Week In Review: Royals End 2026 Season With a Whimper at Home

 Week in a Nutshell 

After a 2-7 road trip that included stops in Boston, Houston, and Pittsburgh, the Royals return home for their final homestand of the season against the rival White Sox and Guardians. Even with their playoff dreams long dashed, Kansas City hoped to play spoiler to both teams, as they both had the opportunity to clinch playoff spots and the division title.

Unfortunately, the Royals didn't seem to have enough gas in the tank during this homestand. They went 2-4 and allowed the White Sox to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday (their first playoff appearance since 2021) and the Guardians to clinch their third-straight AL Central Division title on Saturday (the White Sox can join the Tigers and Royals as teams surpassed by Cleveland in September).

On a positive note, the Royals closed out the season with a one-run victory on Sunday, finishing 69-93. The record is a step back from their 86-76 record in 2024 and 82-80 record in 2025. It is also Kansas City's worst record in a season since 2023, when they went 56-106 and tied a franchise record for losses in a single season. 

Record this Week: 2-4

Run Differential for the Week: -18

Record for the Year: 69-93

Run Differential for the Year: -120

Standing: 5th in the AL Central

One-Sentence Game Summaries

Game 157: CHW 14, KC 11

• The White Sox win a slugfest as former Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk collects four hits and falls a triple short of the cycle. 

Game 158: KC 5, CHW 4

• Garcia goes 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Royals and helps stave off the White Sox's playoff hopes for at least another day. 

Game 159: CHW 9, KC 1

• In a playoff-clinching afternoon victory, Royals prospect David Sandlin (traded away to Boston in the John Schreiber deal) shuts down his former team by striking out seven in six IP while allowing no walks and one earned run. 

Game 160: CLE 12, KC 9

• Jensen's two-homer game is squandered as the Royals' bullpen falls apart and allows five runs in the ninth inning. 

Game 161: CLE 11, KC 5

• The Guardians clinch their third straight AL Central title thanks to multi-homer games by Brayan Rocchio and Patrick Bailey. 

Game 162: KC 3, CLE 2

• Kansas City ends the 2026 season on a high note as Vinnie launches two homers on Italian Heritage Day and Erceg gets his first save since June 7th. 

News and Notes

On Tuesday, the Royals activated Tony Gonsolin, whom Kansas City acquired on August 13th after the Dodgers released him. The former All-Star replaced former Giants reliever Spencer Bivens, who was optioned to Triple-A as a result. 

Gonsolin pitched 2.2 innings in his Royals debut, piggybacking off starter Daniel Lynch IV on Tuesday, September 22nd against the White Sox. The 32-year-old righty gave up five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five. According to TJ Stuff+ metrics, his four-seamer didn't profile well, and he struggled to be consistent in the strike zone. However, he posted a decent whiff rate overall and produced solid chase rates on his secondary offerings, especially his splitter and slider. 

Gonsolin's 2026 Royals tenure was short-lived, as he was added to the IL due to an allergic reaction on the last day of the season, shortly before first pitch. James McArthur, who hasn't pitched with the Royals since 2024, replaced him on the active roster, though McArthur did not appear in Sunday's game.

The Royals also introduced their Minor League Award winners on Friday. That includes the following:

• George Brett Hitter of the Year and Mike Sweeney Award: Brett Squires, Omaha.
• Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year: David Shields, Quad Cities.
• Dan Quisenberry Reliever of the Year: L.P. Langevin, Quad Cities.
• Frank White Defensive Player of the Year: Carson Roccaforte, Northwest Arkansas/Omaha.
• Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year: Asbel Gonzalez, Quad Cities.
• Alex Gordon Heart and Hustle Award: Josh Hammond, Columbia.

We broke down the position player award winners on Saturday at Royals Keep.

We will break down the pitcher award winners on Tuesday. 

Highlights

Even though the Royals only had two wins this week, the offense put on a show, highlighted by many key players expected to carry this lineup this season. 

Vinnie Pasquantino had eight hits, posted a 1.177 OPS, and launched three home runs in 24 at-bats this week. That included two on Sunday, including one in the eighth that broke a 2-2 tie and led to a Royals victory.

Carter Jensen had a strong homestand with two homers, eight hits, nine RBI, and a 1.235 OPS in 20 at-bats. He led the Royals with 27 homers this season and could be primed for 30+ homer seasons in the future. He should finish in the Top-5 in the AL Rookie of the Year race. 

Maikel Garcia struggled on the road in his return, but he looked much more comfortable and effective at Kauffman Stadium this week. In 11 at-bats, he had six hits, four RBI, a 1.358 OPS, and seven walks to zero strikeouts. Garcia demonstrated this week that he could be a key part at the top of the Royals' batting order in 2027, if he can stay healthy (which wasn't the case this year). 

Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone didn't hit for much power (zero home runs between them), but they combined for 18 hits this week. Cags was the stronger performer, hitting .455 with a 1.137 OPS in 22 at-bats and collecting five doubles and four RBI. While he didn't hit a home run this month, Cags proved he could drive the ball to all fields in September. 

Lastly, Salvador Perez hit his 20th and 21st homers of the year this week, giving him 20+ homers in a season for the 10th straight non-COVID season (he had 11 in 2020). While it hasn't been a great year for Salvy, he looked more like his old self after the All-Star Break, hitting .259 with a 104 wRC+ and 10 home runs. 

