It's Time To Reconsider Expectations About The 2026 Royals

The early-season hole they’ve dug for themselves got deeper for the Royals on Sunday. After New York weather delayed the day's first pitch for nearly three hours, the Royals quietly bowed 7-0 to the Yankees in a dispiriting, lackluster effort that completed a winless six-game road trip, extended their losing streak to seven, and left them in sole possession of last place in the American League Central. Even the lowly White Sox have been better than this club, which is now tied with the Mets for the worst record in the majors.

This is not the strong contender for postseason play so many expected it to be. Sunday’s loss sank the Royals eight games below .500, a depth they hadn’t reached since 2023 when they lost 106 times. Little has gone right for the 2026 club, and its problems run deeper than the outfield bats, which have become the usual culprits for extended dry spells.  

What, then, lies ahead? A lot, especially with 140 games left before the regular season ends and the playoffs begin. Even so, and some reasons for hope notwithstanding, KC’s miserable 7-15 start suggests it may be time for even the most optimistic fans to recalibrate their expectations.

The Royals Are Not the Team Fans Want Them to Be

Kansas City was allegedly an improved team when spring training began. But expectations may have been too high, and prognosticators too kind. After all, the front office failed for the second straight winter to land the big new bat it’s so sorely needed, settling instead for Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. Collins’ first full big league season performance with Milwaukee last year — he homered nine times, drove in 54 RBI, and posted a .368 OBP and .263 average in 130 games  — made him attractive, and Thomas’ 28-homer, 86-RBI 2023 effort with Washington gave Kansas City hope.

But Collins and Thomas haven’t given the offense enough … or anything close to it. Together they’re 17-for-91 (.186) with a homer and five RBI.

The Royals also didn’t fix second base. Instead of cutting disappointing Jonathan India loose, they re-signed him for $8 million only to see him fail to deliver at the plate; his .167/.310/.313 line through Sunday speaks volumes. Michael Massey also isn’t hitting (.174/.208/.261), and he’s been spending some time in left field as manager Matt Quatraro continues to hunt for someone to stake a strong claim to that position.

And what big bats the Royals do have are floundering. Vinnie Pasquantino’s .157/.234/.265 line is terrible, and he didn’t hit his first homer until Thursday. Salvador Perez has three homers, good for second on the club behind Carter Jensen’s five, but going 0-for-4 Sunday dropped his average to .152, and whispered speculation about possible age-related decline has grown louder. Although he boasts a .362 OBP, Bobby Witt Jr. hasn’t been himself — he still hasn’t homered and is batting a certainly serviceable, but un-Witt-like .280. Maikel Garcia’s fast start has cooled (he’s 2 for his last 20), and he finished Sunday hitting .256, which may not bode well for him continuing in the leadoff spot to which Quatraro restored him to begin the season.

As a team, and at the close of Sunday’s loss, the Royals were averaging 3.2 runs per game. They ranked last in the majors in runs scored (71), 28th in SLG (.362) and OPS (.356), and 27th in average (.218) and OBP (.310).

The Royals’ Rotation Has Struggled Recently

That Kansas City’s problems now run deeper than its offense has become painfully apparent. Even starting pitching, by far the club’s greatest strength, is starting to find the going rough.

Noah Cameron gifted the Yankees three home runs in one inning Saturday, Detroit tagged Kris Bubic Friday for five charged runs in 4.2 innings Friday, and the Yanks battered Cole Ragans for seven runs in 4.1 frames Sunday. Fortunately, though, the starters’ body of early work has been decent — collectively, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Cameron, Ragans, and Bubic had the majors' 10th best ERA (3.66) and 11th best OAA (.219) when Sunday’s game ended.

The Royals’ Bullpen is a Mess

The bullpen’s ineptitude rivals that of the offense. KC relievers have blown four saves, their horrific 6.18 ERA is the big leagues’ worst, and they’ve been tagged with an unacceptable seven of Kansas City’s 15 losses. Yes, star Carlos Estevéz’s injury hurts, but the fact that he’s pitched only once means the bullpen must bear much of the blame for the club’s poor start and continuing struggles.

Is it Time to Rethink the 2026 Royals?

Yes. No big league team is or can be perfect, but Kansas City’s imperfections are glaring. Perhaps general manager J.J. Picollo found the offseason price of a new big bat too high and settled for less than he wanted and his club needed. Perhaps Perez is running out of gas. Maybe some of the club’s talent is overrated, and was from the start.

Improvement is needed. And sooner, not later; the club can’t wait for the midsummer trade deadline. But the history of this typically conservative franchise suggests no new, truly impactful major league hitter will arrive this season, and hoping the rotation and bullpen pick up the slack all season is too much to ask.

Although it’s still early, this club is in trouble.