Tyler Tolbert Makes MLB Debut with Kansas City Royals
March 31, 2025 - International League (IL)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
Omaha Storm Chasers utility player Tyler Tolbert in the field
(Omaha Storm Chasers, Credit: Minda Haas Kuhlmann)
PAPILLION, NEB. - Omaha Storm Chasers utility player Tyler Tolbert made his MLB debut for the Kansas City Royals on Monday, March 31, 2025, in their game at American Family Field against the Milwaukee Brewers, the second Storm Chaser to debut in the Major Leagues this season and the first with the Royals.
The 27-year-old Tolbert joined the Royals in Milwaukee for the series opener against the Brewers and entered the game Monday as a pinch-hitter for Michael Massey in the eighth inning, then finished the game in center field.
With his entry into Monday's game, Tolbert is the 337th player in franchise history that has made their MLB debut after playing for the Triple-A Omaha club. The Alabama native is in his sixth season of professional baseball, after being selected by Kansas City in the 13th round of the 2019 Major League draft, 379th overall, out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Tolbert has been recognized as Kansas City's Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year (the top baserunner in the Royals organization) in three of the last four seasons. As a professional, he is 243-for-258 (94.2% success rate) in stolen base attempts, his 243 steals are the most of any professional baseball player since 2019.
A second-year Storm Chaser, Tolbert opened and closed 2024 with Omaha, appearing in 27 Triple-A games last season. Named the Royals' George Brett Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2023, he spent the bulk of 2024 in Double-A with Northwest Arkansas, in addition to the entirety of the 2023 season.
In 2022, he spent the entire year with High-A Quad Cities and went 60-for-60 in stolen base attempts, a feat that no player had done since at least 1992. Having successfully stole his first 8 bases of the 2023 season, Tolbert compiled a stretch of 86 consecutive steals without being caught, stretching 178 games between July 2021 with Single-A Columbia and May 2023 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
Tolbert is the first player for the Storm Chasers this season to get called up to Kansas City, the second to make their Major League debut after right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock (2024) made his MLB debut with the Athletics on Saturday, March 29 at Seattle.
Images from this story
 Omaha Storm Chasers utility player Tyler Tolbert (Minda Haas Kuhlmann) |
 Omaha Storm Chasers utility player Tyler Tolbert sprints out of the box (Minda Haas Kuhlmann) |
 Omaha Storm Chasers utility player Tyler Tolbert in the field (Minda Haas Kuhlmann) |
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