Jaylon Thompson wrote about the now-wrapped season.
The Royals have a long way to go.
Their 2026 campaign was an utter disappointment. The Royals entered the year with high expectations but fell short of their intended goals. A slow start and a slew of injuries sent them tumbling down the American League Central standings.
KC suffered through a rough spring. As the calendar flipped to June, the Royals were 22-37, well behind the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the division race.
This week,
both of those competitor teams made the playoffs. The Royals had to watch from their own dugout as their AL Central rivals clinched postseason berths at Kauffman Stadium.
Jackson Stone at MLB mothership turned an eye toward 2027.
The Royals have been here before. A large part of this team was here when they turned 106 losses in 2023 into a postseason run in 2024. There will most likely be a few changes to the coaching staff and free-agent signings to bolster the bullpen and rotation — but the core is here to stay, including starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
It’s up to that group to get back to the winning baseball of years prior.
“From my end, I feel like we have the pieces to be able to do it and we didn’t do it this year,” Pasquantino said. “Like I said, that’s a failure. That doesn’t mean I have any less confidence going into next year. … I’m walking into next season expecting us to be in a playoff push the whole year. Those are just words; they don’t mean anything right now, but those are my expectations. We just gotta go do it.”
David Lesky pointed toward the last game in August as the last gasp of a team falling apart.
I sort of think September, and this weekend on a smaller scale, was just a team that ran out of gas. Specifically, it was about a pitching staff that ran out of gas. That’s an issue, of course, but it’s a bigger issue when they weren’t good enough on a full tank. I will never stop believing that when they got the band back together in mid-August and went on that run, they saw that Sunday loss against Cleveland that dropped them to 7.5 back with 24 to play and realized the longshot dream was dead. They went 7-17 from there. I have a hard time thinking they could have continued the run they were on with this pitching staff, but none of them are stupid. They knew that they almost had to win that last game of August. And when they didn’t, it completely fell apart.
Former Royals broadcaster Buddy Blattner (1969-1975 for the Royals) is on the ballot for the 2027 Ford C. Frick award.
Brian Burrows at Kings of Kauffman took a look at departing free agents.
The case for each team to win the World Series.
Luis Arraez will not be on the Phillies Wild Card roster due to injury.
The Mariners are cleaning out some coaching staff, which includes firing former Royal Kevin Seitzer from his post as hitting coach.
The Twins fired their pitching coach and assistant pitching coach.
The Rays returning to the Trop juiced 2026 MLB attendance numbers.
Barry Petchesky wrote about the other former Tiger who might also be ending his career – psycho Max Scherzer.
Sporting KC has filed a countersuit against former coach Zoran Savic in the dispute about youth soccer in Kansas City.
The Chiefs are a totally different team this September compared to last September.
The New York Giants gave up an actual draft pick (2027 5th) to acquire J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings.
Miami Dolphins star RB (and fantasy top pick) De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in the game against the Chiefs and is out for the season. Football is brutal.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino is mad about Manchester City’s financial chicanery, of which they’ve apparently been found guilty.
Atlanta’s NWSL expansion club starting in 2028 has been revealed to be Atlanta City FC.
The Senate passed a bill containing regulations over college sports by a 77-22 vote yesterday.
Your song of the day is Audioslave with Yesterday to Tomorrow.
