Tyler Mangual Tolbert (born January 27, 1998) is an American professional baseball infielder and outfielder for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025.
Career
Tolbert attended Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he played college baseball for the Blazers. The Kansas City Royals selected him in the 13th round, with the 379th overall pick, of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He split his first professional season between the rookie-level Arizona League Royals and Idaho Falls Chukars, hitting .253 with 24 RBI and 28 stolen bases over 50 games. Tolbert did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Playing for the Quad Cities River Bandits in 2022, Tolbert stole 60 bases without being caught stealing. In 2023, he was named the Royals' George Brett Hitter of the Year after posting a .755 on-base plus slugging for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. In 2024, he stole 40 bases for Northwest Arkansas and eight bases for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, winning the Royals' minor league baserunner of the year award.
On March 31, 2025, Tolbert was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his major league debut that day as a pinch hitter. On April 4, Tolbert stole second base against the Baltimore Orioles, recording the first stolen base of his major league career. He also stole third base. He started his first MLB game on April 16 after appearing as a substitute in 6 games. On April 27, he was placed on the bereavement list, from which he was reinstated three days later. On May 2, he was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after batting 0-for-5 but stealing 6 bases and scoring 2 runs for the Royals.
Personal life
Tolbert's parents are Bernardo and Sherrye Tolbert. He has one sister. His cousin is professional football quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Another cousin, Stephen Dobbs, also played college baseball at UAB. Another cousin, Parker Washington, is a professional wide receiver. Washington's sister, Ashton Washington, is a scout for the Chicago Bears.