The Royals have a problem they need to fix soon.
The Kansas City Royals are one of the young and exciting teams in MLB right now. With that being said, they are far from perfect. Of course, no team is completely perfect (even the Dodgers). If the Royals want to take the next step in 2026, though, there is one specific fix they need to make as soon as possible.
The fix may seem simple, but it is much easier said than done. The Royals need to get on base at a much more consistent rate.
Royals Have an OBP Problem
We will take a look at the Royals' performance in 2026, but this specific problem goes well beyond this year. Through three games played this season, Kansas City is 26th in on-base percentage (OBP) with a mark of .255. However, that is only a three-game span as mentioned.
In 2025, Kansas City finished 22nd in the statistic with a .309 mark. The team struggled to consistently get runners on base all season long, and that negatively impacted their performance. The Royals ended up finishing just 26th in runs scored, and one has to imagine the lack of runners on base played a role.
In 2024, which was the Royals' most recent postseason appearance, they finished 19th in OBP. The team has simply been underwhelming in OBP over the past few years. Kansas City still reached the '24 playoffs, but the Royals could have had an all-around better season with a better team OBP.
So, who are the primary culprits?
Well, you can't blame Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia, who tied for the team lead with a .351 OBP a season ago. Players such as Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino struggled in the category, though, with Perez turning in a .284 OBP and Pasquantino finishing at .323. Perez has never been a big OBP guy, so the Royals need others to step up.
Jonathan India (.323), Kyle Isbel (.301) and Michael Massey (.268) were not helpful with the statistic. The Royals did seemingly address the concern this past offseason by adding Mike Yastrzemski (.339 2025 OBP), but the Royals would benefit from having players who were already on the roster improve in the area.
OBP is crucial. It does not receive the same amount of attention as home runs and RBI, but it is a statistic that can help a team take a big step forward in the wins department.