Thunder Clinch 1-Seed in the West, Await Play-In Winner Full view CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 27: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 27, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Thunder defeated the Cavaliers 108-105. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals are in fourth place in the AL Central, despite having one of the strongest pitching staffs in baseball this season.
In 2024, Kansas City finished in second place in the AL Central with a record of 86-76, securing one of the Wild Card spots in the American League. They went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles in two games during the Wild Card round, but lost to the eventual World Series runner-up, New York Yankees, in four games in the ALDS.
In the offseason, Kansas City prioritized retaining its starting pitchers, re-signing Seth Lugo, Michael Lorenzen and Michael Wacha. They also made outside additions to their team by signing Carlos Estevez to strengthen their bullpen.
Kansas City also made trades for outfielder Mark Canha and second baseman Jonathan India, who is a former top-five draft pick.
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One of the bright spots for Kansas City has been the pitching, led by starting pitcher Kris Bubic, who boasts an ERA of 1.92 and allows only 1.07 walks and hits per inning pitched, which ranks among the best in the league.
Kansas City ranks inside the top five for ERA, and they rank inside the top 10 for walks and hits per inning pitched, walks allowed and home runs allowed. They also rank just outside the top 10 in hits allowed and batting average against.
While pitching is a strength for Kansas City, it is at the plate where the team has struggled this season.
The Royals’ offense is led by Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino. Outside of those three players, the offense has been a complicated watch throughout the season.
Kansas City only has 46 home runs this season, which places them in last place. They also have drawn the fewest number of walks this season.
The Royals also rank inside the bottom five in slugging percentage and on-base percentage, and they rank in the bottom three in runs scored. Even with the many struggles offensively, they rank just outside of the top 10 for hits and batting average.
Currently, Kansas City has Cole Ragans and Hunter Harvey on the injured list. Ragans is one of its best starting pitchers, and Harvey has been lights out in his limited innings this season out of the bullpen.
If the season ended today, Kansas City wouldn’t have a Wild Card spot in this year’s Postseason. The Royals will likely have to make a move at the trade deadline if they want to be viewed as contenders as October approaches.
The Royals have +375 odds to make the postseason and -500 odds to miss out on October baseball entirely. Placing a bet on the Royals to make the World Series is a longshot bet as its odds are +3400, and its odds to win the World Series are +8000.
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