Copyright yardbarker
The Kansas City Royals finished 82-80, good for third in the AL Central this season. For the Royals, it’s only the second winning season for the club since winning the 2015 World Series (the other being last year). That said, the Royals were hoping to take a step forward in 2025 after going 86-76 in 2024 and making it to the American League Division Series (they lost to the Yankees in four games). Kansas City certainly had a chance to return to the postseason going into September. However, a 12-13 performance in September and strong finishes by the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners seemed to kill their playoff aspirations. The Royals only had two losing months this season, but the last month of play, along with an 8-18 June, hurt the club in their quest to return to the postseason. So was this season a success for the Royals? Not really, especially since they lost four more games than a year ago. That said, it wasn’t a total failure either. A winning record and meaningful baseball in September haven’t been common themes in Kansas City in the post-strike era. Thus, let’s take a bigger look at the Royals’ 2025 season and identify six key things we can take away from this past year. 1. The Royals Need to Add Another Bat This Offseason The Royals started last offseason by trading pitcher Brady Singer to Cincinnati for second baseman Jonathan India in an effort to improve production at the leadoff spot. Unfortunately, India had a disappointing first season in Kansas City. In 567 plate appearances, he posted a .669 OPS, 89 wRC+, and -0.3 fWAR. In addition to India’s struggles, the Royals also failed to get much from their outfield offensively, especially at the beginning of the season. Opening Day outfielders Hunter Renfroe and MJ Melendez were cold out of the gate and both off the active roster before the end of May. Mark Canha had a decent start, but failed to offer much off the bench (49 wRC+ and -0.7 fWAR in 125 plate appearances). Cavan Biggio initially appeared to be a utility weapon, but he also struggled with a 59 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR with Kansas City. Kansas City did get help at the trade deadline, with Mike Yastrzemski having the most significant impact. The former San Francisco Giant posted a 127 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR in 50 games and 186 plate appearances with the Royals. He is a free agent to be, but the Royals may be tempted to bring him back for another season or two, especially considering his plate patience (13.4% walk rate with the Royals) and defensive versatility (can play all three outfield positions). However, Yastrzemski can’t be the only upgrade in the outfield. They need another bat to help an offense that ranked 26th in runs scored in 2025. Last offseason, there were rumors that Kansas City was in the hunt for free agent Anthony Santander. Could the Royals get into trade talks with the Blue Jays to acquire him from Toronto, especially since they demonstrated they could make the World Series without him? Could they also be in the hunt for Taylor Ward from the Angels, whom they’ve been tied to in the past? Or could they spend some money in free agency and convince Alex Bregman to come to Kansas City over Boston or Detroit?
