For the second time in three years, the Kansas City Royals would enjoy post season baseball following a solid post-ASB performance that left them in
second place in the AL Central and receiving a
wild card into the playoffs.
In making the post season for the third time in the 2020s the Royals matched a franchise high for post season appearances in a decade, matching the 70s and the 80s. In what many fans are hoping is a portent of good things to come, the 70s did not bring a World Series title but the team of 1985 fixed that – will the 2030s bring the same success?
The march to the postseason was less exciting than 2027’s pennant race as the Royals required two wins from their last six games, series against the Nationals and the Yankees. They duly lost both series 2-1, gaining the games needed with the clinch coming in the first game of the Yankees series.
Trades
As the trade deadline approached, and with the Royals in the hunt for the post season, Manager Stewart pulled the trigger on two trades, saying goodbye to a team stalwart while picking up two roster ready players for the final 60+ games.
Saturday, July 21st, 2029
Signed as an International Amateur in 2016,
Maikel Garcia had spent almost 12 years as a Royal. His 4-year extension signed in 2025 was coming to an end and a combination of performance and alternatives meant a new deal was not going to be on the table. Instead, the Royals took the chance to acquire a high level, plus power CF (elite LF) defender in
Varsho. A free agent at the end of the season, this would allow
Jenkins-Cowart to return to Omaha to figure out his swing while pushing struggling
Bradfield Jr. into a 4th OF, pinch runner role.
Sigala was a bonus acquisition for retaining 60% of Garcia’s salary, the 16 year-old International Amateur signing from 2029 having potential 80 grade stuff with a four pitch arsenal of a plus fastball and three plus plus secondary pitches.
Replacing Garcia on the bench was
Kevin Made, who was having a strong season in Omaha and had earned one more chance in the Major Leagues.
Saturday, July 28th, 2029
Garrett was on the trading block as his contract expired at the end of the season and offered a LHP rotation option that Stewart felt the Royals were missing. A groundball pitcher which should play well with the Royals elite defence, plus plus control accompanies average movement and stuff across a 5-pitch repertoire. Garrett slots straight into the starting rotation, with Brubaker making way.
2024 7th Round pick
Marc Barnhard was the cost of the deal. There is some potential with a maximum 55-50-45 profile with two plus plus pitches and a plus fastball in a 4 pitch arsenal but had been overtaken by other arms in the prospects list and so the Royals wish him well in Los Angeles.
Yean was a depth piece to replace Barnhard at AA, although only in relief with a 50-55-35 profile behind three pitches, including a plus curveball.
Injuries
Monday, August 27th , 2029- LF Wyatt Langford was injured on a defensive play. The Diagnosis: herniated disc (back). He's expected to miss about 3-4 weeks.
Langford was the only Royal to miss more than 3 weeks in the second half of the season as the medical team did a great job looking after the roster.
Playoffs
Entering as a Wild Card team, the Royals were drawn against AL East runners up, the Baltimore Orioles (91-71), in a rematch of the 2014 ALCS Series.
The Royals had won the regular season series 4-2, sweeping the Orioles in KC in August after dropping two of three in Baltimore the previous month.
Game 1 in Baltimore:
Braxton Garrett vs
Cade Povich (2022 Trade with Twins)
- Baltimore WIN 6-3
- Povich: 4.1 IP, 7H, 2R
- Garrett: 5.2 IP, 5H, 2R
- Angel Perdomo (BS): 0.1 IP, 1H, 1R
- Gunnar Henderson: 2R double bottom 7th
- Series Score: 1-0 Baltimore
Game 2 in Baltimore:
Chase Burns vs
Jackson Baumeister (2023 2nd Round)
- Baltimore WIN 9-6
- Baumeister: 4.1 IP, 4H, 4R
- Burns: 5.1 IP, 3H, 3R
- Josiah Gray (L)(BS): 1.0 IP, 4H, 4R
- Bruce Zimmerman (W): 2.1 IP, 0H, 0R
- Adley Rutschman: 3-R HR, bottom 6th
- Series Score: 2-0 Baltimore WINS
The Royals are swept out of the postseason as the Orioles bully the KC bullpen in both games.
Vlad Guerrero is named Series MVP after going 5-7 over the two games.
