Heading into the new campaign, the Kansas City Royals need to come together as a team in order to give Detroit a run for their money in the division. Their core of Bobby Witt Jr, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez has to produce at an elite level if this lineup is to work. The health of Cole Ragans is also vital for the success of the Kansas City season. The outfield is a major swing-point here, as the Royals have Jac Caglianone knocking at the door to boost this lineup to new heights, there just has to be a spot for him.
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Summary of Last Season
Last season the Royals finished with an 82-80 record, with a +14-run differential. They finished six games behind the first place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, and they missed out on a wild card after falling five games behind the Detroit Tigers for the final wild card spot. Though they did finish second in the division in run differential, they did fall one game behind their expected record of 83-79.
Despite having Witt as the anchor of the lineup, the Royals finished in the bottom third of the league in many major offensive categories. They ranked 26th in runs, 18th in hits, 26th in homeruns, 20th in OPS, and 29th in walks. The one bright spot is they struck out the least in the league. Witt finished atop the team with a 7.1 WAR, while also leading the way in runs, hits, and stolen bases. Maikel Garcia finished second with a 5.8 WAR, while also finishing second in stolen bases, fourth in homeruns, and second in runs. Pasquantino and Perez led the team in homeruns with 32 and 30 respectively.
The pitching staff was much stronger than the lineup. The Royals ranked sixth in the league with a 3.73 team ERA, while also ranking eighth in quality starts, giving up the eighth least number of homeruns, and 11th in WHIP. Noah Cameron led the staff with a 3.8 WAR. He finished fourth on the team in innings pitched, posting a 9-7 record and a 1.10 WHIP. Kris Bubic finished second with a 3.1 WAR after posting an 8-7 record across 20 starts while posting a 2.55 ERA. Carlos Estevez led the team with 42 saves, while finishing with a 2.45 ERA across 66 innings pitched.
Key Additions/Losses
After the end of the season the Royals did not lose a lot. Depth pieces Adam Frazier, Mike Yastrzemski, Randal Grichuk, Kyle Wright, Sam Long, and Hunter Harvey all became free agents. The Royals also declined the mutual option on Michael Lorenzon, making him a free agent as well. They later non-tendered MJ Melendez and Taylor Clarke.
Kansas City was left with little holes to fill throughout the offseason but had a lot of areas to improve. They added relievers Alex Lange, Jose Cuas, Matt Strahm, Helcris Olivarez, Hector Neris, Aaron Sanchez, Mitch Spence, and Eli Morgan. They also added outfielders Lane Thomas and Starling Marte, infielders Kevin Newman, Josh Rojas, and Abraham Toro, and catcher Elias Diaz.
Prospect Outlook
Despite currently falling outside the playoff picture, the Royals do not have a lot of bright spots in their farm system. They currently rank 24th in the league with just two prospects appearing in the MLB Top 100 Rankings. Catcher Carter Jensen ranks 19th in the rankings. The 22-year-old lefty with power potential both with the bat and his arm. He will throw out a lot of runners on the base paths and will also add another 20+ homerun potential bat for the lineup. Their second prospect in these rankings is catcher Blake Mitchell who ranks 75th. While Mitchell is further away from cracking the big leagues, he may be used as a trade piece to add more talent at the deadline this year.
X-Factors
The Bullpen– The bullpen in place may be one of the best in the MLB this season. Estevez is a solid anchor for the bullpen, with arms like John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg setting him up in the late innings. Now that they have added Strahm, Morgan, Neris, and Lange to further boost the status of the bullpen. There is a lot of experience in the bullpen which could be an incredibly important factor to consider later in the season as the Royals try and make a push for a wild card spot. If the names can live up to their potential, the Royals will go back to having an elite bullpen, which was a key factor in their last World Series win.
The Front Office- While the pitching staff is set to be dominant again, the front office has to do something to address the mediocre status of the lineup. They do not have a lot of expendable prospects at this time, outside of Mitchell, so the front office is going to have to get creative on adding some key bats that can keep them in the playoff hunt.
2026 Kansas City Royals Notable Odds:
Win Total: 82.5
World Series Champions- +3500
Pennant Winners- +1500
Division Winners- +210
AL MVP- Bobby Witt Jr. +450
AL MVP- Vinnie Pasquantino +10000
AL Cy Young- Cole Ragans +1200
AL Rookie of the Year- Carter Jensen +700
2026 Kansas City Royals Predictions:
The Kansas City Royals are the second-best team in the AL Central heading into the season. While the +210 to win the division is a solid value pick, there is just no way they get past the Tigers. As for Witts MVP endeavors, he has the potential to be a 30/40 player with a solid glove to anchor the left side of the infield. With +450 odds, he is worth a flier. Aside from that, the Royals will hit the over on their win total. Their expected record last year was 83-79 which would have hit the over on this year’s projected total, and they made some moves to better this team. This is an easy over here.
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