Three Takeaways from the Yankees' Series (And Season) Sweep of the Royals

On Wednesday, the Royals lost 7-0 to Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium. The win for the Bronx Bombers clinched not only a series sweep, but a season sweep, as the Yankees won all three games at Yankee Stadium back in April. Since beating the Yankees in Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS, the Royals have not won a game against them since. 

To make matters worse, not only did the Royals go winless against the Yankees (again), but they were outscored by 40 runs in the series, as pointed out by Joel Goldberg of Royals TV on Twitter.

Kansas City now sits at 22-34 as they head into the off day on Thursday. On Friday, they begin a nine-game homestand, which starts this weekend in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. For the Royals to keep any semblance of being a playoff team, they will need to start this series against the Rangers on a positive note. The Rangers are 25-30 and are 4-6 in their last 10 games. However, this Royals team is 7-17 on the road, so their work will be cut out for them.

The Royals have a much-needed day off tomorrow. That said, what did Royals fans learn from this brutal series against the Yankees and their performance overall against a team that's been widely hated by the Kansas City faithful since the 1970's? Let's take a look at three takeaways with this club after this latest lackluster series against the Yankees. 

The Royals Have A Mental Block Against the Yankees

Baseball is a mental game at the end of the day. And sometimes, teams can struggle mentally against an opponent. That mental block for the Royals against the Yankees was on full display in this latest three-game home series.

On Monday, it seemed like the Royals were on their way to overcoming the "mental block". Michael Wacha was masterful, producing another quality start. In 7 IP, he allowed only two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two. Despite some early struggles (he gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger in the second inning), he got the Yankees out of their approach and ended up producing a vintage Wacha start, as illustrated below via his TJ Stuff+ summary.

Furthermore, in addition to a quality Wacha performance on the mound, the Royals got a huge moment from Bobby Witt Jr., who hit the go-ahead home run for the Royals in the bottom of the eighth inning off Yankees reliever Jake Bird.

That moment should've been the dagger the Royals needed to overcome the New York demons that have haunted them for over two seasons. Doing it on national TV on ESPN, on Memorial Day, would only make it sweeter.

And yet, the Royals couldn't close it out. Lucas Erceg gave up two runs in the top of the ninth, and Kansas City came up punchless in the bottom of the inning. The gutting loss on Memorial Day carried over into losses on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the final two games of the series, the Yankees outscored the Royals 22-1. 

The mental block against the Yankees team was on full display on Wednesday in the series finale.

Yes, Gerrit Cole is an elite pitcher. However, he was making just his second start of the year, his second MLB start since Tommy John surgery back in March of 2025. And yet, despite those factors, Cole made absolute mincemeat of the Royals' lineup, striking out 10 batters in 6.2 IP. Cole not only generated strikeouts, but he also produced whiffs, chases, and flooded the zone while showcasing excellent stuff on his pitches. That is evident in his TJ Stuff+ summary from tonight's outing.

Cole was good, and that shouldn't be taken away from a pitcher who's a likely Hall of Famer. At the same time, this Royals lineup looked shellshocked and overwhelmed by the former Cy Young winner. That was especially true with the Royals' young hitters, especially Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone. The pair combined for three strikeouts against Cole. 

Royals fans knew the Yankees were a better team entering this series. They knew the Yankees had a history of success against Kansas City.

Unfortunately, Royals fans also learned that the Yankees simply own this club, mentally and on the field. 14 straight losses in less than three years demonstrate that advantage. To make matters worse, the Royals will have to wait another full year to show they can overcome the mental advantage the Boys in Blue have over them.

The Royals' Offense Needs a Shakeup

In May, the Royals rank 26th in OPS at .647. Only the Rockies (.644), Angels (.634), Tigers (.615), and Padres (.598) have been worse. Furthermore, they rank 22nd in batting average, 26th in OBP, and 25th in slugging. 

Thus, it isn't surprising that the Royals rank 26th this season in OPS so far this year (.683) and 28th in runs scored (211). Surprisingly, despite their poor record (10-17), the Royals actually posted a higher OPS in April, ranking 10th at .730. Thus, Kansas City should consider itself lucky to have 10 wins in May despite its poor offense this month.

When looking at Royals hitters individually this month, this is how they have fared, via MLB.com stats. 

Witt has had a stellar performance this month and has honestly carried the Kansas City offense. In 100 at-bats, he's slashing .290/.336/.550 with an .886 OPS and seven homers, both of which lead the team this month. The Royals franchise star has thrust himself not only into All-Star consideration again, but as a possible AL MVP dark horse candidate.

Other than Witt, however, the lineup has been stagnant. No other Royals hitter has an OPS over .700.

The next-highest Royals player, OPS-wise, this month is Salvador Perez, who has a .687 OPS. Michal Massey is third with a .652 OPS, Caglianone is fourth with a  .650 OPS, and Isaac Collins is fifth with a .641 OPS. Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia, the Royals' No. 3 and No. 1 hitters in the lineup, respectively, have OPS marks of .630 and .612 this month. Even Kyle Isbel and Carter Jensen, who had great starts at the beginning of the year, have slumped with .527 and .529 OPS marks in May.

