Where the Royals Stand in the 2026 AL Central Hierarchy

The Kansas City Royals finished the 2025 season with an 82-80 record, landing them in third place in the AL Central behind the division-champion Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers.

After making the playoffs in 2024, the Royals took a step back last year, but the pieces are in place for a potential bounce-back campaign in 2026.

A Look at the 2025 AL Central

The AL Central was defined by one of the most dramatic comebacks in baseball history last season.

The Guardians overcame a 15.5-game deficit to the Tigers and captured the division title on the final day of the regular season, with Detroit collapsing down the stretch and settling for a Wild Card spot.

The Royals sat just outside the playoff picture all season, never quite able to string together enough wins to make a serious push despite solid pitching and the continued brilliance of shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Kansas City’s 82-80 record put them above the Minnesota Twins and the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, but the Royals know they need more to compete with Cleveland and Detroit next year.

The Royals’ Offseason So Far

Kansas City has been busy this winter addressing key roster needs, and the bullpen has been a major focus.

The Royals acquired left-hander Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan on December 19th, bringing back a former Royal who has become one of the best lefty relievers in baseball over the past three seasons with a 2.71 ERA across 188 appearances in Philadelphia.

Strahm joins a bullpen that also added righty Alex Lange earlier in the offseason, and the club traded reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears.

With closer Carlos Estevez and setup man Lucas Erceg already in place, the Royals could have one of the stronger back-end bullpens in the American League heading into 2026.

The front office also locked up third baseman Maikel Garcia to a five-year extension worth $57.5 million with a club option for a sixth year, ensuring the left side of the infield stays together alongside Witt Jr. through at least 2030.

How the Royals Can Compete

The path to contention in the AL Central runs through improved offense, and the Royals know it.

Kansas City posted a 93 wRC+ in 2025, ranking among the lowest-scoring teams in baseball, and the outfield remains a problem area that needs to be addressed before Opening Day.

The pitching staff should be a strength again with Cole Ragans returning healthy after a rotator cuff strain limited him to just 10 starts last season, and veterans Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha anchoring the rotation alongside breakout performers like Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron.

If the offense can simply get to league-average production, the Royals have the arms to compete with anyone in the division.

Breakout Candidates for 2026

Carter Jensen – The 22-year-old catcher and Kansas City native made his MLB debut in September and showed exactly why he’s one of the top catching prospects in baseball, slashing .300/.391/.550 with three home runs and six doubles in just 60 at-bats.

Jensen’s power and improving defensive skills make him a candidate to push for significant playing time behind Salvador Perez next season, and he could eventually become the long-term answer at catcher.

Maikel Garcia – While Garcia already broke out in 2025 with a .286/.351/.449 line, 16 home runs, and his first All-Star appearance and Gold Glove Award, the 25-year-old could take another step forward in 2026.

His improved plate discipline and willingness to drive the ball in the air transformed him from a contact-first slap hitter into a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, and his 5.8 WAR tied Jose Ramirez for the best mark among all third basemen.

Cole Ragans – Ragans was electric when healthy in 2025, and his three late-season starts after returning from injury showed his arm is still capable of dominating hitters with a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 13 innings.

A full, healthy season from the 27-year-old could mean a return to his 2024 form when he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting.

The Bottom Line

The Royals have the building blocks to compete in 2026, with Witt Jr. and Garcia forming one of the best left sides of the infield in baseball, a deep rotation, and a revamped bullpen.

The question marks remain in the outfield and with the overall offensive production, but if Kansas City can find a few more bats this offseason and get full seasons from their key players, they have a real shot at returning to the postseason for the first time since their Wild Card run in 2024.

‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’

‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source ca.sports.yahoo.com ’