Kansas City Royals 2024 Preview

The 2023 Royals finished the season with an abysmal 56-106 record, last place even in the moribund AL Central. Despite the disappointing campaign (or because of it, along with the pressure to build goodwill among fans ahead of a new stadium push), the Royals were active this offseason and could be much more competitive in a relatively weak division. Let's peek behind the lines of one of the Twins' enemies in the Central.

Offseason Moves
To improve the third-worst team ERA in baseball (5.17), the Royals brought in a number of arms to bolster their rotation and their bullpen. Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo both joined the rotation, while Will Smith, Chris Stratton, and Nick Anderson will be welcome additions to the bullpen. None of those signings broke the bank or were particularly eye-popping, but they should ensure that the Royals pitching staff improves in 2024. Pairing these veterans with their young, blossoming stud Cole Ragans (who came over in the Aroldis Chapman trade last summer) and bounce-back hopeful Brady Singer, the Royals should be more competitive.

The most significant new addition to their lineup was outfielder Hunter Renfroe. Coming off a down year in 2023 with the Angels and Reds, Renfroe is a rebound candidate. He projects to slot in as a corner outfielder who will provide a decent amount of power to a lineup that hit only 163 home runs in 2023, tied for fourth-fewest in MLB.

The big splash came when they extended superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year, $288.7-million contract with three years of team options that could result in $89M more when it’s all said and done. Witt will be the team’s star player for a long time and should act as a cornerstone around whom to build.

Bright Spots
Despite the Royals’ poor recent history, they have some talent on the roster. I mentioned Witt, but the Royals have other valuable pieces, as well. Salvador Pérez has been a fixture in the middle of the Kansas City lineup for over a decade, and while he isn’t as productive as he once was, he was still an All-Star in 2023. The Royals also have a couple of young hitters, in Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez, who could progress into above-average everyday players.

The aforementioned Ragans will be the team’s Opening Day starter, and he could grow into a true ace. Still just 26 years old, the left-handed pitcher produced 2.4 bWAR in 2023, in just 96 innings pitched. His Statcast page supports his dominance; it looks as though the Royals hit a home run with their 2023 deadline acquisition.

Bottom Line
The Royals haven’t topped 80 wins in a season since 2017 and haven’t been above .500 since they won the World Series in 2015. The good news is they have some young guys who look like they could develop into solid baseball players. Witt is a bona fide superstar, and Ragans, Pasquantino, and Melendez are all 26 or younger and could be solid major-league players if they continue to progress. There’s hope for the future, but I don’t think their roster is good enough to compete for a division title. I foresee them being much more competitive in 2024, but still near the basement of the AL Central.

Record Projection: 71-91

What do you expect for the 2024 Royals? How many of the Twins' 13 games against them will be Minnesota wins? Jumpstart the conversation below.