Small sample size so far in the season. And the shock to many, the Royals are off to a flying start. Currently, Kansas City is in second place in the American League Central and looks to potentially make the playoffs since their World Series run in 2015. There’s been a lot that can be chalked up to them playing up to potential, but here are a couple of reasons.
Quality Offense:
The Royals currently have the best-run differential (scored runs minus given-up runs) with a +37. Which even if you aren’t a statistics guy, should seem very good. One part of that has been the consistent offense. Despite their eggs laid in the first two games of the season, this offense is looking up to potential. Bobby Witt Jr. is smacking the cover off the ball and showing why the Royals uncharacteristically paid up to see him in the blue and white for a while. Witt is leading the offense but Nelson Velaquez is a consistent designated hitter with an above .300 average.
Making the trade between the Cubs last year for a relief pitcher look like they took Chicago to the cleaners so far. Despite the slow start, Vinnie Pasquantino has seemed to have gotten his hitting prowess back. This offense flexed its might in the series against Houston, where they completely shut them out on the offensive part. The good thing is, this isn’t even the team’s biggest strength.
Impressive Pitching:
To my surprise, starting pitching has been the big piece to push this team over the top. These starters can go 6 or more innings without a sweat, keeping the team in games. Cole Ragans has been the catalyst for this run of form, another player acquired in a trade that involved Aroldis Chapman. Not only is his finesse game there, but he can also consistently scorch the radar gun at 100 miles per hour on his fastball. Another starter that has rebounded to form is Brady Singer. He had a very iffy season in 2023 and has put that in the past. He’s pitching in a form we haven’t seen since his days in Gainesville with the Florida Gators. There have also been good performances from offseason ads like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, fulfilling their roles as leaders in the locker room.
Despite their struggles and continued ones, the bullpen is good enough to get through games. That has been shown as of late. James McArthur is bringing the run of form he had last year and running with it. His ERA may be deceiving but he’s clicking on all cylinders as of late. And you can’t deny the veteran leadership of Nick Anderson alongside John Schreiber. This may not be the strength of the team, but this is the best bullpen this team has had in a good bit. This team will live and die by this group, as long as they can bounce back they’ll be just fine.
Is this form sustainable?:
Yes, this strong start to the season is very exciting and a breath of fresh air for every fan, player, and coach in this organization. And I believe the Royals will be a competitive team, so with that, I am keeping with my current prediction. They will win the division as long as they keep up the form they are rolling with. They need to keep this up to convince people they are worth a new stadium deal. I’ll be root, root, rooting for the Royals!
