somerso The Kansas City Royals baseball had a surprisingly exciting year in 2024-25. Can they step up and improve this season, or will they regress? Throughout this article, I will discuss the team’s strengths and weaknesses and predict a regular-season record.
Royals baseball batting strengths
Led by the 2024 MVP runner-up, Bobby Witt Jr. was the main piece of this offense a year ago. The front office added leadoff hitter Jonathan India, who is a tremendous addition. Other strengths in the lineup are hitters Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasqauntino, and Micheal Massey. Although the Royals finished with an 86-76 record, they were just above average in hitting. The Royals finished 10th in the league in batting average, 12th in RBI’s, and 20th in HR’s. I think the addition of India will improve the offensive side significantly.
Outfield hitting struggles
A huge problem for the Royals is their outfield hitters’ struggle. Out of the eight outfielders, the highest Batting average was .258, with the lowest average being .188. The combined average of the Royals outfield would be last in the league. This is a huge struggle as the bottom of the royals lineup is a constant issue. India being in the lineup helps pick up some slack for a struggling hitting outfeild.
Pitching
A strong suit for the Royals is their pitching. Last season, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Lorenzen, and Lucas Ergec came out of the blue for the royals. The royals finished 8th in ERA, 13th in saves, and 3rd in quality starts. This is a significantly important part of the success of the royals 2024 season, and will need them to continue to shine in order to be successful.
Predictions- Floor and Ceiling for royals baseball
With most pieces being back from the 2024 Royals team, I think that the Royals will improve slightly. To win many more games, I think they will need to make an addition to the outfield during the season. My prediction for the Royals in 2025 is 89-73. I think the ceiling for the Royals is 96 games, and the floor is .500 overall.
