Kansas City players not shocked by hot start

The 2024 Kansas City Royals are just one game behind the pace of the 2015 Royals winning the World Series.

This team was coming off the World Series and retained many of its star players. This Royals team is coming off a dreadful 56-win season, giving them the second-lowest mark of any team last year. They were widely predicted to repeat as one of the worst teams in the league heading into this season, but despite everyone’s expectations, the Royals played phenomenal baseball. Kansas City’s hot start took the league by storm, surprising everyone through its first 68 games. Everyone except the Royals.

It starts with the pitch. The biggest change made from last year to contribute to the Royals’ success this season is the major overhaul of the pitching rotation. The additions of players like Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and even the acquisition of Cole Ragans at the deadline last year have allowed the Royals to be competitive on any given day, no matter who takes the mound. Kansas City didn’t have the selling points of successful big-market teams, but even though everyone was surprised by the Royals’ success, Lugo saw it coming.

“With the young guys that this team had last year and coming back this year, you know, Bobby, Vinnie and Maikel… you knew the talent was there,” Lugo said when asked about the team’s good start compared to last season, “It’s just how are you going to organize this. I knew we were definitely capable of winning when I signed here, but it was just about making let young people know where they are.”

Lugo perfectly alluded to the second half of the equation that has allowed the Royals to achieve the success they have had this season, with young stars realizing their abilities. When you look at the young talent on the Royals this year compared to last year, you’ll quickly understand why the Royals have been able to get the run they need to start this season. The improvements of players like Bobby Witt Jr, Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia and even young pitchers like Ragans or Marsh have given the Royals one of the best young cores in the league.

“Some of it was what we expected, and I think some of it was a nice surprise. In the clubhouse, we have a lot of confidence in what we’re doing, and we saw some of that coming into play,” Vinnie said. Pasquantino, when asked about the team’s turnaround, “I think there’s a few more veterans that kind of set the tone with what we’re trying to be. That’s probably the biggest difference.”

Pasquantino is correct in identifying the third and final piece of the puzzle in the Royals’ turnaround this season. The addition and resurgence of veteran talent and voices for the Royals. Salvador Perez had one of the best years of his career thus far, joining teammate Witt Jr in the league’s top ten in on-base percentage. Pair that with the best year of Seth Lugo’s career thus far and the veteran talent of players like Garrett Hampson, Hunter Renfroe, Adam Frazier and many others, and you have a recipe for success. There has been an atmosphere of excitement among all players about this Royals team, new and old.

“I think everyone, all the newcomers here, were excited about the talent (of the Royals).” Garrett Hampson said when asked about his offseason decision to come to Kansas City. “Everyone knows the players we have here and it was exciting. I was really excited to come here and be part of this rise.”

The Royals surprised everyone on the national stage, but for the players involved, the clues that this team could succeed were there all along.