There weren't many positives on the pitching end, but it was nice to see Lucas Erceg look like his old self on Sunday. Since being promoted from Omaha after a short stint with the Storm Chasers, the former Royals closer has looked sharp and motivated. In his save performance in game 162, he didn't allow a run or walk in an inning of work and allowed one hit while striking out one. 

Looking at his TJ Stuff+ summary, Erceg's whiff rate left a bit to be desired against the Guardians (18.2%). However, everything else was impressive, including a TJ Stuff+ of 105 overall.

The Royals need to upgrade and build their bullpen this offseason if they want to improve upon their 69-93 record this season. If Erceg can carry this performance and these skills into next season, they'll at least have a reliever who can pitch in medium-leverage situations (maybe spot high-leverage ones in a pinch). 

Lowlights

The pitching was the polar opposite of the Royals' hitters this homestand. The Kansas City pitching staff produced a 7.50 ERA this past week, which was the worst mark in baseball over the past seven days. They were primarily plagued by walks, as their 31 walks allowed led all of baseball over the past week. 

Nate Pearson struggled most this week, posting a 27.00 ERA and 3.75 WHIP in two appearances and 1.1 IP. He walked five batters this week and didn't strike out anyone. He allowed four walks on Friday, as he struggled to find the strike zone in the ninth. Overall, he had a 28.6% zone rate and 31.3% strike rate this week, both subpar marks. 

Pearson has shown some promise since coming over from Houston this year, but he may be more of a middle-innings reliever than a late-innings one. 

The Royals' starting rotation struggled immensely this week as well. 

In two starts, Daniel Lynch IV posted a 10.61 ERA in 9.1 IP. Noah Cameron posted a 10.80 ERA in 5.0 IP on Saturday. Seth Lugo posted a 10.80 ERA in 3.1 IP. And while Michael Wacha had a serviceable ERA at 2.84, he gave up six runs overall (just two earned), and one could argue that he should've had more runs earned against him, since he was responsible for one of the errors. 

On a positive note, at least Wacha hit the 200-inning mark on Saturday, making him the only pitcher in the American League to finish with 200 or more innings in the regular season this year. 

Another reliever who struggled this week was Alex Lange, who posted a 23.14 ERA in three appearances and 2.1 IP. Lange had a 20% K% but also a 20% BB%. Furthermore, TJ Stuff+ data demonstrated that he struggled to generate chase, whiff, and limit hard contact in this homestand. 

With a 6.75 ERA and 5.81 FIP in 60 IP this year, the 30-year-old seems like an easy non-tender candidate this offseason, especially since he is currently out of Minor League options and doesn't seem likely to greatly improve his control (9.8% K-BB%) next season. 

Looking Ahead

The Royals enter this offseason with a lot of needs to fill.

They need to improve the bullpen. They need to improve the rotation. They need to find a closer. They need to find an ace. They could also use another bat, especially in left field, since Isaac Collins is probably better used as a semi-regular utility guy than an everyday outfielder. 

After winning fewer than 70 games this season, the hot seat will be warm for manager Matt Quatraro and perhaps President of Baseball Operations JJ Picollo. After back-to-back winning seasons in 2024 and 2025, the Royals took a clear step back, winning 13 fewer games than last year. Quatraro and Picollo will likely keep their jobs this offseason, but another sub-70-win season won't cut it in Kansas City. 

While the pitching needs a lot of work, the offense has a nice foundation. Cags showed that he can be the Royals' No. 3 hitter long term, and Jensen was an ideal leadoff man, especially with his home run power. Michael Massey also had a nice bounce-back season, hitting .272 with 50 RBI, a 90 wRC+, and accumulating a 2.2 fWAR in 131 games this year. That PA mark is his most in a season since 2023. 

The Royals will be returning some players from injury, but they won't be back until midseason, and their role is undefined for now. Should Cole Ragans return to the rotation? Or should the Royals follow a Kris Bubic route and let Ragans pitch in the bullpen for 2027? Ragans could be a nice bullpen option and could perhaps ascend to a setup or closer role if he adjusts to relief work quickly. Though his control and command were inconsistent this year, his stuff and whiff ability were as solid as ever. 

The Royals are not a bare cabinet by any means, which is why they won't (and shouldn't) blow up this organization this offseason. 

They have a solid offensive core. They also have a cadre of support from Quad Cities, which won the Midwest League this year. Kendry Chourio and Shields are good enough pitching prospects who could be in the Royals' rotation in 2028, and Langevin could compete for a bullpen spot as soon as 2027. Add that with higher-profile hitting prospects like Hammond in Columbia and Angeibel Gomez, who tore up the DSL in legendary fashion, and Royals fans have plenty to be excited about in the organization's future. 

That said, the Royals need to show some signs of progress in 2027. They cannot afford another slow start like this year. They can't be under .500 again by the end of May. They need to start fast, as they did in 2024, to give fans hope that Q and Picollo are the appropriate pair to steer the Royals in the right direction. 

Another poor showing by June 1st? It wouldn't be surprising to see owner John Sherman act quicker than usual with the manager and president, especially with a new stadium hopefully on the way by 2030. 

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