Honestly, the Kansas City Royals are lucky to be in the playoffs for the first time since the team won the World Series in 2015. They essentially backed in, primarily because the Minnesota Twins collapsed. The Royals only had an 11-14 record in September. That doesn’t bode well, momentum-wise, going into October.
Sorry, Royals fans — here are the top reasons why you won’t be celebrating a championship in 2024.
Are the Kansas City Royals even a good team?
Yes, the Royals are in the playoffs. Yes, the Royals finished ten games above .500. Would any of that have been possible if they weren’t in the same division as the 121-loss Chicago White Sox? The Royals were 12-1 against the team that lost the most games in baseball history. However, against the rest of baseball, Kansas City was one game below .500, going 74-75. Can this team beat four really good teams in a row to win the World Series? Doubt it.
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How healthy will Vinnie Pasquantino be?
The Royals’ offense wasn’t the same without Vinnie Pasquantino. The slugging first baseman, who had 19 home runs and 97 RBI, went down at the end of August with a broken thumb and missed the rest of the regular season. However, he is back for the Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles. When Pasquantino got hurt, the Royals’ offense was last in baseball in every slash mark category, according to Fox Sports. If Pasquantino is unable to get going, it will be a short October for the Royals.
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Where will the Royals offense come from?
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best shortstops in the game. The superstar had a .332 average, with 32 home runs, 109 RBI, 125 runs scored, a .977 OPS, and 177 OPS+. But he can’t do it all. More players will need to step up. Depending on what Pasquantino can give the Royals, the only other decent bat they have is catcher Salvador Perez. The rest of the lineup is just middling. Someone outside of Witt is going to have to have a postseason of a lifetime for the Royals to have a chance.
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Can the Royals’ bullpen steer the ship in the playoffs?
The Royals had the second-best starting rotation ERA in the AL at 3.57, thanks to starters Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Michael Wacha. However, the bullpen has been a different story on the season. Royals relievers had the sixth-worst ERA in the AL at 4.13, with a 1.33 WHIP, and 23 blown saves on the season. The Royals will need a dependable bullpen to count on if they want to move on in October.
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