It may not feel like it after another last-place finish, but the Royals window to compete is now. I know what you’re thinking—how can a team this young be in such a win-now mode? I will break down four key factors as to why these next few years are the Royals’ best chance of winning.
STATE OF THE DIVISION
To keep it blunt, the AL Central stinks. The division produced more 100-game losers in the 2023 season than it did teams with a winning record. The Royals realized this and went all-out in the off-season. It’s one thing trying to rebuild in a division that fields elite talent like the AL East or AL West, but the Central is incredibly weak. I mean, seriously, four of the five teams are in the bottom 10 for World Series odds in 2024.
So, what makes me think the Royals can take advantage of this? Well, it’s quite simple: they were the only team in the division that improved in the off-season. It blows my mind that in a division this wide open, the White Sox, Guardians, Twins, and Tigers let the Royals outspend them. Any other division in the league and I’d say the Royals have little to no chance, but they just so happen to play in one of the weakest divisions in recent memory.
This won’t last forever, though. As farm systems build-up and bad contracts expire, the Central will become much tougher to compete in. These next few years, especially 2024, are years the Royals have to take advantage of.
YOUNG TALENT ON THE CHEAP
When it comes to retaining home-grown talent, the Royals don’t have the best track record. Since the turn of the century, they’ve failed to retain Carlos Beltrán, Zack Greinke, Lorenzo Cain, and other all-stars. Back when the Royals went to back-to-back World Series in 2014 and 2015, they had the luxury of having standout guys such as Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer on cheap deals that were not only affordable but also allowed them to spend on important veterans like James Shields.
Now, we sit here in 2024 in a similar position. Kansas City has one of the youngest lineups in baseball and will for the next few years. Guys like Bobby Witt Jr. and MJ Melendez will not require new contracts for years to come. The time for getting these guys accustomed to the big leagues is dwindling, and the era of utilizing their contracts to compete is beginning in 2024.
Do they need to go on a World Series run this year like they did a decade ago? No, the team is nowhere near that developed yet. What does need to happen is a battle for the division. If the Royals find themselves in the race come Septemeber, it will be a giant step forward and kickstart a new era of baseball in Kansas City.
AGING VETERANS
On the other side of the coin, there are aging veterans who won’t be here much longer. The first guy who comes to mind is Salvador Perez, who will turn 33 this season. Perez, who became just the fourth team captain in the franchise’s history last season, is nearing the end of his incredible run in Kansas City. The 2015 World Series MVP has seen it all in his career, from the uprising of the first Royals rebuild to becoming world champions and then the fall off back to irrelevancy. Simply put, Perez deserves another chance to compete. The Royals need the power of his bat and leadership in the clubhouse to bring October baseball back to Kansas City.
Salvy isn’t the lone veteran anymore. The Royals have brought in a handful of guys north of 30 who don’t have many years left. The Royals will trot out three starters with over a decade of big-league experience with Jordan Lyles, Michael Wacha, and Seth Lugo. You don’t put this rotation together to be good in a few years. You put a rotation like this together when you believe you are ready to compete, which the Royals do.
PRESSURE ON MANAGEMENT
We arrive at the final, yet most important reason. Regarding track records, nobody in Kansas City has one to show off yet. Whereas Dayton Moore had his shiny trophy to point back to when things weren’t going well, JJ Picollo has nothing. Ned Yost had a ring on his finger; Matt Quatraro had nothing.
This isn’t a diss on the current regime; it’s just factual. You can only lose so long in sports before time runs out and you’re replaced. I believe the Royals front office realized the clock was closer to striking midnight on them than they might’ve previously thought and did all they could to turn the franchise around. This regime cannot survive another 100-loss season. They can’t survive another fifth-place finish in the Central.
The 2024 season is the beginning of put-up or shut-up for this staff. I won’t pin all of 2023 on them; they inherited a mess that was impossible to solve immediately. It can’t get worse now. It can’t even just be marginally better. The pressure to win has begun for everyone, and now it’s time to see if the Royals can break through or if they will have to start over.