4 Things To Watch In The Final Two Months Of The Royals' Season

It is safe to say that the 2026 season has not gone the Royals’ way. Even though their playoff chances have evaporated, there are still plenty of reasons to keep watching until all 162 games have been played. For the remaining two months of the season, the focus will shift from wins and losses to how players can position themselves entering next season. Below are a few areas that represent opportunities across all parts of the major league roster.

Bullpen Tryouts

The weakest output for the Royals this season was their bullpen. They ranked last in key metrics such as fWAR (-3.6), expected ERA (4.95), FIP (5.26), and home runs per 9 innings (1.52). They also ranked in the bottom five in ERA (5.65), BABIP (.306), xFIP (4.81), strikeout rate (19.1%), and walk rate (11.2%). The Royals saw many players lose significant time from injuries, including last season’s save leader, Carlos Estévez, and offseason acquisition Nick Mears. Many established relievers such as Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm, who was recently designated for assignment, also saw severe regression.

The Royals were most active in repositioning their bullpen before and after the trade deadline with the acquisitions of Nate Pearson, Easton McGee, Carlos Duran, Nolan Hoffman, Connor Thomas, Luke Little, and most recently Craig Kimbrel. Currently, Pearson and Kimbrel are on the major league roster, but the other acquisitions are all currently on the 40-man roster and could all see opportunities before the season is over. 

With one of the few above-average relievers, John Schreiber, set to leave in free agency this off-season, there are very few spots solidified for next season’s bullpen. Can one of these new acquisitions establish themselves as a viable middle relief or even high-leverage option for 2027?

The Future of the Offense 

The Royals saw the emergence of Jac Caglianone as a permanent fixture in the middle of the order. Caglianone showed off his power most recently with a performance of four extra-base hits. He is slashing .264/.317/.480 with a 118 wRC+ and 1.7 fWAR, which is a vast improvement from his 46 wRC+ and -1.6 fWAR from last season. He has also proven to manager Matt Quatraro that he is capable of hitting every day with improved numbers against left-handed pitching, highlighted by his two-run blast against Tarik Skubal on Monday night.

Jac Caglianone crushes his 3rd home run in as many games ? pic.twitter.com/71otGEHW4Q

— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2026

In addition to Caglianone, Bobby Witt Jr. has been performing at near-MVP levels this season with his 5.1 fWAR, ranking 3rd among American League position players. Carter Jensen has also had a strong showing in his first full season in the majors. He ranks seventh among all rookies with 1.9 fWAR. There is still a lot of room for him to grow as a hitter, but he is certainly showing the signs of being able to hold his own on a major league roster while assuming the majority of the innings behind the plate.

Salvador Perez has shown his age in 2026 with a slash line of .216/.262/.373, with a 71 wRC+ and -1.2 fWAR, but there is still opportunity to add to his Royals legacy. He has already become the Royals all-time leader in home runs. He also just surpassed 1,800 career hits. Even though he still has one year left on his contract, this season may very well be his last as an everyday contributor in the Royals offense. Fans should take the opportunity to enjoy watching a team legend as his role with the Royals begins to change.

What can Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino contribute for the rest of the season? Garcia, along with Witt, Caglianone, and Jensen, represent the core of the Royals offense for the coming years. Injuries have plagued his 2026 after a breakout in 2025. He is likely to begin his rehab assignment soon, but can he show that he can return to last season’s form? Pasquantino has also faced many injuries, but his future with the Royals is less certain than Garcia's, who received a contract extension last off-season. Pasquantino is also expected to begin his rehab assignment soon. He will look to finish the season strong and find his power swing that has been lacking this season.

Strong Pitching Performances

Injuries have struck the Royals this season, with multiple starters being shut down for the rest of the season to undergo Tommy John surgery. However, the pitchers who have stayed healthy should still have a lot to show with the season wrapping up. 

Michael Wacha earned his second career All-Star nod this season and leads the team in pitching fWAR at 2.1. Seth Lugo has also brought much-needed stability to the rotation this season. Neither Wacha nor Lugo was traded before the trade deadline last week despite inquiries from multiple teams. Both are in the later stages of their respective careers, but are slated to be leaders at the top of the rotation in 2027. It will be important for both of them to finish the season strong (and avoid injury) to carry into next season, in which the Royals intend to make a push for playoff contention.

Noah Cameron has had a decent sophomore season after finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2025. He is currently tied with Wacha with 2.1 fWAR to lead Royals pitchers. He has made a recent turnaround after he started calling his own pitches. During the three-game stretch after his adjustment, he allowed only one run in 23 innings while striking out 24 batters. It will also be important for Cameron to finish the season strong and healthy to help the increasingly thin rotation in 2027.

New Callups on Offense

Last season, the post-deadline period was highlighted by Jensen’s strong major league debut. His performance at the very least instilled confidence in the organization that Jensen was ready for a bigger role with the Royals going into 2026. This season, there are very few options for the Royals to find a similar late-season contributor this year.

Gavin Cross has made improvements this season after an uneven start to his time in the Royals’ organization. A mechanical adjustment in his swing led to him finding his power swing again, where he had a stretch in July in which he had a home run streak of six games. After going unselected in the last Rule-5 draft, Cross had a lot to prove this season. Maybe it is time to see what he can do in the Majors. It is worth calling out that Cross has still not yet been given a spot on the 40-man roster, so a potential promotion will have to see a player exit the roster.

Other than Cross, there are not too many other options for the Royals to give a try for the remainder of the season. Matthew Lugo was acquired via waivers in June from the Los Angeles Angels. He has slashed .262/.317/.530 with 11 home runs in 47 games in Omaha. He could be another option for an opportunity before the season comes to a close.

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