The Kansas City Royals entered May having won five of their previous eight games. That momentum carried over as they opened the month by winning their first five games.
It appeared Kansas City was beginning to turn a corner after a rocky start to the season.
But after those first five games, May quickly turned into a month the Royals would rather forget.
The month quickly went off the rails for Kansas City
The Royals were swept by the Texas Rangers on Sunday, marking the second consecutive series in which Kansas City has been swept.
They are now on a six-game losing streak and have lost 16 of their last 19 games. What began as a promising month quickly unraveled, with Kansas City’s season taking a sharp turn in what felt like the blink of an eye.
Kansas City finished May with a 10-18 record, dropping to 22-37 on the season. The Royals now sit 11 games behind in the AL Central, but remain just 6.5 games out of an American League Wild Card spot.
With how inconsistent the American League has been this season, the Royals have managed to keep their playoff hopes alive despite this brutal stretch. However, their chances of reaching the postseason have dropped significantly.
Coming into the season, FanGraphs projected the Royals with a 44.8% chance of making the playoffs and a 29.3% chance of winning the division.
Now, FanGraphs gives Kansas City just a 6.8% chance to make the playoffs and a 3.4% chance to win the division.
What went wrong for Kansas City?
There was a lot that did not click for the Royals in May, and some bad luck only added to their struggles.
To start, the Royals’ pitching staff was plagued by injuries. Both the rotation and bullpen were affected.
Kansas City lost two key starters this month when ace Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic landed on the injured list.
On the bullpen side, the Royals were already without Carlos Estévez when more injuries began to pile up.
Matt Strahm, a key member of Kansas City’s late-inning relief group, landed on the injured list this month. More recently, right-hander Nick Mears was also placed on the 15-day injured list.
These injuries, paired with some shaky performances, played a major role in the Royals’ bullpen struggles. Most notably, Lucas Erceg has found himself in a rough stretch as of late and has not been as effective in late-game situations.
Erceg currently owns a 6.33 ERA through 21 1/3 innings this season. He has also been charged with five blown saves.
His ability to shut the door in late-game situations has become a growing concern for Kansas City.
Especially with Estévez sidelined and Strahm missing much of the month, Erceg was the late-inning arm Kansas City needed to rely on.
The offense also struggled to consistently produce runs. Kansas City scored just 95 runs in May, the fourth-fewest total in MLB during the month.
This has been a theme all season long, not just in May. Kansas City has scored only 221 runs this season, which ranks dead last in MLB.
What was the bright spot for Kansas City in May?
While it was a brutal stretch for the Royals as a whole, there were still some positive takeaways.
For starters, Kansas City still has Bobby Witt Jr., who put together another strong month despite the team’s struggles.
The All-Star slashed .283/.331/.522 across 113 at-bats in May, while adding seven home runs and seven stolen bases. He continues to perform at an MVP-caliber level.
The Royals have also found another reliable starter in Stephen Kolek, who has been a steady presence since arriving in Kansas City last season. He tossed a complete-game shutout in May and continued to provide quality innings whenever called upon.
Daniel Lynch IV has also continued to be one of the Royals’ most reliable arms, particularly in high-leverage situations.
Lynch has posted a 1.93 ERA through his first 23 1/3 innings this season and has been nothing short of nails in big spots.
Despite a rough start to the season, John Schreiber put together a productive month out of the bullpen. The right-hander posted a 0.87 ERA across 10 1/3 innings in May, marking a significant bounce-back performance.
It was a great month until it wasn’t for Kansas City. The Royals have now dug themselves into a hole that will take time and consistency to climb out of.
However, sitting just 6.5 games back of a Wild Card spot gives them a chance to get back into the race. If they hope to make up ground, something will need to change soon.
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