Royals' sights higher in '25 after rapid rise
Anne Rogers
@anne__rogersThis story was excerpted from Anne Rogers' Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Fans are beginning to gather along the chain-link fences on the back fields at the Royals¡¯ Spring Training facility, the weather as pleasant as can be. Baseball cards in hand, they¡¯re searching for autographs while listening to the cracks of baseballs hitting wooden bats, the pops of balls landing in gloves and the shouts of a coach hitting fungoes or calling out game situations for infield drills.
Spring is here, and baseball has returned.
The Royals welcomed their full squad -- all 66 players in big league camp -- to the Surprise facility on Monday morning, kicking off the 2025 season. And for the club, this spring is different from the past several years. Finally, Kansas City worked its way back to relevancy in 2024, winning 86 games just a year after losing 106.
It was, as manager Matt Quatraro reflected following the team¡¯s four-game loss to the Yankees in the best-of-five American League Division Series, like going from zero to 60 mph all in one year. A complete turnaround.
As the Royals attempt to run it back with so many of their players returning -- including mostly the same starting rotation that had the second-best ERA (3.55) in the Majors last year and one of the best players in baseball in Bobby Witt Jr., fresh off his runner-up finish for AL Most Valuable Player -- the goal now is to go from 60 to 65 mph and make this team a sustained contender.
¡°I think the guys in that room believe in themselves based on what we did last year,¡± Quatraro said. ¡°And if we¡¯re able to grow on that, we¡¯re in a good spot.¡±
Last spring, there was optimism -- based on the Royals¡¯ offseason that saw a remake of the roster -- that the season could go better. But it was based on hope. This year, it¡¯s based on reality. Kansas City saw it happen.
The expectations, Witt said, should rise.
¡°In the past, there¡¯s some unknowns with the team, but I feel like now we know what team we have,¡± Witt said. ¡°We know what we can do, we saw what we can do, and last year, we thought we could do more. We¡¯ve just got to do our part, know our roles and do what we can to win ballgames.¡±
Despite the success of an 86-win season and an AL Wild Card Series sweep of the Orioles -- a fact plastered on the wall of the big league clubhouse in Surprise -- several Royals have brought up the bitterness of how the season ended against the Yankees.
It fueled their offseason, and it is now fueling their spring.
¡°After making a little run in the postseason last year, coming into this Spring Training, a little taste of that -- you can see it on some of the guys¡¯ faces,¡± starter Michael Wacha said. ¡°The willingness and the want to go out there and get back to that same position and take it to another level. Seeing guys that are motivated out there and ready to work, it¡¯s been a lot of fun to see.¡±
What can this Royals team do, then, in 2025?
¡°A lot of us who haven¡¯t been in the playoffs got a little taste,¡± starter Cole Ragans said. ¡°That¡¯s what you live for. We want to be the last one standing, holding that trophy and bringing a World Series back to Kansas City. Last year didn¡¯t end how we wanted it to. So now, it¡¯s just building off the year we had and go from there.¡±
A repeat of the rotation¡¯s health and success would certainly be helpful, especially with Wacha re-signed on a three-year deal and Ragans with a new three-year contract in hand. Seeing what Michael Lorenzen can do with a full year in the rotation and who emerges in that fifth spot -- whether it¡¯s Kris Bubic or Daniel Lynch IV or Alec Marsh, provided his right shoulder soreness subsides -- will be key for 2025 and the future.
The Royals¡¯ bullpen is more secure after last season¡¯s July 30 acquisition and emergence of Lucas Erceg, as well as the Jan. 31 signing of 2023 AL All-Star closer Carlos Est¨¦vez to help at the end of games. A healthy Hunter Harvey would help in late innings and push other relievers -- like lefties Angel Zerpa and Sam Long or righty John Schreiber -- into better positions.
Witt, the ultimate competitor, seems more motivated than ever to build upon his incredible 2024 season, working to be consistent with his bat and glove and to improve his baserunning. The Royals have a new leadoff hitter in Jonathan India, whom they hope can set the tone for Witt to produce even more and bring more damage from sluggers Vinnie Pasquantino -- who is happy to be having a normal Spring Training -- and Salvador Perez. The biggest questions for this offense are whether it can have those top four stay healthy and deepen the lineup with better production from outfielders Hunter Renfroe, MJ Melendez and others.
The Royals hope it all leads to an AL Central title, the postseason and a deep October run.
It starts under the sunny skies of Arizona.
¡°You can tell they all have one goal,¡± India said. ¡°They want to win. Everyone¡¯s very professional here. There¡¯s a lot of structure. They¡¯re very mature for a young team. And I fit right in. That¡¯s my goal every time I step on the field. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m in a winning organization.¡±