Three New Year's Resolutions for the Royals

2025 is officially behind us. This past season was a slight success for the Royals, given this organization's recent history. Since their 2015 World Series, they have only returned to the playoffs once.

While they missed the postseason last year, they finished 82-80, only their second winning season since 2015 and the first time they have had back-to-back winning seasons since 2014-2015. That said, after winning the Wild Card round against Baltimore and reaching the ALDS in 2024, not making the playoffs was a disappointment and serves as motivation for this squad in the upcoming season.

So, to make the playoffs, what do the Royals need to do? What are some "resolutions" they should have for the new year to help them return to the postseason? In this post, I will look at three resolutions the Royals should adopt to help them bounce back after a four-win regression last season.

Improve the Baserunning

In 2024, baserunning was a strength of this Royals ballclub.

They stole 134 bases, and according to Baseball Savant's Baserunning Run Value metric, they accumulated nine baserunning runs, ranking 5th in baseball. Baserunning Runs Value accounts for runs created by not just stolen bases, but extra bases taken as well. The Royals had plus-five runs in terms of extra bases taken and plus-four runs in stolen bases. Thus, they were effective not just at stealing bags but also at getting extra bases on base hits. 

It was a different story in 2025. 

Last year, the Royals ranked 24th with a minus-four baserunning runs mark. They had zero runs created on extra bases and had minus-four runs on stolen bases, the latter being an eight-run decline from the previous season. A big issue for the Royals was that they didn't just steal fewer bases (111), but that they were caught 42 times. That was the fifth-highest mark in baseball, and it was eleven higher than their caught-stealing mark in 2024. 

Kansas City has talented baserunners on its roster. Bobby Witt Jr. has accumulated 13 baserunning runs over the past two years, Maikel Garcia has accumulated seven, Dairon Blanco has accumulated five, and Kyle Isbel has accumulated three. However, efficiency was a problem for the Royals in 2025, and they need to improve in that area if they want to exceed their 82-win total in 2026. Outs on the bases can't happen as frequently as they did a year ago. 

Generate More Chase As a Pitching Staff

The Royals' pitching staff has seen a renaissance over the past two years under pitching coach Brian Sweeney. Over the past two seasons, Kansas City ranks 4th in ERA at 3.74 and has accumulated the second-most fWAR at 37.5. That has been a key reason the Royals have won 86 games in 2024 and 82 in 2025, after winning only 56 in 2023. 

If there's one Achilles heel of this pitching staff, however, it's that they do not generate a lot of chase. 

Last year, the Royals' pitching staff posted a 30.5% O-Swing%, ranking 26th in baseball. Over the past two years, their 30.5% O-Swing% ranks 27th. Only the White Sox, Guardians, and Rockies have lower marks in that category. 

Generating chase is essential because it can lead to more whiffs and, hence, strikeouts. Over the past two seasons, the Royals rank 25th in SwStr% at 10.5% and 22nd in baseball with a 22.7% K%. If the Royals pitchers can induce more chase, that can help them not only get more whiffs and strikeouts, but more wins as a result. 

Royals GM JJ Picollo has undoubtedly made an effort to improve in that area with some of his recent moves. Here's a look at three new pitchers the Royals have acquired, and their O-Swing% over the past two seasons.

• Nick Mears: 36.4%
• Matt Strahm: 35.7%
• Alex Lange: 28.5%

Lange is the only one who lags behind the Royals' 30.5% O-Swing% from 2024 to 2025. That said, Lange's 12.3% SwStr% is the same as Strahm's and only 0.6% behind Mears'. So Lange still gets whiffs even with the lackluster O-Swing%. 

The Royals' pitching staff is deep, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Picollo make one last move to solidify things, whether it's rotation or bullpen depth. If they do acquire someone, expect them to be strong at generating chase. 

Improve Hitter Plate Discipline

If generating more chase as a pitching staff is a priority for the Royals this offseason, then limiting chase appears to be a priority for the hitters. 

Over the past two years, the Royals' 32.8% O-Swing% ranks seventh-highest in baseball. On a positive note, the Royals' 9.8% SwStr% is fifth-lowest in baseball over that period, and their 18.8% K% is second-lowest. Unfortunately, while the Royals are good at making contact, they have not transitioned that approach into offensive success. 

The Royals' 95 wRC+ over the past two years ranks 21st, and their .153 ISO ranks 19th. Witt (150 wRC+), Vinnie Pasquantino (113 wRC+), and Salvador Perez (106 wRC+) have posted above-average wRC+ marks over the past two seasons, and Garcia (96 wRC+) has a mark above the Royals' 2024-2025 team wRC+ mark. Other than that, Kansas City has been lackluster offensively, and its questionable swing selection and plate discipline are to blame.

Like the pitching staff, Picollo has done his legwork already to improve in this area.

Gone are assistant hitting coaches Keoni DeRenne and Joe Dillon, and in their places are Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames, who come from the Brewers and White Sox, respectively. Both coaches preach better decision-making at the plate and have shown the ability to coax it from hitters in their previous organizations.

They also have acquired outfielders in Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins, who have shown stretches of solid plate discipline at the MLB level. Over their careers, Thomas has a 24.8% O-Swing%, and Collins has a 17.9% O-Swing%. 

Kansas City seems determined to add at least one more bat before Spring Training, with Jarren Duran of the Red Sox and Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals being the most mentioned targets. Duran has a more free-swinging approach, as illustrated by his 32.9% O-Swing% over the past two years. However, Donovan fits the "disciplined" mold with a 27.2% O-Swing%. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising to see Donovan emerge more as a favorite target for Kansas City, primarily if they're focused on improving their lineup's plate discipline in 2026.

Even if they do not acquire Donovan or Duran, Royals fans should expect Picollo to target a free-agent hitter or two, even on a Minor League deal, who sports a low O-Swing%, even if they may lag in some other areas.