The Kansas City Royals find themselves right in the middle of the Wild Card race for a second year in a row. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Carlos Estevez and captain Salvador Perez have led the team’s effort to return to October baseball. With less than 20 games remaining in the season, how can the Royals make that push again?
The Royals have put themselves in a position to potentially go to the postseason in back-to-back seasons, snapping a 10-season drought. Witt Jr. has led the charge, putting up another impressive statistical year. He joined the likes of Julio Rodriguez as the only players to put up 4 straight 20 home run/20 stolen base seasons to start a career. The 25-year-old is already a five-tool player, as he had a batting average of .332 last year and has flirted around the .300 mark this season. His consistent batting is paired with hitting 20 or more home runs in 4 straight seasons, stealing at least 20 bases and winning a Gold Glove, all by the age of 25.
The rest of the Royals’ roster may not be perfect, but there’s enough talent around Witt Jr. for the team to compete for a postseason spot. Pasquantino has already hit a career high in home runs and RBIs, and Perez is more than serviceable, with 23 home runs and an average OPS for an American League player. Estevez, the closer, is having a career year with 32 saves on the season, which passes his career high of 26 from a year ago. After those four, however, the rest of the roster doesn’t jump out statistically.
The Royals winning the division is essentially out of the picture –– not impossible, but very unlikely. The Detroit Tigers have put together quite an impressive season, with 81 wins and counting. Given the Tigers’ strong hold atop the division, the Wild Card race is where the Royals could make their money, sitting a few games back behind the sliding Mariners. The Royals have put themselves in a position to make that surprise surge again, and it may just happen.
With big series in September coming up –– including one against the Mariners –– every game is a must-win for the Royals, as their current playoff odds sit at 6.5%. Among other teams fighting for that coveted third wild card spot are the Rangers, who have a slim half-game lead over the Royals, and the Mariners, who currently hold that spot.
Between those three teams, the Mariners have the easiest strength of schedule left, which ranks 28/30 with a winning average of .472 and the Rangers have the 4th toughest overall remaining schedule, with a winning percentage average of .520. The Royals fall right in the middle, tied for the 13th easiest strength of schedule with a winning average of .506.
The Royals have a shot. It’s not a big one, and having a tougher schedule than the team above them doesn’t make it any easier. The good news for the Royals is that they get to play the Mariners in the middle of September for three games – a series with potentially huge playoff implications. As long as the Royals can continue to get timely contributions, they’re never truly out of playoff contention.
Edited by Killian Wright | [email protected]
Copy edited by Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]
