Royals Have Shown Everyone the Value of Going For It

The Kansas City Royals are showing that the well-known saying of, “Fortune favors the bold” can apply just as much in modern times as it did in ancient days when the phrase was first coined.

After all, the Royals control their own destiny when it comes to the 2024 MLB postseason. They are in a race with Minnesota Twins for the second Wild Card spot, and hold a five-game lead over the rest of the teams still fighting it out for final American League Wild Card spot.

However, it’s easy to see that Kansas City wouldn’t be sitting pretty in September had it not been for some bold moves earlier in the season.

Or perhaps one could say even last season, when the Royals were squarely out of the postseason chase and found themselves as sellers at the MLB trade deadline.

Acquiring starting pitcher Cole Ragans from the Texas Rangers in exchange for late-inning reliever Aroldis Chapman has certainly been a move that put the Royals on the path to resurgence this season, with Ragans hitting the 200-strikeout mark in just 164.1 innings and his 29th start of the season.

Ragans flashed this level of brilliance in the second half last season, which was paired with a sophomore breakout from Bobby Witt Jr., giving Kansas City a homegrown superstar to follow.

Still, even with their two emerging stars, the Royals finished last place in the AL Central with a 56-106 mark. Entering this offseason, the Royals had every excuse to continue to play the long-game with their rebuild. But instead, they got money to spend and they put it to good use.

After all, just seven of the Royals who were on the 2023 Opening Day roster were back for Opening Day 2024. A roster overhaul, particularly in the pitching department, helped put the Royals in the position where they are today.

Ready to make the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series back in 2015.

How Did the Royal Get Here?

In the offseason, the Royals committed to All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with an 11-year contract that could eventually cost the franchise more than $377 million if he stayed with the team through the 2037 season.

In the first year of that deal, Kansas City is reaping plenty of benefits, with Witt Jr. slashing .337/.390/.606 with 30 home runs and 97 RBI. Those numbers have plenty thinking Witt Jr. should be in the AL Most Valuable Player discussion, even with Aaron Judge pacing the New York Yankees back into the postseason this year as well.

Joining Ragans in the 2024 Royals rotation are a pair of veteran arms signed this offseason in Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Lugo earned his first All-Star bid earlier this year and continues to shine, posting an overall 15-8 mark and 3.05 ERA through 29 starts.

Wacha topped double-digits in wins as well, logging an 11-7 record and 3.50 ERA through his first 25 starts of the campaign. The duo will join Ragans to give Kansas City a formidable trio in the postseason.

Granted, not all of Kansas City’s moves in the offseason and regular season have paid off. Michael Lorenzen (trade), Hunter Harvey (trade) and Will Smith (offseason signing) are among the injured pitchers who could return in time for the stretch run of late September.

Lucas Erceg, brought over in a trade with the Oakland A’s, has struggled mightily in recent games out of the bullpen (the Royals are hopeful it is a speed bump rather than a cause for concern).

However, even when injuries have short-circuited moves or slumps have hit at the wrong time, Kansas City hasn’t sat idly by. Just look at what the Royals did on September 1st to make sure their roster was not only strong on paper, but filled with veterans with postseason experience as well.

What Kansas City has done since last season to overhaul its roster is nothing short of impressive.

At a time when so many MLB teams are content or looking ahead to next year, it’s clear that the Royals believe they have a window of opportunity for perhaps not only the postseason, but also to grab the AL Central crown (the Royals entered Friday 4.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the division chase).

While it may be unlikely the Royals can catch Cleveland, the front office is certainly showing the clubhouse and fans it is going to do everything it can to make it a realistic possibility.

That should be a lesson for many MLB teams, no matter the market size. When you invest in the team with shrewd moves and continue to stay agile in your thinking as the season progresses, positive things will often occur. Not always, but sitting on your hands is certainly by no means bold.

While the Kansas City Chiefs may squarely be in the local spotlight now that September has begun, the Royals have been working to show all season that they deserve their own attention this month and beyond. Thanks to bold moves that began over a year ago, it’s safe to say that Kansas City isn’t just a football town this fall.