The Kansas City Royals have all of a sudden started to play much better baseball as of late. With a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, they came to within 2 1/2 games of the third American League Wild Card spot and ran their win streak up to five games. For the first time since May 25, Kansas City is four games above the .500 mark at 65-61.
The Royals have witnessed a lot of key players stepping up this year and earning more opportunities. This has led them back into contention and given them a chance to potentially grab a Wild Card spot as they did last year.
One player in particular who has stepped up is third baseman Maikel Garcia. He was an All-Star for the first time this year. When listing the top 10 most improved players in 2025, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report highlighted Garcia at the No. 2 spot.
“With a 75 OPS+ last season, Maikel Garcia ranked 128th out of 129 hitters who tallied enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, with 37 steals and 84 runs scored propping up an otherwise dismal offensive performance,” Reuter wrote on Tuesday.
“Despite those struggles, the Royals stuck with the 25-year-old as the team’s everyday third baseman entering the year, and he has rewarded their faith with one of the most unexpected breakout performances of the 2025 season.”
Garcia certainly has rewarded the Royals this season. He is hitting .302/.363/.472 with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a 4.2 WAR and an .836 OPS. He also has a 132 OPS+.
It took a while for Garcia’s offense to come around, but this year, he has finally come into his own as a hitter and has been one of the Royals’ top run producers. The Royals kept their faith in him, and he has rewarded their faith with a truly remarkable 2025 season.
His breakout year has helped the Royals stay afloat in the Wild Card race and has given them a chance to potentially make it back to the postseason after they had won 86 games and clinched a Wild Card spot in 2024.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Garcia fares going forward and if he can continue at this pace.
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