The Royals’ week had a little bit of everything: a 4-2 record, another burst from Bobby Witt Jr., more noise from Jac Caglianone, and a complete-game gem from Noah Cameron that kept getting better from start to finish.
Kansas City dropped one game apiece to the Dodgers and Angels, but it still handled business by taking two of three from Los Angeles and winning the first two games of its four-game set against the Athletics. That backdrop set the stage for a few clear standouts - and a couple of bats that went quiet.
Caglianone is making it harder and harder to call this just a hot stretch. The 23-year-old kept raking over the last seven days, hitting .435/.458/.609 with a 1.067 OPS and seven RBIs in 23 at-bats. He’s giving the Royals exactly the kind of production they hoped for when they drafted him, and the results are starting to look sustainable rather than fleeting.
Witt, meanwhile, looked every bit like Witt. After his injury stint, he came back and picked up right where he left off, posting a .348/.464/.696 line with a 1.160 OPS and two home runs in 23 at-bats.
He capped the week with a walk-off single Tuesday in the Royals’ ninth-inning comeback against the Athletics. At this point, it’s just more of the same from one of the league’s most reliable producers.
Michael Massey also deserves a spot in the spotlight. Over his last 18 at-bats, he hit .500/.550/.833 with two home runs and a 1.383 OPS, a strong run that only adds to what has already been a solid season overall. After dealing with injuries earlier this year, Massey looks to be settling in and putting himself in position to be a key piece for Kansas City in 2027.
On the mound, Cameron delivered the kind of outing that turns heads. Since he started calling his own pitches, he’s turned his season around, and the latest example was the first complete-game shutout of his career against the Angels.
He went nine innings, allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out eight. Every time he takes the ball, the case for his role in next year’s rotation gets stronger.
There were also some encouraging returns. Vinnie Pasquantino, back from the injured list, collected three hits in eight at-bats. Maikel Garcia matched that with three hits in nine at-bats since coming off the IL.
Carlos Duran made his Royals debut Tuesday and picked up his first major league win, throwing one scoreless inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout.
Not everyone came away with a clean week. Lucas Erceg was optioned to Triple-A Omaha after a rough stretch, and in his lone appearance this week he couldn’t get out of the inning, allowing one hit and one earned run while walking two batters before being pulled. The Royals are hoping he can reset and come back looking more like the pitcher they expect.
August has also been a tougher ride for Daulton Collins and Nick Loftin. Collins, coming off his best month of the season in July, managed just one hit in 18 at-bats this week and struck out six times.
Loftin had the same line: one hit in 18 at-bats with six strikeouts. Both players were coming off productive July stretches, so the hope now is simple - get back on track and finish the month strong.
In Other News...
Royals Force Bullpen Reset With One Trusted Arm Suddenly In Trouble
The Royals made a notable bullpen shakeup by sending reliever Lucas Erceg to Triple-A Omaha, a move meant to give him a chance to reset after a difficult season. Kansas City has not given up on the right-hander, and the organization said it believes he can bounce back while he works on specific parts of his pitching away from the big-league spotlight.
To fill the roster spot, the Royals turned to another arm from Omaha, promoting right-handed reliever Carlos Duran. It is the kind of midseason adjustment that can quickly change the look of a bullpen, especially when a pitcher who has been trusted in leverage suddenly needs a step back to sort things out. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Keeps Giving Royals Fans A Reason To Believe
Bobby Witt Jr. keeps finding ways to turn a rough stretch into something worth hanging onto, and his latest late-inning swing did just that. With the Royals trailing the Athletics into the ninth, Witt delivered the game-winning single that sent Kansas City home with a 4-3 victory, another reminder that even in an uneven season, he has become the player fans can count on to change the tone of a night in one at-bat.
Witts production has stayed loud all season, with a .287 average, 15 home runs, 47 RBIs and 33 stolen bases across 108 games, and the broader team record has not dimmed his value. For a Royals club still searching for consistency, his blend of contact, power and speed has given the lineup a centerpiece and the fan base a reason to believe there is still something to build around. [Read more 🡒]