The Kansas City Royals are showing signs of life late in the 2025 season. After buying at the trade deadline as opposed to selling, they have come to within three games of the Seattle Mariners for the third and final American League Wild Card spot. They won 86 games last year and were the second Wild Card team, beating the Baltimore Orioles in the first round before losing the ALDS to the eventual AL champion New York Yankees.
They have watched several key players take some major steps forward in 2025, and that has helped them remain alive in the postseason chase. With just over a month to go, Kansas City cannot be overlooked as they try to make a push for a Wild Card spot.
One player in particular that has taken steps forward is outfielder Kyle Isbel. Mike Gillespie of Kings of Kauffman listed three players that the Royals should extend to keep an eye on the present and the future, and Isbel was among those players.
“For all his fine defensive work (more on that in a moment), Isbel hasn’t hit much during the parts of five seasons he’s spent in Kansas City’s outfield. Coming into this season, only in 2021, when he hit .276, had he posted an average better than .240, and that was in only 28 games. The eight homers he managed last season remain his career-best, and he’s never driven in more than 42 RBI,” Gillespie wrote.
“Isbel’s August slash line of .333/.393/.471 (through Thursday) can’t be ignored.”
Isbel is hitting .266/.305/.378 with four home runs, 28 RBI, a 1.4 WAR and a .684 OPS. He also has a 90 OPS+.
He plays solid defense, but his bat finally appears to be coming around. He is proving to be a solid contact hitter and has performed quite well at the plate in his age-28 season.
Isbel was drafted by the Royals in the 3rd round in 2018 out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has stepped up in a big way for the Royals this year and is one of the main reasons they remain in postseason contention as the month of September draws near.
He is still under contract through 2027, so the Royals will have him for a while. We’ll see if he can continue putting up strong numbers with Kansas City.
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