A disappointing Wild Card Series exit for the Royal, although from their position at the ASB break it was an impressive second half of the season giving some hope for 2034. For the first time in the Stewart era the bullpen really struggled in the first half of the season, with the starting rotation struggling all season. Weak defence up the middle (as Bobby Witt Jr’s range decreases) may be the cause and is something to evaluate over the winter.
Catchers
Jonathan Gerew (77 wRC+) wasn’t quite the 2031 player but rebounded from last year to offer over 1 WAR, with strong ZR and Framing.
Christian Cerda (56 wRC+) arrived mid-season and really struggled with the bat. An elite defender, he is a lite version of Gerew and as a free agent is unlikely to return.
Edgar Rivera made it to the big leagues to cover Cerda’s injury and may offer a nice bat to complement Gerew’s glove.
The Catching corps are short an elite starter and scouts will be on the lookout over the winter, especially with Gerew coming entering his second year of arbitration.
Infield
Jeremy Rogerson (142 wRC+) stepped into 1B and excelled, culminating in him winning the
American League Batting Crown with a .311 average. He led the team in HRs (28) and RBIs (105) and the Royals will hope he can be a 30-100 hitter next year. In addition, he entered Royals record lists with the 3rd most total hits in a season (338), with the 2nd equal most doubles (51).
Tim Storer (90 wRC+) and Chris Maguire (92 wRC+) shared the 2B duties. Storer is an elite defender at 2B while Maguire has the stronger bat. Both remain minimum contracts for 2034 but there may only be room for one of them with Maguire the likelier to be traded if the right deal can be found.
Danny Petty (109 wRC+) had a solid rookie season and with his elite defence beat out Juan Zubia (89 wRC+), who ended up back in AAA. It is an important off season for Zubia who could be a trade candidate for the right package.
Bobby Witt Jr. (115 wRC+) missed some time to injury and posted a negative ZR (-2.3) for the first time in his career. He still added 3.5 WAR over the season though and is now within ten of the Royals career record. Where he plays in 2034 will determine the role of several of the players above. Juan Delgado (66 wRC+) and Ed Nicholson (-16 wRC+) came up as defensive cover for Witt Jr. with neither offering a long term solution.
Outfield
The corners of the Royals outfield are set for the long term and both provided All Star value in 2033. Billy Mumaugh (150 wRC+) finished second to Rogerson for the Batting Crown with a .309 average and his HR (20) and RBI (82) were only down due to missing some time to injury. Jimmy Goodman (140 wRC+) walked almost 15% of the time while striking out less than 18%, leading to a team-leading .389 OBP.
Drew Burress (111 wRC+) was a net positive as an in-season acquisition. He struggled defensively at the end of the year (-2.9 ZR) but with the Giants picking up his whole salary for the next six years, he will play as long as he keeps offering value.
Enny Mijhail Van Dyke (110 wRC+) made his debut in 2033 and was a perfect 4th outfielder, just about able to cover all three positions with the glove and offering an above average bat.
Ed Stevens (17 wRC+) did not bring value over his occasional chances and will return to AAA to start 2033.
Offseason / Early 2029 Overview
CATCHER
Starter: Jonathan Gerew Arbitration
Back up: Edgar Rivera
INFIELD
1B Jeremy Rogerson Arbitration
2B Bobby Witt Jr.
3B Danny Petty
SS Tim Storer
INF TBC
INF TBC
OUTFIELD
LF Billy Mumaugh
CF Drew Burress
RF Jimmy Goodman
OF Enny Mijhail Van Dyke
OF TBC
Starters
Mason Barnett (116 ERA+) was a solid contributor in his 9th season for the Royals, adding 2.5 WAR despite a tough July where he had an 8.27 ERA. The Royals have a TO for 2034 of $11m and will likely pick it up for a Fan Fav to be a 5th starter.
Chase Dollander (99 ERA+) didn’t provide the elite arm the Royals hoped they had signed from Colorado with an ERA almost a run higher than he managed for the Rockies! A free agent, the 32-year-old is looking for 4-year $132m contract, which the Royals certainly will not offer until after he hits free agency.
J.J. Paniagua (99 ERA+) offered similar returns as Dollander, which overall is a disappointment after his rookie season. His BB/9 jumped from 2.5 to 3.2, and the Royals will hope that last season was a better reflection of his control.
Marcos Paz (118 ERA+) was a lot stronger in relief (144 vs 102 ER+) but stepped up in returning to the rotation in the big shuffle midseason. Entering arbitration, the Royals will have to decide on Paz’s future soon.
Cade Townsend (103 ERA+) added 3.4 WAR but saw his ERA jump by over a run from 2032. A FIP only 0.1 run higher suggest Townsend suffered from the drop in the Royals’ defence in 2033. Townsend enters the first year of arbitration which will likely be the only affordable year left for the Royals.
Aiden May (87 ERA+) pitched too many games for the Royals for his performance, which was a large regression from 2032. A drop in his control means he is unlikely to be offered arbitration and this will spell the end of his time with the Royals for the 2032 All Star.
Mike Hoffer (95 ERA+) also started over 10 games and struggled to replicate his 2032 form. However, with a much higher ceiling it is likely Hoffer will be back in the starting rotation in 2033.
Bullpen
Six pitchers (including Hoffer) had a FIP of under 3.50 for the Royals, including Jon Holtz with an impressive 2.94. The other high performers were Mason Fluharty, Eddie Baquerizo, Jonathan Fleri, and Danny Petty. Only Mason Fluharty is eligible for a non-minimum salary in 2034 and as a free agent he is unlikely to return.
Curt Bogans and William Schmidt both kept their FIP under 4.00; Bogans will return most likely in a starting role with Schmidt back in the bullpen.
The remainder of the bullpen are at risk for 2034, with David Hagaman, Jacob Misiorowski, Eric Cook, Aiden May and Colin White all finishing with a FIP of over 4.00.
Offseason / Early 2029 Overview
ROTATION
SP Curt Bogans
SP Cade Townsend
SP Mike Hoffer
SP Mason Barnett
SP TBC
BULLPEN
RP Jon Holtz
RP Eddie Baquerizo
RP Jonathan Fleri
RP William Schmidt
RP TBC
RP TBC
RP TBC
RP TBC