Ever since winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals have been stuck in mediocrity. Whether it was them underperforming with the core that won them in the World Series in the late 2010s or when they went into a full-blown rebuild in the early 2020s, the Royals have been a non-factor since winning the last game of the season in 2015.
Going into the 2024 season, there wasn’t much hope for anything changing. Sure, the Royals had some interesting and talented players on their roster, but it was expected to be another losing season in Kansas City. This season was more about developing the young players as well as appreciating the last few seasons of Salvador Perez.
However, nearly a third of the way into the season, the Royals are one of the biggest surprises in baseball. They’re currently 30-19 and are sitting comfortably in the second wild-card spot. But what is the reason for this red-hot start?
Three-Headed Monster Top the Rotation
One of the biggest reasons for the Royals’ sudden turnaround has been the success of their starting pitching, especially the renaissance of Seth Lugo. Many were surprised two offseasons ago when Lugo went to San Diego to become a starter again. That decision seems to be paying off for Lugo as he has been one of the best pitchers in the MLB. He has an American league-best 1.79 ERA in ten starts and leads the league with a 229 ERA+. This comes over 65.1 innings, which leads the majors. He also has 58 strikeouts and a .98 WHIP.
However, it’s not just Lugo who has been dominant for this Royals staff. Their second and third starters have been nice complementary pieces. Although he’s come back to earth a little bit, Cole Ragans used to be a front-runner for the AL Cy Young award. Currently, he has a 3.70 ERA over 56 innings, with 64 strikeouts and 1.20 WHIP. The big three is rounded out by Brady Singer who has an ERA of 2.70 over 56.1 innings. He also has 61 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP. With these three at the top of the rotation, it’s no wonder the Royals have had this start.
Young Stars Living Up To Potential
Perez has been stealing all the headlines with his comeback season, slashing .341/.404/.565 good for a .969 OPS with nine home runs and 38 RBIs. But, several young players are making names for themselves this season. The first one is Bobby Witt Jr. In his third season in the bigs, Witt Jr. is having the breakout we’ve been waiting for. He’s slashing .295/.357/.511 good for a .867 OPS, with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He’s also fourth in the MLB in stolen bases with 15. He has become a staple in the two spot of the Royals order, and there are no sides he’s going to be moved any time soon.
The other Royal who is a big contributor is Witt Jr.’s double-play partner Michael Massey. Maseey was a relatively underrated prospect in the Royals system, being their 24th-best prospect back in 2022. However this season, he’s showing everyone there should’ve been more hype around him. He’s slashed .284/.300/.505 good for a .805 OPS, with five home runs and 19 RBIs. With these two up the middle for the rest of the season, as well as Perez behind the plate, this lineup has the potential to be unstoppable.
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