2025 season: Eliminated Sept. 23
With the Royals eliminated from the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was in Kansas City, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.
Read more: MLB offseason previews 2025: What’s next for the White Sox, Pirates, Twins and more?
Things that went right
The Royals achieved most of their success on the mound, as the club ranked among the ERA leaders throughout the season. There were plenty of successes in the rotation, particularly with Kris Bubic, who transitioned from the bullpen and became one of the most successful starters in the American League until a rotator cuff strain ended his campaign in early August.
Noah Cameron enjoyed a memorable debut on April 30, and though he won’t seriously challenge for the AL Rookie of the Year award, he will get a few votes. While Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha didn’t do anything special, they were reliable and effective throughout the campaign. And led by closer Carlos Estévez and setup men Lucas Erceg and John Schreiber, the bullpen exceeded expectations.
Although there were fewer success stories in the lineup, Maikel Garcia deserves plenty of credit for being the one hitter who took a massive step forward. Previously known as a light-hitting speedster who struggled to get on base, Garcia improved his walk rate, strikeout rate and average exit velocity this season. He made his first All-Star Game and became a consistent presence in the heart of the lineup.
Things that went wrong
After having an average offense last year, the Royals were expected to take a step forward with their group of young hitters. Instead, they spent the entire season ranked among the lowest-scoring teams in baseball.
Bobby Witt Jr. continues to be one of the best all-around players in the sport. He fields the shortstop position extremely well and is always dangerous at the plate. That said, there is no hiding the fact that Witt took a major step backward offensively this year. He continued to run the bases aggressively, but his batting average and home run total paled in comparison to his 2024 production.
Witt was far from the only cause of this offense’s struggles. Jonathan India arrived from Cincinnati in the offseason to give the team a stable, productive leadoff hitter. Instead, he experienced a major dip in his homer total, reached base at a lower rate and lost his ability to steal bases. The outfield was an even bigger problem, as the Royals ranked last in wRC+ from their outfielders by a wide margin. The organization tried several outfielders, including veterans Kyle Isbel, Drew Waters, MJ Melendez and rookie Jac Caglianone, but no one could find their stroke.
Cole Ragans would count as the one notable letdown on the pitching staff, as he got off to a slow start and made just 10 starts before landing on the 60-day IL due to a torn rotator cuff. Ragans owned a sparkling 2.33 FIP at the time of his injury, which should provide optimism that he can return to being an ace next year.
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Offseason outlook
The Royals’ roster provides plenty of reasons for optimism, especially in the infield, where every position is spoken for. Salvador Perez will continue to work primarily behind the plate while drawing some starts at first base and DH. Vinnie Pasquantino is wrapping up a solid season and has first base covered. India has one more year on his contract, which will make him highly motivated to bounce back from a down year as K.C.’s second baseman. Witt is secured at shortstop until 2037, and Garcia has established that he’s the team’s third baseman of the future.
The outfield is a completely different story. At 28 years old, Isbel is unlikely to ever become more than a below-average hitter. Still, his ability to play strong defense in center field could make him the regular No. 9 batter in the lineup. Isbel also benefits from the fact that the Royals have no one else in the picture, even in the corner spots. Mike Yastrzemski and Randal Grichuk arrived at the trade deadline to stop the bleeding but are both in their mid-30s and heading to free agency. Addressing this position in free agency will be Kansas City’s No. 1 offseason priority.
Having their preferred rotation members — Ragans, Wacha, Lugo, Bubic, Cameron and Michael Lorenzen — secured for next season puts the Royals in an envious position. Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek are also options after they contributed to the rotation down the stretch. This group is deep enough that the front office could trade someone for an outfielder, but the Royals are more likely to retain their depth and use Lorenzen as a swingman if everyone is healthy.
The relief corps is in a similarly good spot, as Estévez will return as the closer, with Erceg, Schreiber and lefty Angel Zerpa maintaining their roles as the top setup men. Hunter Harvey missed most of 2025 due a teres major strain, and he’ll make this group even better if he can stay healthy next year.
Prospects on the horizon
The Royals’ prospect group is highlighted by a pair of catchers, Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen. The team’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Mitchell is just 21 years old and further away than Jensen, who looked like he belonged in the majors after debuting in September. Jensen has mashed, which likely contributed to the Royals’ willingness to trade Freddy Fermin to the Padres at the deadline.
There aren’t any sure things on the mound in the Royals’ minor-league system, but Ben Kudrna should debut next year. Kudrna grew up in the Kansas City area, which will make him a fan favorite when he arrives. He’ll need to succeed in Triple-A and have the Royals deal with some injuries in their starting staff to make that happen.
Goals for 2026
The Royals aren’t that far away from competing with the Tigers and Guardians for the AL Central crown. In fact, given their embarrassment of riches on the mound, Kansas City should strike more fear in the hearts of rival fans than their divisional foes.
The plan to take the next step is simple: The lineup needs to score runs at a league-average rate. The pieces are in place across the infield, and there are simple ways to fix the outfield. In fact, most general managers would probably rather head into the offseason needing corner outfielders than other positions. Still, it’ll be up to president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo to convince ownership to open the wallet for at least one slugger who plays the outfield.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Witt needs to be a bigger part of a postseason push than he was in 2025. A bad version of Witt is still very good, but the Royals need more than that. They need Witt to compete for the AL MVP award next year.
Fantasy focus
Although he’s coming off a down year, Witt still oozes potential and production. He’ll be a top-five pick in every 2026 draft. Garcia, Perez and Pasquantino will be heavily valued as well, likely in the range of Round 10.
There will also be several Kansas City pitchers who find their way onto fantasy teams. Ragans will lead the list, as he has ace potential if he proves in spring training that he’s past his shoulder woes. Managers will also select Bubic in the initial 10 rounds as long as he proves that his late-season shoulder injury is behind him. Lugo and Cameron will have their names called in the second half of drafts, while Wacha will be a late-round pick. And after a solid debut season with the Royals, Estévez will be valued as a top-10 closer.
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