The Kansas City Royals haven't won the AL Central since their championship season in 2015, but there's reason to believe that will change in 2026. 

The Royals got better on paper this offseason, as they acquired outfielder Isaac Collins and reliever Nick Mears from the Milwaukee Brewers and reliever Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies. 

On top of that, Kansas City kept all of its core pieces. Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., catcher Salvador Perez, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, and third baseman Maikel Garcia will all be back, and it handed Garcia a five-year, $57.5 million extension, per Spotrac.

When examining the rest of the AL Central, it's clear that the Royals have as good a chance to win it as any team.

Part of the reason why Kansas City is in a favorable position is the lack of elite competition in the AL Central. The only other teams with a chance of winning the World Series are the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, neither of whom added major bats this offseason. The Tigers did acquire starting pitcher Framber Valdez and closer Kenley Jansen to a staff headlined by superstar Tarik Skubal, but they have none of baseball's top hitters.

Meanwhile, the Guardians finished 29th in baseball with a .669 OPS this past season, so the main reason they made the AL Wild Card Round was their pitching. Pitching can take a team far, but there are only so many games a squad can win when it can't hit.

In addition to the aforementioned hitters, the Royals have dependable pitchers like Michael Wacha (3.86 ERA last season), Seth Lugo (3.49 career ERA), Lucas Erceg (2.64 ERA in 2025), and Carlos Estevez (MLB-high 42 saves in 2025). Detroit boasted the 12th-best OPS in baseball last season, but Gleyber Torres was its only player with an OBP above .350. The offense must prove that it can complement the team's elite pitching staff for another year.

Furthermore, the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are still nowhere close to contention after experiencing losing seasons in 2025. The Twins were 70-92, while the White Sox were 60-102.

With Pablo Lopez injured, Minnesota has no major threats on either side of the ball besides outfielder Byron Buxton and starting pitcher Joe Ryan. Additionally, the White Sox are continuing their rebuild after trading outfielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets.

The Royals have a deep stable of talent even without right fielder/first baseman Jac Caglianone performing to his potential. However, the 23-year-old has the talent to take them to the next level.

Caglianone was the organization's top prospect when he was called up last season, but he slashed just .157/.237/.295 over 62 games. The 2024 first-round pick was better in the minors, where he slashed .308/.377/.547 over 95 contests.

If Caglianone posts anything close to his minor-league stats in the big leagues next season, Kansas City's lineup will be a force.