Last season, the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs and upset the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Divisional Series. However, the Royals have had some very good years with players who are not likely to repeat that success. The top of the American League Central is too good with the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians. Counting the Royals out is difficult, with great pitchers in Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo and a great shortstop in Bobby Witt Jr., but the division is just too difficult. Do you believe Salvador Perez will continue to turn back the clock?
Kansas City Royals Starting Rotation
Ragans and Lugo sit at the top of Kansas City’s starting rotation, forming a very good duo. Ragans is a lefty with five pitches, including a 96 MPH fastball. Lugo won a gold glove last year and continues to evolve and develop pitches.
Michael Wacha is the third starter and has found the youth fountain. Veteran Michael Lorenzen will be the fourth starter. Kris Bubic and Alec Marsh will fight it out for the last spot in the rotation. Marsh dominated at AAA and needs to prove he can win at the major league level.
Bubic has been a lefty out of the bullpen. He has poor numbers when making spot starts, which does not bode well for the team. Kyle Wright got Cy Young votes in 2022 with the Atlanta Braves but was sidelined all of last season after having shoulder surgery. If healthy, he could vie for the last spot in the rotation.
Bullpen
The bullpen for the Kansas City Royals was mediocre last season and must improve this year. Ex-Philadelphia Phillie Carlos Estevev was signed in January to assume the closer role, moving Lucas Erceg to the setup spot. He throws 99 MPH and has a nasty slider to boot.
Hunter Harvey must overcome the back issues that sidelined him for the season in August 2024. If he does, watch out, as he throws a fastball at 98 MPH. John Schieber has a very good sweeper.
Lefties Angel Zerpa and Daniel Lynch IV will work the middle innings. Chris Statton and Sam Long provide depth.
Catcher
In 2024 team leader Salvador Perez had a resurgence. He is amazing and has caught 11,545 innings in the regular season. He will be 35 years old this season and must slow down, maybe in 2026. The backup is Freddy Fermin, who out-hit Perez last season. Fermin hits well enough that he may get at-bats as the designated hitter.
Infield
Vinnie Pasquantinois is the bashing first baseman who could hit 30 home runs this year. The shortstop is excellent. Witt Jr. may be the best player in baseball. He finished second in the Most Valuable Player voting in 2024. He also won the American League batting title. Maikel Garcia is the third baseman, but the longtime Royal is coming off elbow surgery. New acquisition Jonathan India plays second base. Last season, he got on base 37% of the time for the Cincinnati Reds. He may bat leadoff for Kansas City. India will replace Michal Massey at second base. Massey and Cavan Biggio will provide infield depth.
Outfield
The right fielder for the Royals is veteran Hunter Renfroe, though his OPS has decreased three years in a row. Still, he has a strong arm. Kyle Isbel is the centerfielder. He is fast and a good fielder. He is a weak hitter. MJ Melendez is the left fielder. Darion Blanco is the fourth outfielder for Kansas City and is a serious base-stealing threat.
Designated Hitter
The Royals are unlikely to use a regular designated hitter. Instead, they will use this position to rest regulars like Perez and Pasquantinois or bench players like Fermin and Renfroe.
Management
Second-year manager Matt Quataro did an excellent job turning this team around in 2024. This is a well-run team that maximizes its resources. General Manager J.J. Picollo followed Drayton Moore when he left for Atlanta. Probably the best move Picollo made was to hire Matt Quatraro as Kansas City’s special advisor for player development.
Conclusion
2025 could be disappointing for the Royals as they may miss the playoffs because of the competition in the American League Central. They may finish third or fourth in the division. The Royals have some good players, but several may regress in 2025.
