Three Changes the Royals Need to Do to Finish May Strong

The Royals were swept this week by the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, losing the series finale on Thursday, 6-2.

That brings Kansas City's record to 19-25, tying them for last in the AL Central with the Detroit Tigers. Currently, the Royals are 4.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who lead the AL Central with a 24-21 record.

The upcoming stretch is not an easy one for the Royals. They go to St. Louis this weekend for a three-game series against the rival Cardinals in Busch Stadium. Then, they come back home for a nine-game homestand that includes series against the Red Sox, Mariners, and Yankees. The Yankees are one of the best teams in the American League with a 27-17 record. While the Red Sox (18-25) and Mariners (22-23) have struggled this year, they still have high-quality talent and could beat the Royals in a three-game series.

Thus, Kansas City may need to shake up a roster that ranks 21st in runs scored and pitching ERA. After 44 games, the Royals have a decent sample of at-bats and innings and thus have enough evidence to make the changes needed to turn their fortunes around. 

Let's take a look at three changes the Royals could make, whether to the lineup, rotation, or bullpen, to help provide a much-needed spark to this currently floundering squad.

Move Salvador Perez Out of the Cleanup Spot

Salvy is the heart of the Royals and the captain for a reason. He has a long history of production with the Royals, especially on the offensive end. He had 27 home runs and 104 RBI in 2024 and 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 2025. Thus, it makes sense why manager Matt Quatraro and GM JJ Picollo decided to lean on Salvy to be the Royals' cleanup hitter for another season.

However, Perez has finally shown signs of decline this year, especially at the plate.

This year, the 36-year-old Royals catcher has six home runs, but he's only hitting .200 with a .578 OPS in 176 plate appearances. His bat speed and hard-hit metrics are down across the board, as evidenced by his TJ Stats Statcast profile.

As fans can see above, there are many alarming trends with Salvy this year. His bat speed ranks in the 38th percentile, his hard-hit ranks in the 24th percentile, his pull-air% ranks in the 35th percentile, and xwOBA ranks in the 16th percentile. Furthermore, his 49 TJ Bat+ ranks in the 14th percentile, making him not just the worst cleanup hitter in baseball, but one of the worst regular hitters as well.

At some point, the Royals need to try something different in this slot. One option could be to bat Jac Caglianone in the cleanup spot against righties and Maikel Garcia against lefties. Here's a look at Cags' TJ Stats' Statcast splits profile this year, and notice how solid he's been against righties, especially in those exit velocity, barrel, and hard-hit categories.

Now, let's look at Garcia's TJ Statcast Summary splits this season. 

Against righties, Cags has an 80th percentile xwOBA and 97th percentile barrel rate. Against lefties, Garcia has a 99th percentile xwOBA and 75th percentile barrel rate. 

Thus, the Royals could get that ideal cleanup production in the aggregate, though that would mean Quatraro would have to find a different leadoff hitter against lefties (whether that's Lane Thomas or Starling Marte, who have shown solid performances against lefties this year). 

Designate Elias Diaz For Assignment; Promote Kameron Misner

Diaz has filled in nicely for the Royals with Salvy dealing with some hip injuries. He's not hitting for a high average or getting on-base much, but he's at least hitting the ball hard and with power, as evidenced by his TJ Stats Statcast profile below.

I think Diaz is serviceable as a third catcher for the Royals. However, the Royals do not need a third catcher. Instead, they need a bat that can provide some pop and production off the bench. 

One hitter in Omaha who could provide that much-needed production is Misner, who is off to a strong start with the Storm Chasers this season.

In 39 games and 165 plate appearances, Misner is hitting .273 with a .894 OPS. He also has seven home runs, 34 RBI, 26 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Add that with solid defense in the outfield, and he could be a player who could get some at-bats in left field or designated hitter, depending on the matchup. 

Looking at his Statcast percentiles, there are some flaws, especially in hard-hit rate and strikeout rate. However, there's more upside in his profile than John Rave, who saw some time with the Royals a season ago. 

The former Tampa Bay outfielder and Miami draft pick has also had a penchant for clutch hitting. On Thursday, he hit a walk-off home run against Toledo, his second-straight game with a walk-off hit. 

Misner is the kind of hitter who walks, launches, and pulls the ball in the air well. That may not result in everyday playing time, especially with this lineup already flush with lefties. However, he could be a fourth outfielder who could get hot and give this Royals lineup a much-needed jolt. 

Move Kris Bubic to the Bullpen

I know this is a tough move to make, especially with the Royals' rotation affected by injury right now. Ryan Bergert is out for the year. Cole Ragans is on the IL. Thus, Quatraro may not want to move Bubic to the bullpen, especially since he's been decent with a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 3.72 FIP in 50.1 IP this season.

However, the Royals do not need a "decent" starting pitcher from Bubic. They need an elite one, and right now, the metrics and profile haven't been quite elite, as seen below in his TJ Stuff+ summary from this season.

Bubic is posting a 12.6% BB% and 12.1% K-BB%, both worse than his 2025 marks (8.2 BB% and 16.2% K-BB%). He is also throwing fewer strikes, as his 62.9% strike rate is down from 66% in 2025. Those aren't good trends, especially for a pitcher about to enter free agency this offseason. 

The Royals have some pitchers returning from the IL soon who could take Bubic's place.

Ragans has been throwing and could be up for a quick return from the IL. Furthermore, the Royals also have Bailey Falter, who could be utilized in the rotation as a No. 4-5 starter, though he would need some help from a long reliever in his starts. That said, even though he may not be a frontline starter, his TJ Stuff+ summary from Omaha shows that he could be an intriguing arm who could go 3-5 innings, depending on the outing.

Another reason the Royals could use Bubic in the bullpen is that their relievers have been mediocre this year, to put it nicely. They rank 27th in ERA, 26th in WHIP, and 28th in BB/9 and HR/9. The group needs help, and it's too early in the season to acquire any reliever of note in a trade.

When he pitched in the Royals bullpen in 2024, Bubic was elite.

In 27 outings and 30.1 IP, Bubic posted a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 1.88 FIP, 32.6% K%, and 28.1% K-BB%. Below is what his TJ Stuff+ summary looked like that season.

As fans can see, there are a lot of benefits to moving Bubic to the bullpen in terms of his stuff and profile.

As a reliever, Bubic posted excellent zone, chase, whiff, and xwOBACON rates. He has been paltry in those categories, even with a TJ Stuff+ profile that, in 2024, was similar to his 2026 profile. 

Even though the stuff was pretty similar in 2024 to his 2026 marks, the fastball velocity is markedly different. In 2024, he averaged a 93 MPH and 108 TJ Stuff+. In 2026, his four-seamer averaged 91.7 MPH and a 104 TJ Stuff+. Those are good marks, but they could be even better if he's able to pump the velocity a bit. That would be easier to achieve as a reliever than as a starter. 

The Royals could use Bubic as their primary setup man for the remainder of the season. While Strahm has veteran credibility, his TJ Stuff+ profile has declined, and as a result, he is posting a 4.02 ERA in 15.2 IP this year. 

It's a bold move and a big risk, especially considering Bubic's history as a starter last year. That said, the Royals need to preserve Bubic over the course of the season, especially since his season was cut short due to injury just after the All-Star Break.

Moving to relief preserves his health and gives the Royals bullpen the big-out arm that they desperately need, especially in those high-leverage situations in the late innings.