Safe to say, this kind of hitting performance isn't going to get it done for the Royals. They are trending in the wrong direction, and many of their key hitters are also regressing fast. That puts the burden on manager Matt Quatraro and GM JJ Picollo to make some shakeups with this lineup and roster. 

Does that mean they need to drop Garcia from the leadoff spot? Maybe give Jensen more days off? Perhaps option someone like Collins, or DFA Thomas, or Starling Marte to give someone like John Rave or Kameron Misner from Omaha another chance in the Majors (or perhaps a first chance to Brett Squires, who's absolutely mashing in Triple-A)? 

Whatever the shakeup is, something needs to happen with this lineup, whether it starts in the Rangers series or on June 1st. 

The Royals Need to Change the Approach With the Bullpen

The Kansas City rotation was fine against the Yankees and, in this nine-game homestand, in general. When the Royals' pitching staff gave up runs, it typically came from the bullpen.

The woes of Erceg have been quite documented, especially after brutal performances in his last two outings against the Mariners and Yankees, respectively. In 21.1 IP, he has a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 5.4% K-BB%. The FIP is a little better at 3.29, and he does a good job of generating groundballs, as evidenced by a 53.8% GB%. That said, he just isn't generating strikeouts, chases, or whiffs, which can be seen in his TJ Stuff+ season summary below.

That said, it's not just Erceg who's the problem. The Royals' bullpen wouldn't rank 27th in ERA, 30th in WHIP, 27th in BB/9, 21st in K/9, 30th in H/9, and 26th in HR/9 if it were just an issue with Erceg. This whole unit has massively underperformed in 2026, and is a big reason why they're 12 games under .500.

When looking at this bullpen unit individually in May, this is how they have fared, via MLB.com metrics.

The Royals' bullpen has gotten excellent production this month from John Schreiber (0.93 ERA), Daniel Lynch IV (2.38 ERA), and Alex Lange (2.53 ERA). Luinder Avila (3.14 ERA) and Steven Cruz (3.86 ERA) have been serviceable, as was Matt Strahm (3.18 ERA) before he landed on the IL. So the bullpen hasn't been bereft of talent or production in May.

Conversely, some relievers have taken major steps back, and it's hurt the bullpen as a whole.

Erceg has an ERA over 6.00 this month as well as a 1.78 WHIP. Nick Mears has been even worse with an 8.64 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in 8.1 IP. Mears struggled on Wednesday, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in 0.2 IP. Furthermore, when looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary, while Mears showcased decent stuff, his inability to generate whiffs and chases ultimately hurt him, especially against a good Yankees lineup.

Lastly, Bailey Falter (14.21 ERA) and Eli Morgan (18.00 ERA) have become unusable in any spots. Falter was designated for assignment on Wednesday after his latest brutal outing on Tuesday against the Yankees.

Morgan could find himself back in Omaha soon and may be designated for assignment as well, especially if they need to clear a roster spot for another reliever.

When looking at these May bullpen metrics, it's obvious that Quatraro and the Royals need to shake up the bullpen usage. Right now, they should be investing in their young arms with upside, which includes Lynch, Avila, Cruz, and Lange. Schreiber has emerged as a key piece this month,, and he deserves to keep his spot, but Erceg probably needs to be utilized less like a traditional closer and more like the "fireman" he was utilized a year ago when Carlos Estevez closed things out in the ninth.

Even with Erceg out of the closer's spot, the Royals need to adopt a different philosophy for building a bullpen.

Other than a year ago, the Royals' weakness has always been the bullpen under Quatraro and Picollo. A big reason for that seems to be that they trust "experience" over "stuff". That strategy blew up on them with free-agent relievers like Chris Stratton and Will Smith. It's blowing up a bit, not just with Estevez and Strahm on the IL, but with Erceg as well, who looks like a shell of his 2024 self. 

At this point, the Royals need to invest in a younger bullpen and scour other teams for younger arms they can help develop into success. They need to focus on one type and see if they can mold it into their system, much like Seattle and Tampa Bay are well known for doing. Brian Sweeney and Mike McFerrin are well-regarded pitching coaches. However, their philosophy is not "gelling" with this bullpen group.

The Royals may need to make some tough decisions to make this strategy a reality.

They may need to trade Schreiber to see if they can get a package of younger pitchers with upside. They may need to part ways with Mears and possibly Erceg. They may need to trust Avila, Cruz, Lynch, and Lange in high-leverage spots, even though that group has been inconsistent.

That said, they need to mix things up with the bullpen, much like the lineup. Right now, the bullpen isn't getting it done with the current mixture. Giving the younger, higher-velocity arms more of a chance could not just help their chances this year, but build a better foundation for years to come.

The Yankees exposed this bullpen badly over the past three games. Picollo and Quatraro need to learn from it and make the adjustments necessary to turn this group around.