The Royals delivered one of the most surprising and impressive turnarounds in recent memory in 2025, bouncing back from a 106-loss season to earn their first postseason berth in nearly a decade.
What can Kansas City do for an encore?
Returning to the postseason won’t be easy for the Royals, who enter this season with expectations that haven’t existed since Bobby Witt Jr. was still in high school.
“We have to understand what we are and who we are and how we need to win,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “I think it starts with that, but then also trying to control expectations of the players. We don't need to go from 86 wins to 100 wins; we just need to be a little bit better and we'll be in the playoffs. That’s what the goal is.”
The Royals’ 86 wins were just enough to win an American League Wild Card spot last season, which Kansas City earned despite a 4-9 record during the final two weeks of September. They held a 3 1/2-game lead in that race with two weeks to play, but a seven-game losing streak left Kansas City fighting for its playoff lives, one that wasn’t secured until the penultimate day of the season.
“It got hairy the last month of the season,” Picollo said. “We know how fragile the season can be. We know what it's like now to go through the highs and the lows, so let's just build off of last year.”
A year ago, the Royals were coming off a stealth offseason that saw them add Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe, Adam Frazier, Will Smith and Chris Stratton. They were also looking forward to a full season of Cole Ragans, who was one of the league’s best pitchers after being acquired from Texas for Aroldis Chapman in June 2023.
The Royals capped their busy offseason by giving Witt a huge extension that will keep him in Kansas City through at least 2030, possibly until 2037 depending on player and club options down the line.
“He committed to us, and part of that negotiation was – and he didn't say it quite like this – ‘I know I'm going to make my money. I just want good players around me. I want to win,’” Picollo said. “The game is that much easier when your team's winning, and he shared that. He was very confident and very direct. I think that was music to [owner John Sherman’s] ears, because that's how he thinks about it, too. When you have a superstar, you better take advantage of those years and do whatever you can to help that.”
Kansas City’s formidable 2024 sent Picollo into the winter looking to build on that success. He had three objectives for the offseason:
Keep the starting pitching intact
Ragans, Lugo, Brady Singer and Alec Marsh were returning to a rotation that ranked second in the AL with a 3.55 ERA. But Wacha was unlikely to exercise his $16 million player option, potentially opening a 6-foot-6 hole in the pitching staff.
Both sides moved quickly to get a deal done, as Wacha inked a three-year, $51 million deal with a club option for 2028 that could bring the total to $72 million. Wacha’s return took care of the first objective, but getting the second accomplished would likely require some creativity.
Find a leadoff hitter
The Royals ranked sixth in the AL in runs scored and OPS last season, but their offense could have been even better with a productive leadoff hitter. The seven hitters that filled that role in 2024 combined for a .270 on-base percentage (last in the AL) and a .604 OPS (14th), well below the league averages of .319 and .717.
On Aug. 3, Royals manager Matt Quatraro even batted slow-footed catcher/DH Freddy Fermin in the leadoff spot, looking for answers anywhere he could find them.
“It was driving us crazy,” Picollo said of the leadoff situation. “I was like, ‘Q, really?’ He said, ‘Who else do you want me to bat leadoff?’”
Picollo had spoken with Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall about Jonathan India prior to the Trade Deadline, but a deal never materialized. Picollo knew he would have to trade talent to get talent, and with Wacha back on a new deal, he had an idea of how to acquire the leadoff hitter the Royals desperately needed.
“Wacha wanting to stay here and getting that done early allowed us to think about how we could use Singer, knowing that we would still have to sign another starter,” Picollo said. “[Krall] knew we had interest in India, and he clearly was trying to add to starting pitching, so that made sense.”
Less than one week before Thanksgiving, the Royals landed India and outfielder Joey Wiemer for Singer, addressing what Picollo perceived as his most glaring hole. Michael Lorenzen, who posted a 1.57 ERA over 28 2/3 innings after being acquired at the Deadline, was later re-signed to replace Singer.
Add a middle-of-the-lineup bat
Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez combined to drive in 310 runs from the 2-3-4 spots despite Pasquantino (fractured thumb) missing the final month of the season. But five players hit in the No. 5 spot last season, leaving Picollo in search of a steady bat to insert behind Perez.
The Royals engaged with free agents Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar, but they were unable to come to a deal. There was talk of a potential deal with the Angels for Taylor Ward, but that never came to fruition, either.
“We had three 100-RBI guys without any consistency in the leadoff spot, but what we wanted was somebody to hit behind Salvy to make our lineup that much better,” Picollo said. “We came up short. It wasn't a lack of effort; we were trying with trades and free agency, but we just weren't able to execute it.”
The Royals hope MJ Melendez can finally realize his offensive potential, with his revamped swing resulting in less swing and miss and more consistent contact. Renfroe, who has five 25-homer seasons on his resume, could also be a factor if he can rebound from a down year.
“We don't need those two to have monster years; just good, solid years,” Picollo said. “Renfroe has done it in the past. Melendez hasn't done it yet, but he’s got a huge upside; it's just a matter of getting to it. If it doesn't go as well as we’re hoping, we’ll look at the Deadline again and try to acquire a bat.”
After missing out on an impact bat, the Royals pivoted and signed Carlos Estévez, strengthening an already solid bullpen.
Will it be enough?
Last year’s postseason experience – the Royals swept the Orioles in the Wild Card round, then lost a four-game Division Series to the eventual AL champion Yankees – should help the club’s young players as they look to take another step forward in 2025.
“I don't know how you measure it, but the experience you get in the playoffs, I think it helps them developmentally,” Picollo said. “I felt like there was a level of maturity even though we didn't win that series in New York; there was no panic, there was confidence, there was a sense that we belong.”
It has been a decade since the Royals captured their last World Series championship, ending a 30-year title drought. The city has experienced its share of winning since then thanks to Patrick Mahomes II and the Chiefs, who have been to five Super Bowls and won three championships in the past six years.
Now, the Royals are ready to turn Kansas City back into a baseball town.
“You go around the city and it's red everywhere – and it should be. They’ve won three Super Bowls,” Picollo said. “I think it's motivation for our players, because they see that. I was so happy that we got a couple home games in the postseason because we've seen Kauffman in a playoff game; it's a loud, great crowd. Our players go to the Chiefs games and they see what it's like there. It gave them a taste of what this could be.”