The Kansas City Royals are facing elimination entering Friday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. A loss and a Boston Red Sox win will completely take them out of the American League Wild Card picture. Their offense has let them down at various points this year, while the pitching has performed well for the most part. But that hasn’t stopped their September slide.
The Royals will have work to do in 2026 to improve their team, but they actually have had some successes this year. Several players, such as Kris Bubic and Maikel Garcia have stepped up in a big way.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report listed his “All-Breakout Team” and on the list was Garcia after a very strong 2025 season.
“Slugger Junior Caminero has had a loud 44-homer, 108-RBI season for the Tampa Bay Rays, but dramatic home/road splits helped serve as a tie-breaker of sorts at the position where Maikel Garcia has also taken his game to new heights in 2025,” Reuter wrote.
“Garcia, 25, ranked 128th out of 129 qualified hitters with a 75 OPS+ in 626 plate appearances last season, making his breakout performance one of the most surprising in recent memory. Aside from his massive uptick in offensive impact, he has also posted elite defensive metrics and should be headed for a Gold Glove win.”
Garcia is hitting .286/.351/.454 with 16 home runs 70 RBI, 23 stolen bases, a 5.2 WAR and an .805 OPS. He was an All-Star for the first time this year, and may not only win a Gold Glove, but receive consideration for a Silver Slugger Award as well.
He certainly has earned has earned the opportunity to at least be considered for some solid honors. The Royals lineup has let them down, but Garcia has been one of the few bright spots and has become a perfect compliment to Bobby Witt Jr., last year’s American League MVP runner up.
It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out in the offseason. But the future appears bright for Garcia. The Royals may have a true star on their hands and somebody besides Witt to build around in the next couple of years as they try to bounce back into postseason contention in 2026 and rebound from 2025.
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