The Kansas City Royals have done a 180-degree shift since hiring manager Matt Quatraro after the 2022 season. They suffered their second straight last-place finish in 2023, but finished second in 2024 before advancing to the AL Division Series.

Before that, they hadn't made the playoffs or had a winning season since their 2015 championship campaign. They missed the postseason again in 2025, but finished 82-80. 

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has developed into a superstar under Quatraro's watch, while first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and third baseman Maikel Garcia have turned into core pieces.

Quatraro revealed his thoughts about the team in December, via MLB.com's Anne Rogers.

“I think it's an exciting team to be around,” Quatraro said in December. “These guys, they compete, they prepare. They're good to each other. It's an easy clubhouse. They have a very common goal and understanding of what our end goal is -- to win the World Series. They understand that. They know it's not going to be easy."

The Royals handed the 52-year-old a three-year contract extension with an option for a fourth on Sunday, per Rogers. The extension begins in 2027 and runs through 2029, so he'll have several chances to accomplish that "end goal" in Kansas City.

“Personally, I think one of the things focusing on for myself and the staff is to make sure that we know the players as well as we possibly can, that each guy is completely different and how we reach one guy may not be the same as the other," he continued. "So knowing them at a deeper level … understanding what makes each person tick that much more, and hopefully it leads to more harmony [and] synergy to help us through the tough times and get over the humps.”

Quatraro isn't solely responsible for developing the three aforementioned players, but the fact that they've all turned into upper-echelon big-league players under his leadership reflects well on him. On top of that, Kansas City finished sixth in MLB with a 3.73 team ERA last season, so the club has been productive on both sides of the ball.

While there's no guarantee that Quatraro will lead the Royals to the promised land, he has the tools at his disposal to do so. He not only has talented players, but he has an aggressive front office rounding out his roster. This offseason, the club has already signed Garcia to a five-year extension and acquired outfielder Isaac Collins, outfielder Lane Thomas, reliever Nick Mears, reliever Matt Strahm, and reliever Alex Lange. 

Meanwhile, the division-rival Minnesota Twins have done little besides signing first baseman Josh Bell after finishing 70-92 last season, and the Chicago White Sox are still nowhere close to contending. That leaves the Cleveland Guardians, who finished 29th in baseball with a .669 OPS in 2025, and the Detroit Tigers to challenge Kansas City for the AL Central title next season. The Guardians' hitting woes constantly keep them from reaching the World Series, and the Tigers will be in trouble if superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal doesn't return after 2026.

The Royals are rising, and the division is there for the taking. However, Quatraro and company must take advantage.