Despite a disappointing 69-win season plagued by injuries, a young core led by Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone is something to be excited about.
The Kansas City Royals certainly did not have the 2026 season they expected. Heading into the year, many people had the Royals finishing at least second in the American League Central division. After an encouraging 2025 that saw them finish two games above .500, and an offseason that added to that group, there was a belief that the Royals could at least be in the same tier as the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, who were far and away the two best teams in the Central last season.
Instead, this division did not go how people expected, as the White Sox surprised everybody and nearly won it, Cleveland did what it does, riding a late-season surge to secure a third straight division title, while the Tigers and Twins were below average and the Royals finished well below everybody.
Injuries certainly impacted this, as evidenced by the Royals putting together somewhat of a late-season surge once they started to get healthy, but a 69-93 finish is disappointing regardless. That said, there is a lot to be excited about in Kansas City.
Bobby Witt Jr. remains a star, and the young core around him looks to be coming into its own. 2024 first-round pick Jac Caglianone was one of the best hitters in baseball during the stretch run, finishing the year with an .834 OPS with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs.
Rookie catcher Carter Jensen was arguably even hotter down the stretch, as he rode a torrid September to a .790 OPS to go along with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs. That trio of Witt, Caglianone, and Jensen could be a problem in the Central division for a long time.
If the Royals can get more consistency around them and keep their starting pitching healthy, there is no reason why this group couldn’t be competitive as early as 2027, assuming there is a season.
All that being said, the Central division is only getting stronger. The Guardians have won it three seasons in a row and deserve their respect, as they have a young core that is improving. While it was a disappointing season for the Tigers, they also have some exciting young players both on the pitching and offensive side.
Then there is the White Sox, who are certainly upset to have blown their division lead, but also have a group of exciting young players and are back in the postseason after a dreadful stretch of losing.
To keep pace with these teams, the Royals will not only have to lean on their young core, but finally get aggressive and make meaningful moves in the winter. Again, it remains to be seen what is in store in 2027, but if there is a season, Royals fans have a lot to be optimistic about.
