ATLANTA -- There’s nothing like celebrating a win as a team, and the Royals got to do it for the first time in 2026 after their 4-1 victory over the Braves on Sunday at Truist Park, salvaging the opening series and heading back to Kansas City with some momentum ahead of their home opener on Monday.
The celebration might not have felt fully complete without the team-designated player of the game making their shot with the mini basketball hoop, which didn’t make it to Atlanta for some reason. Rest assured, the hoop will make its way back to team celebrations soon, and Sunday’s win felt good no matter what.
“I’m not going to say [who forgot it],” reliever Lucas Erceg said, laughing. “But we’re just excited to get home, and it’s nice to have it on a winning note.”
Here are three takeaways from the opening series in Atlanta:
1. Veteran starters were on a roll
The long ball hurt Opening Day starter Cole Ragans on Friday, but the Royals couldn’t have asked for better starts to the season from Michael Wacha (six scoreless innings) on Saturday and Seth Lugo (6 1/3 scoreless innings) on Sunday.
We can talk about the offense all we want, but the Royals must get better production and health from their rotation in ‘26, and it starts with the three we saw this weekend.
Wacha and Lugo were their vintage selves, with Wacha continuing the consistency he’s shown ever since Kansas City first signed him, and Lugo throwing the kitchen sink at the opposing lineup like he loves to do.
“I challenged hitters,” Lugo said. “That was the big key for me going into the start today: Fill up the zone and pitch as deep as I can.”
There’s no greater protection for a team than a stopper following tough losses. The Royals got two of them this weekend in Wacha and Lugo. Even better? They feel like all five of their starters can fill that role.
2. The closer situation is shaky but fixable
There was really no world in which Carlos Estévez was not going to have the first save opportunity of the season. Teams don’t give up on their veterans with strong track records before the season has even begun. There was concern because his velocity was down all spring, but the Royals had to see whether it would jump in the regular season like it did last year.
It didn’t. Now the Royals are reassessing.
First is the matter of Estévez’s health, after being struck by a liner on the left foot on Saturday. That was not why things went sideways, but the contusion was sore enough on Sunday that he showed up in a protective walking boot with plans to get more imaging when the Royals get home.
Second is the matter of Estévez’s stuff just not being right. Beyond the velocity concerns, Estévez looked out of whack mechanically, which has to be ironed out no matter how hard he’s throwing.
Manager Matt Quatraro said on Sunday that the Royals would “not be averse” to putting Estévez in a lower-leverage situation to get him right.
“I’m not going to say he wouldn’t do it, but I also think it would be probably smarter for us to try to build him a little bit in lower leverage,” Quatraro said.
So if Estévez is healthy enough to stay on the roster, it still sounds like the Royals will turn to someone else in the ninth. Erceg was the one who notched the save Sunday, although the Royals will also be comfortable with Matt Strahm, depending on where they’re at in the order.
3. The offense is starting to wake up but still needs a jolt
Overreactions were flowing like the fountains when the Royals opened the season with 15 scoreless innings before Salvador Perez’s solo homer in the seventh on Saturday.
There were some things to like about the approach against Chris Sale on Friday, though, and the bats seemed to awaken more on Sunday. Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single in the third inning was the first hit with runners in scoring position this season. Carter Jensen crushed his first home run of 2026 in the fourth. Vinnie Pasquantino picked up a big two-out RBI in the fifth.
The offense would like to score more than six runs in three days, but there were some positives to take away as the series played out. The Royals want to build on it as they head home.
“With our preparation and how we’re going about it, and then guys just getting back comfortable playing nine innings,” Witt said. “Starting the grind. That’s the fun part. It’s early in the year, but now everyone can find themselves and be in a good spot.”