The Kansas City Royals playoff hopes keep taking hit after hit. With a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, the Royals dropped back under .500 and fell to seven games back in the American League Wild Card race. Even a sweep in the upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners wouldn’t put them much closer in the race. Soon, it may be time to start thinking about 2026 and beyond.
The Royals have had several injuries this year. Both Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo are currently on the injured list. Some players have even faded into obscurity.
One player that has essentially disappeared is right-hander Kyle Wright. He was a World Series champion with the Atlanta Braves in 2021 but is now in the minor leagues with Kansas City. Mike Gillespie of Kings of Kauffman vouched for him and declared that the Royals should give him another chance in 2026.
“Wright’s potential ranks at the top of the list. The increasingly popular view that pitching wins mean less than they used to notwithstanding, the 21 victories he posted for the Braves in 2022 can’t be ignored,” Gillespie wrote.
“It takes a lot to win that many games these days, and the shoulder problem that so prematurely ended his 2023 campaign explains the disappointing 1-3, 6.97 ERA record he posted that year. Wright can obviously pitch quite well.”
Wright owns a career 2.5 WAR and is 24-16 with a 4.45 ERA in 51 starts and nine relief appearances. The 2021 World Series champion also has recorded 267 strikeouts over 281 1/3 innings of work and has posted a 1.365 WHIP.
He broke into the big leagues in 2018 and had a breakout year in 2022, posting a 3.19 ERA in 30 starts over 180 1/3 innings pitched. The Royals took a chance on him after a rough 2023 season, but he has never pitched in the Major Leagues with Kansas City.
Still, he has solid potential and is still under 30 years of age, so there is still time for him to tap into that potential and become a frontline starter. It will certainly be interesting to see if he gets a shot in 2026 after several lost seasons. The Royals could benefit from having him healthy and in the starting rotation.
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