Can Royals rebound from rough April? The good, bad & ugly from first 25 games
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals sit 8-16 after 25 games, marking one of the franchise’s worst starts.
- Wacha (2nd, 1.00 ERA) and Lugo (4th, 1.15 ERA) rank high early in ERA leaderboard.
- Bullpen struggles and offensive failures with RISP have cost the Royals games.
If you were to take a snapshot of the Kansas City Royals this season, it might require serious photo editing.
The image wouldn’t be what you’d expect.
At times, the Royals have looked out of focus. The offense has blurred the lines between inconsistent and borderline unwatchable. And the pitching staff — while the starters have been solid — is teetering off course due to a susceptible bullpen.
Add it up and the Royals are 8-17. It’s one of the worst starts in franchise history and a complete shock to the fan base.
Royals fans expressed their displeasure Monday night. The club was booed by the near 14,000 in attendance at Kauffman Stadium.
The boos are the result of an uncharacteristic April. Sure, the Royals have produced slow starts, but seldom one this damaging.
So much so that Royals start Bobby Witt Jr. understood the visceral emotions from the KC faithful.
“We’ve got to get better every day and try to just improve,” Witt said. “And so, it’s frustrating, sucks. It’s just one of those things where we’ve got to be better. Got to play better.”
Two months ago, the Royals were drawing some national praise. Some prognosticators felt the club could win the American League Central.
Some even called the Royals a dark-horse playoff contender.
Right now, the Royals are lost in the wind. The struggles are compounded by a rough slate of games against top teams.
The Royals have already played the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
They are 2-10 in those games. Their other six wins came against the Minnesota Twins (twice), Chicago White Sox (twice), Cleveland Guardians (once) and Baltimore Orioles (once).
So what’s really ailing the Royals? It’s still early, but it’s clear that change is needed.
“We all know how long the season is,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “And if you break the season up into bunches, you know, short bunches, it doesn’t take much to turn something around. But if we get too focused and caught up in what’s happened over the last couple of weeks, we’re not going to be able to move forward.”
Here are the good, bad and ugly 25 games into the Royals’ season:
The Good: Wily vets and a bright future
There aren’t many positives when a team is struggling for wins. However, that hasn’t hindered veteran starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
Both pitchers are off to a fast start.
Wacha owns a 2.51 ERA through five starts. And Lugo is just ahead of him on the leaderboard. The right-hander owns a 1.15 ERA — which ranks second in the majors.
On Monday, Lugo was brilliant against the Baltimore Orioles. He allowed one hit and struck out seven batters in seven innings. Meanwhile, Wacha continues to post quality starts and has surrendered nine earned runs in 32 1/3 innings pitched.
“Our starting pitching has been able to keep us competitive every night,” Picollo said.
The Royals are getting similar production from Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. The youngsters are among the club’s best hitters at the moment.
Caglianone is spraying the baseball over the field. He’s produced a 95.2 mph average exit velocity, per Statcast. And Caglianone is demonstrating improved defensive ability alongside a cannon arm.
This season, Caglianone has two outfield assists. Both came during last week’s series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
The Royals believe his breakout is coming soon. On Monday, Caglianone hit his first home run, which traveled 437 feet over the center-field wall. His walks are also up due to improved plate discipline.
Jensen is also rapidly improving. He leads the team with six home runs, 14 RBIs and a .919 OPS (on-base plus slugging). His work behind the plate is growing as well — thanks in large part to Salvador Perez.
If there was a knock on Jensen, it’d be his rookie mistake earlier this month. Jensen overslept and was held out of the lineup against the Twins.
He admittedly learned from the error and moved forward. If the Royals plan to climb out of their early hole, Jensen will play a significant role.
The Bad: Offense and Baserunning
The Royals’ offense has failed to deliver in the biggest moments. And it’s difficult to comprehend exactly why.
The roster has talented offensive players. Last season, the club had four players named American League Silver Slugger Award finalists. New acquisition Isaac Collins finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and Lane Thomas has produced wherever he has played.
Yet, the offense hasn’t clicked collectively.
The big-name stars — such as Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino — haven’t gotten the job done consistently. Perez owns a .513 OPS and recently had an 0-for-22 stretch with runners in scoring position.
Pasquantino has slumped again in April. He is hitting .160 with 3 homers and 12 RBIs this season.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Royals ranked last with runners in scoring position. They entered with a paltry .197 batting average in such situations.
The biggest indictment came Monday against the Orioles. The Royals were 5-for-21 with RISP and left 16 men on base. In the third inning, a bases-loaded opportunity — with no outs — didn’t produce a run.
To make matters worse, the Royals have lost five games trailing by just one run.
“We have to figure out how to win games,” Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia said.
The ability to finish games is also a problem. A few times, the Royals have run themselves out of key spots on the basepaths. Guys have been picked off by opposing teams or failed to advance when taking the extra base.
Royals catcher Elias Diaz was thrown out at home plate against the New York Yankees as he attempted to score from first base. And Thomas was tagged out trying to reach third base against the Orioles.
The Royals worked on their baserunning in spring training. It was an emphasis after similar troubles haunted them last season. But it continues to be a concern in the biggest moments.
“We’ve got to do things well in all four aspects of the game,” Picollo said.
The Ugly: A leaky bullpen
The Royals’ bullpen woes continue to stick out. Every team has difficult stretches within their relief corps, but it seems like the Royals can’t find consistent production.
For as good as the starting rotation has been, the bullpen is quickly becoming the club’s Achilles heel.
Royals closer Carlos Estévez is sidelined with a left foot contusion. He is currently on the injured list after being hit by a line drive against the Atlanta Braves.
Estévez also dealt with low velocity. He averaged 90-92 mph with his fastball and blew a save in the opening series against the Braves.
With Estévez out, the Royals had to shuffle the bullpen. Lucas Erceg was inserted into the closer role, but he is struggling to record strikeouts. He recently blew two saves against the Tigers and Orioles.
“I know I’m capable of this role, but the last two outings for me have been atrocious,” Erceg said after Monday’s blown save.
Left-handed relievers Matt Strahm and Daniel Lynch IV have been solid in their roles. However, John Schreiber and Alex Lange have struggled. They’ve combined to surrender 15 runs this season.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro continues to search for answers. Journeyman relievers Eli Morgan, Nick Mears and Mason Black have had opportunities. But none have taken advantage.
“It’s like any other part of life, if you dwell on those negatives, they’re going to continue to happen,” Quatraro said. “(You need to) have the fortitude to flip that and see the positive, and understand some of the things you can do to help the team win.”
Final verdict
The Royals still have everything ahead of them. The MLB season has multiple twists and turns before the calendar turns to October.
There’s hope that Pasquantino and Perez turn things around. They are too good to continue operating among the worst hitters in the sport.
Pasquantino has shown flashes. He smashed key homers on the Royals’ recent road trip. His swing just needs to be consistent.
Perez said he didn’t need a “mental breather” amid comments from his manager. It’s fair to take his word for it and trust the Royals’ captain.
They both have to showcase it on the field. When the Royals are rolling, both Pasquantino and Perez are squarely in the mix.
The pitching also must be better. Meanwhile, smarter baserunning and fewer defensive lapses might lead to bigger innings.
It’s clear the Royals don’t appear like themselves at the moment. But a few corrections could make sure the final photo is worth a second look.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Can Royals rebound from rough April? The good, bad & ugly from first 25 games."
