A New Era for the Royals: Will They Finally End Their Nine-Year Playoff Drought?
The 2024 MLB regular season has two months left, and as the season approaches its conclusion, both analysts and fans should be keeping a watch on a number of stories. One of the most important stories to follow closely is the Kansas City Royals' comeback. Few analysts or baseball fans had great expectations for the Royals 2024 season going into the season. However, I said a few weeks before Opening Day that the Royals had all the necessary components going into 2024 to shock fans and emerge as a breakout team this season, even though they had just 56 victories in 2023. I can say with confidence that I was correct about my forecast after the first five months of the 2024 season. With a 60-49 record as of August 1st, the Royals are in the running for a postseason spot in the last two months of the regular season, hoping to snap a nine-year playoff drought. The question at hand now, is if the Royals can secure a playoff spot by the end of the regular season, capping off their thrilling comeback to competitive baseball.
The Royals have received major production from a number of players on their roster this season. Let's start with the offense first, and 2024 All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is the man you must begin with. Since joining the Royals in 2022 to start his MLB career, Witt has proven in his short three-year career why he was selected with the second overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He is now the centerpiece of the Royals offense, both this season and going beyond. Witt has contributed significantly to the Royals' success in 109 games this season, hitting .349 with 19 home runs, 76 RBIs, 24 stolen bases, and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .992, which led to Witt being named to his first All-Star Game this season.
In addition to Witt leading the way, veteran Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who began his 13th season with the organization, has produced a lot for the Royals yet again. In contrast to the previous two seasons, Perez has seen an increase in his offensive output this season after finishing 2023 with a .255 batting average, 23 home runs, and 80 RBIs. With two months remaining in the regular season, Perez, who has a batting average of .278 this year, is on track to surpass his home run and RBIs total from last season, with 19 home runs and 73 RBIs currently. The Royals' offensive prowess has been fueled by the output of both Witt and Perez, with notable contributions from Vinnie Pasquantino, Hunter Renfroe, Maikel Garcia, and other players.
Currently, the Royals have a strong pitching staff, with a team ERA of 3.80, which ranks 10th in MLB after finishing 2023 ranked 28th in ERA, thanks to a busy offseason by general manager J.J. Picollo, who signed several veteran pitchers to one or two-year contracts, including Seth Lugo, Will Smith, Michael Wacha, and Chris Stratton. So far this season, Lugo and Brady Singer have proven to be the team's aces; Lugo has a 12-5 record and the third-best ERA in MLB at 2.66. The 27-year-old Singer, meanwhile, has an 8-6 record and a 2.88 ERA. The last two months of the season will include a number of highly anticipated in-division games, so the Royals' ability to pitch well will be crucial to their chances of earning a postseason berth.
The Royals are now six games behind the division-leading Cleveland Guardians in third place in the AL Central. However, currently, the Royals are ahead of the Boston Red Sox by two games for the third and final AL Wild-Card spot. Even though the Royals had a difficult June going 12–15, they were able to recover in July with a 13–10 record and are hoping to carry over their strong season into the final stretch. Having said that, the Royals must stick to what has helped the team get this far in the season—quality pitching, clutch hitting, and outstanding on-field defense—if they want to end their postseason drought. By the end of the season, the Royals have the potential to make an unexpected run back to the postseason thanks to a combination of young, productive talent, seasoned veterans, and a revitalized sense of determination.
