After making the postseason in 2024 and contending last year, the Royals have fallen apart in 2026 and have one of the worst records in MLB entering this weekend, 20 games under .500.
Incidentally, the Cubs have now played 14 games of their 17-game stretch without an off day. Their record in those games is 10-4. Really, you can’t ask for much better than that. Well done, Cubs.
For more on the Royals, here’s Max Rieper, manager of our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review.
After back-to-back winning seasons
for the first time in a decade, the Royals had designs on contention in 2026. But it all went very wrong right from the start. The offense struggled to begin the year due to poor performances from Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez.
The team was unable to dig out of an early hole, and once they hit the summer months, the pitching staff was ravaged by injuries. The Royals thought pitching depth would be a strength, but they lost Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans, Carlos Estevez, Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Luinder Avila, and Nick Mears to significant injuries, decimating the staff. Many fans felt they should have been aggressive sellers at the deadline, trading All-Star Michael Wacha while his value was high. Instead, the team held onto him and Seth Lugo, arguing that keeping them for next year could help them compete in 2027.
They have had to turning over every rock to find pitchers to finish the season. They may have found something in former Twins starter Randy Dobnak, who has a 1.16 ERA in his first four starts. Hard-throwing Steven Cruz may be emerging as their future closer. Daniel Lynch IV and John Schreiber have been useful relievers. Otherwise this has been one of the worst bullpens in franchise history. Much of the pitching staff is being held together by duct tape, comprised of has-beens and never-weres.
Bobby Witt Jr. returned this week from a back injury and he has picked up where he left off, with one of the best seasons ever by a player on a last place team. His offensive numbers are down slightly from last year, but he leads the AL in steams and in Outs Above Average defensively. The Royals thought their season hinged on the development of young hitters Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. But both have been very solid this year, and yet the offense still stinks. Chicago-area native Michael Massey (Brother Rice High School) also seems to have turned a corner with his offensive development, providing some pop at second base. But the lineup is pretty thin, and the team has had to fill out the roster with “Quad-A” players.
Witt can still carry the team on occasion, but this is largely a team playing out the string. They make poor baserunning decisions, struggle to hit with runners in scoring position, and blow leads any chance they get. The Cubs should take this series and really should be aiming for a sweep.
Fun facts
The Cubs are 22-18 in their 40 games against the Royals since the interleague rivalry began in 1997, for a winning percentage of .550.
They have had a higher percentage against four other American League teams, all in no more than 29 games: Orioles (.679, 19-9), Athletics (.667, 18-9), Mariners (.643, 18-10) and Angels (.621, 18-11).
The Cubs are 9-8 vs. the Royals at Kansas City. They lost two of three in the first and third of their visits there, in 1998 and 2011. Since then, they are 5-3, having won two of three in 2015, splitting a pair in 2020, then bouncing back in 2024 from a 6-0 first-game loss to win, 9-4 and 7-3. Patrick Wisdom hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to erase a 4-3 deficit in the first of those games, then hit a solo shot in the second.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (5-10, 4.38 ERA, 1.288 WHIP, 3.50 FIP in 23 starts with Blue Jays) vs. Daniel Lynch IV, LHP (4-2, 1.96 ERA, 0.935 WHIP, 3.05 FIP)
Saturday: Clay Holmes, RHP (4-4, 2.39 ERA, 1.101 WHIP, 3.21 FIP in nine starts with Mets) vs. Seth Lugo, RHP (4-7, 4.41 ERA, 1.391 WHIP, 4.26 FIP)
Sunday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (7-1, 3.59 ERA, 1.225 WHIP, 3.82 FIP) vs. Randy Dobnak, RHP (2-0, 1.16 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, 4.22 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Friday: 7:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Saturday: 6:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 1:10 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs have three strong starters going in this series and really ought to win at least two of three.
Up next
The Cubs have Monday off — their first off day after playing the aforementioned 17 games in a row — then will be in Washington for a three-game series against the Nationals that begins Tuesday evening.
