The Kansas City Royals are still alive in the American League Wild Card picture, sitting just 2 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third and final spot. However, they have lost three consecutive games, are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have been passed in the standings by the surging Texas Rangers.
The Royals still have a shot at making it to the postseason as the final Wild Card team after winning 86 games a season ago and clinching the second AL Wild Card spot. But it’s going to take a little bit of a miracle.
Even if they don’t reach the postseason this year, there have been plenty of bright spots. Left-hander Kris Bubic is out for the season, but before the injury, he had performed quite well. Chris Landers of FanSided listed Bubic as Kansas City’s biggest bright spot this year.
“The pitching should once again be strong in 2026, and the emergence of Kris Bubic as a starter is a big reason why,” Landers wrote.
“Bubic revived his career as a reliever last season, but he came up through the K.C. system as a starter, and he was so good in 2024 that the Royals gave him another shot in the rotation. He’s taken it and run with it, earning an All-Star nod and looking like an ideal fit behind Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo moving forward. And he has one more year of team control before hitting free agency next winter.”
Bubic was an All-Star for the first time in 2025. Before the injury, he was 8-7 in 20 starts with a 2.55 ERA and 3.3 WAR. He also had punched out 116 batters in 116 1/3 innings of work and had posted a 1.178 WHIP.
The 28-year-old left-hander should be good to go for spring training next year. Losing him for the rest of the regular season was a huge blow to the Royals, but he certainly turned heads with his performance this year, and he’ll look to build off of that next year.
Injuries had forced him to move to the bullpen, but he got a shot to take a starting role after the departure of Brady Singer, and he ran with that opportunity. It will be interesting to see how he fares in 2026.
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