After a second consecutive winning season that ended short of a postseason spot, Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo defended the team\u2019s situational hitting while acknowledging areas that need improvement. In an end of the season press conference on Tuesday, Picollo conceded that the team needed better execution to get back to the playoff baseball, not necessarily wholesale changes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThis is the same group of players, for the most part, that did execute last year, and we didn\u2019t do it at the same level in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Manager Matt Quatraro said the team improved in its processes, but ultimately took a step back when judged by the win column. He emphasized small changes the club could take to improve next season to get back to the playoffs. While the team got big seasons out of hitters like Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, and Salvador Perez, they needed to get more production from the rest of the lineup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe need to figure out how to get the most out of the rest of the roster. Some adjustments will be small tweaks rather than wholesale changes. It could be managing days off or sequencing in a different way. Baseball is full of a million small decisions that add up over the course of a season.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Despite some offensive struggles, the Royals will retain hitting coach Alec Zumwalt. Picollo expressed support for the embattled coach, saying the club had a \u201clot of belief\u201d in him for his past work with Royals hitters in the minors. He cited the development of top young hitters like Witt, Garcia, and Pasaquantino as evidence of success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201dFor some of those guys, he\u2019s the only hitting coach they have really ever known. There\u2019s a strong trust in what he does and what he brings. Part of being a good coach is building relationships. If you can\u2019t build relationships, then you don\u2019t have trust. Alec, I know, has the trust of our hitters, and he\u2019s passionate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Picollo indicated there may be other changes to the coaching staff, including changes in Zumwalt\u2019s support staff on the hitting side. The Royals finished with the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Picollo did address some of the offensive woes, but found a lot of similarities to last year\u2019s club.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWhen we look at how our offense performed last year versus this year, it\u2019s very similar in a lot of categories. The only thing we didn\u2019t do, which is the most important thing, is score runs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He defended the team against criticism on situational hitting, arguing they improved significantly in the second half of the season. The Royals hit .229 with runners on scoring position<\/a> before the All-Star break, and .291 in those situations<\/a> after the break.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n