449 with 17 doubles, 14 home runs, and 45 RBIs. The Palos Park, Illinois native also posted career-high marks in runs (45), triples (2), average, slugging, OPS and OPS+ (105). Defensively, he recorded a .990 fielding percentage with only three errors in 302 total chances at second base.
Massey's performance contributed to Kansas City's 86 wins this season, their highest since winning 95 games in 2015—the year they last made the postseason and won the World Series.
During his college years at Illinois from 2017-19, Massey was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and led the Illini to the Oxford Regional in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. He was drafted in the fourth round (109th overall) of the MLB Draft that summer.
Massey is set to become the first Illini position player to participate in the MLB Postseason since Scott Spiezio played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.
The AL Wild Card schedule is as follows:
- Game 1: Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Kansas City at Baltimore, 3:08 p.m. CT
- Game 2: Thursday, Oct. 2 - Kansas City at Baltimore, 3:38 p.m. CT
- Game 3: Friday, Oct. 3 (if necessary) - Kansas City at Baltimore, 3:08 p.m. CT
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