First month of Royals’ season was instructive. Here’s what we’ve learned so far
April was a mixed bag for the Kansas City Royals.
They hovered around the .500 mark and endured some early pitfalls. The biggest was a disappointing 2-8 road trip that included stops in Cleveland, New York and Detroit.
That road swing was disastrous for multiple Royals players. It seemed no one was immune to the cold spell. And KC’s anemic lineup didn’t fare well at hitter-friendly parks such as Yankee Stadium.
Royals captain Salvador Perez said the team spoke about “not doing too much” at the plate. Some called for top prospect Jac Caglianone to make a heroic big-league debut and save the season.
The Royals didn’t make any such rash decisions. Instead, they won nine of their final 10 games of the month to finish April on a high note.
It wasn’t a perfect month by any means — the Royals still have flaws that must be addressed. But their start to the 2025 season proved that this is a battle-tested club.
Here are a few things that stood out during the Royals’ first month:
Key games
March 31: Royals beat Brewers 11-1
April 16: Royals lose 4-3 to Yankees
April 20: Royals beat Tigers 4-3
April 26: Royals beat Astros 2-0.
The Royals have been streaky this season, with ample ups and downs. But these four games stand out.
KC had its highest scoring output of the young season in a blowout of the Brewers at American Family Field. They belted 14 hits and scored six runs in one inning.
The the Royals dropped a close one to the Yankees on April 16. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge blasted a go-ahead home run. KC had a chance to salvage a win in the three-game series but was instead swept away.
The Royals played better in late April. They ended their 10-game road trip with an extra-inning victory at Detroit. Six days later, KC returned to .500 with a big win against Framber Valdez and the Astros.
Surprise player: Drew Waters
The Royals sent struggling MJ Melendez down to Triple-A Omaha. In his stead, KC gave more opportunities to outfielder Drew Waters.
A former top prospect, Waters hadn’t found much success in the big leagues. His time up with the Royals had been limited in the past.
Now he’s seeing the most major-league playing time of his career. And he has earned every bit of it.
Waters made several adjustments this past offseason. He narrowed his focus at the plate by working on better pitch selection. The changes have paid off, as he is hitting .273 with 18 hits and a .738 OPS (on-base plus slugging).
Memorable play: Freddy Fermin’s laser throw
The Royals didn’t start Freddy Fermin at catcher against the Colorado Rockies. But he made sure April 22 would become a day he’d never forget.
Fermin entered the game as a pinch-runner. He remained in the game as a defensive replacement at catcher, gloving a sweeper from reliever John Schreiber and making a snap throw to Maikel Garcia at third base.
The baseball beat Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak’s vain attempt to race back to the bag. Garcia applied the tag — the Royals had picked off the lead runner in extra innings.
An inning later, Fermin hit a walk-off single as the Royals won 4-3 at Kauffman Stadium.
What to know: KC pitching can carry the day
The Royals know how to pitch at a high level.
It was no secret that 2024 American League Cy Young Award finalists Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo were likely to provide encore performances. And Michael Wacha signed a new three-year contract this past offseason.
That trio has been as advertised atop the rotation. The difference-maker this year is left-hander Kris Bubic.
Bubic returned to the starting rotation after spending last season in the bullpen. He rebounded from Tommy John surgery and claimed the No. 4 spot in this season’s rotation.
In six April starts, Bubic registered a 1.98 ERA with 40 strikeouts. That cumulative performance earned him the Royals’ “pitcher of the month” honors for the second time in his career.
The Royals needed Bubic to produce after trading Brady Singer and placing Alec Marsh and Kyle Wright on the injured list. And Bubic has delivered as arguably KC’s best starter this season.
He has allowed four runs or fewer in every start so far. On Saturday, he tossed five scoreless innings in Baltimore, improving to 3-2 in seven starts.
The Royals also boast a dynamic bullpen. New closer Carlos Estévez has nine saves in 14 relief appearances.
Estévez’s success has allowed Lucas Erceg to move into a fireman’s role. Erceg is thriving in high-leverage situations. And young relievers Angel Zerpa, Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz have stepped up with some key veterans injured.
The Royals can win with their pitching. They can take the next step toward championship contention with more help from their offense.
What to know: Bobby Witt Jr. needs support
KC Star columnist Sam McDowell put it bluntly in a recent column: This Royals formula isn’t sustainable in the long-term.
The Royals are averaging 3.18 runs per game. As a team with playoff aspirations, they must score more in order to avoid an undesirable trend: Since 1900, no major-league team has reached the playoffs averaging fewer than 3.5 runs per game.
Witt is holding his own. He is hitting .302 (39-for-129) with three home runs, 15 RBIs and 20 runs. He carried a 22-game hitting streak into May before going hitless in his last eight at-bats.
Witt hasn’t fully hit his stride, but he is still contributing to the Royals’ offense. The remainder of the lineup? It’s a work in progress.
Pasquantino is a good example. He has a team-leading five home runs and 21 RBIs but is hitting a meager .181.
“I hit third in this lineup,” he said. “If I’m not hitting, it’s bad for me and it’s bad for the team. I have to do something. It’s not putting any extra pressure on myself or anything, but I’m hitting third for a reason. You know, I’ve got to be better.”
As a team, the Royals have hit just 18 home runs. Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh has hit 12 all by himself.
Three of the Royals’ homers came Saturday against the Orioles. Vinnie Pasquantino, Kyle Isbel and Cavan Biggio all went deep. It was KC’s first multi-homer game since March 31 against the Brewers.
Will the Royals’ slumbering bats continue to be an issue? They’ve scored four runs or fewer in 29 of 34 games this season. Entering Saturday’s game in Baltimore, they were hitting .215 with runners in scoring position.
They’ve shown some encouraging signs in recent games. Pasquantino has put together better plate appearances. Team captain Perez was spraying doubles before getting hurt and Jonathan India is starting to find a rhythm in the leadoff spot.
Consistency is what’s needed now. It can’t be just Witt and Maikel Garcia carrying the offense.
We’ll see what May brings.
This story was originally published May 4, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "First month of Royals’ season was instructive. Here’s what we’ve learned so far."
