Kansas City Royals are off to their best start in years. Here’s how they’ve done it
Salvador Perez sat crestfallen at his locker. The Kansas City Royals captain felt nothing could soothe the sting of a tough loss.
“I’ve got to be better,” Perez said. “I have to bring guys home to help my team win.”
Last week, the Royals squandered a winnable game against the Baltimore Orioles. Perez failed to cash in a prime scoring chance in the series opener. The Royals fell 6-4 and later dropped the series.
KC headed home with a 2-4 overall record. Perez, who is the lone member remaining from the Royals’ 2015 World Series team, uttered a key phrase.
“The game is going to pay you back,” Perez said.
The Royals learned from the Baltimore series. They kept pace with the reigning American League East champions. There were missed opportunities, such as blown leads, that contributed to the series loss.
However, the Royals felt they were on the right path. The starting pitching continued to shine and the offense found a rhythm.
Seven games later, the Royals are the hottest team in baseball. They haven’t lost since returning home. KC swept the Chicago White Sox and then three games against the Houston Astros.
The game has paid them back. This time, it was a gratifying reward.
“I think it’s something we always wanted,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said before the series finale against Houston. “But now a few results are coming through. It’s still early, but it’s nice to be four games over .500 right now. We are just excited.”
The Royals (9-4) are off to their best start since the 2021 season. Last year, the Royals didn’t win their eighth game until May 3, 2023, and ninth until May 7.
On May 3, the team had 23 losses and was nine games back in the AL Central.
In the last decade, the Royals posted a winning record three times within their first 10 games.
2021: 6-4 overall
2016: 8-2 overall
2015: 8-2 overall
KC finished 95-67 in 2015 and won the World Series. In 2016, the Royals produced a 81-81 record. They wound up 74-88 in 2021.
It’s still early for the 2024 team. A lot has been made of a different vibe in the clubhouse. The starters huddle in the dugout after each start. The team has built camaraderie on and off the field.
Every player has the same goal. This season, the Royals want to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
“The chemistry in here, the energy in here is really unmatched to previous clubhouses I’ve been in,” Royals outfielder Kyle Isbel said. “So, it’s just great. It feels good. When we show up to the field, we are expecting to win. We don’t know how it’s gonna happen, but we are gonna do it.”
Expecting to win.
It was the same expectation that shook Perez in Baltimore. It was the same expectation that fueled multiple comeback victories.
Perez came through against the Astros on Tuesday. He hit a walk-off single that propelled the Royals to a 4-3 victory.
Pasquantino, who boldly claimed a desire to win the AL Central, snapped his cold slump on Wednesday. He had a career-best five RBIs in the Royals’ 11-2 romp. He hit a 389-foot home run in the victory.
“We still have a lot of baseball to play, but I feel like there’s a few games that we’ve played this year that we would not have won last year,” Pasquantino said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Getting down early, (it) kind of felt like some games last year could’ve spun out of control. This year, we are able to maintain them and come out with wins.”
The Royals are in a good spot. The question is whether they can stay consistent as the 2024 season unfolds.
General manager J.J. Picollo has filled out the roster with solid veterans around a young core. The Royals are also expected to get second baseman Michael Massey and reliever Carlos Hernandez back at some point from the injured list.
The schedule will also get tougher. The Royals have three more games against the Orioles and seven against Toronto Blue Jays later this month. KC also has road games against the White Sox, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.
For now, the Royals have earned the title of baseball’s hottest team. Fans have clamored for a hot start in April.
Now, the Royals are in a position to play from ahead. And they are excited to be able to control their current standing.
“It’s a sense of relief that we were able, through our first 12 games, to be in a good spot,” Picollo said on Wednesday. “The thing that we have to remind ourselves is that it’s a long season. We still have to continue with the thought process that it’s one game at a time and one day at a time.”