Owner Goals Review
Goal Deadline Progress
Play .500 ball 2029 87-75
Acquire a Cy Young winner 2029 Failed
Improve Your Draft Record 2029 Failed
Increase Attendance to 35,000 2030 9% increase to 32,608
Build Your Farm to Top 6 2030 7th from 29th
Improve Fan Interest 2031 68 from 74
Improve Intl. Amateur Finds 2032 No Progress
Reach the Playoffs 2033 Reached Playoffs 2029
Minor Leagues
Post Season
Omaha Storm Chasers [AAA] lost 1st Round of the Playoffs.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals [AA] lost in the Championship Final.
Quad Cities River Bandits [A+] lost in the Championship Final.
Columbia Fireflies [A] won the Championship.
Kansas City (ACL) Royals [R] missed the Playoffs by 3½ games.
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Stewart [R] lost in the 1st Round of the Playoffs.
Kansas City (DSL) Royals Glass [R] lost in the 2nd Round of the Playoffs.
Around the League
Having knocked out the Royals, the Orioles turned AL Central killers, taking out the White Sox 3-1 to advance to the ALCS. There they ran into a rampant Red Sox team who took out the Division rivals 4-2 to advance to the World Series and avenge their Divisional Series loss in 2028.
Over in the National League, it was the Diamondbacks who advanced through the playoff gauntlet, coming through a Wild Card playoff against the Divisional foes the Rockies, before dispatching the Cubs and the Braves.
The Red Sox had too much in the World Series, taking home the Championship 4-1, for their first title since 2018, and in their 5th consecutive playoff appearance.
Records
The Royals own
Hunter Owen was this year’s strikeout King, matching
Branden Montgomery’s 2028 record total of 242 strikeouts over the season.
Major Injuries
Pitchers
- Angel Bastardo BOS diagnosed with a forearm strain, will miss 3 months.
- Carson Palmquist COL diagnosed with a ruptured finger tendon, will miss 4 months.
- Justin Steele LAD diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, will miss 9 months.
- Bradley Blalock OAK diagnosed with elbow inflammation, will miss 3 months.
- Carson Whisenhunt SF diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months.
- Jarlin Susana WAS diagnosed with a torn triceps, will miss 3 months.
- Xzavion Curry ARI diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 9 months.
- Darren McCaughan ATL diagnosed with a ruptured bicep tendon, will miss 6 months.
- Jack Mahoney BAL diagnosed with a damaged elbow ligament, will miss 13 months.
- Richard Fitts BOS diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 7 months.
- Walker Buehler CWS diagnosed with a ruptured finger tendon, will miss 3-4 months.
- Ben Bowden CIN diagnosed with a fractured coracoid bone in his shoulder, will miss 5 months.
- Cullen McKay CIN diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 4 months.
- Jack Flaherty DET diagnosed with a fractured elbow, will miss 5 months.
- James Karinchak HOU diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 5 months.
- Blair Henley LAA diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 13 months.
- Eric Segura LAA diagnosed with shoulder inflammation, will miss 3 months.
- Ethan McElvain LAD diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 13 months.
- Jackson Wolf MIL diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 12 months.
- Ryan Borucki MIL diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, will miss 10-11 months.
- Darius Vines MIN diagnosed with a damaged elbow ligament, will miss 13 months.
- Ken Waldichuk STL diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, will miss 6-7 months.
- Ronan Kopp TEX diagnosed with a damaged elbow ligament, will miss 12 months.
- Sandy Alcantara TEX diagnosed with a partially torn labrum, will miss 3-4 months.
Hitters
- RF Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL diagnosed with a broken hand, will miss 3-4 months.
- RF Samuel Zavala CWS diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, will miss 9 months.
- SS Ezequiel Tovar COL. diagnosed with a fractured ankle, will miss 3-4 months.
- 3B Ronny Mauricio NYM diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, will miss 10 months.
- CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. NYM diagnosed with a ruptured finger tendon, will miss 3 months.
- RF Connor Norby PHI diagnosed with a torn labrum, will miss 6 months.
Extensions
- Atlanta Braves: C Sean Murphy 3 years $85,200,000.
- Colorado Rockies: J.J. Wetherholt 5 years $53,840,000.
- Tampa Bay Rays: 2B Junior Caminero 4 years $88,800,000.