The Royals are done chasing a playoff spot, but the last month still matters plenty in Kansas City. September is turning into a sorting-out period for the front office, with decisions ahead on who fits around Bobby Witt Jr. as he moves deeper into his prime, how aggressive the club wants to be this offseason, and whether the organization pushes forward, steps back, or tries to thread the needle.
That means every game from here on out carries extra weight for players trying to shape their future with the team. Some will be fighting for a spot on next year’s roster.
Others are trying to build enough trust to avoid being moved or let go. For a few Royals, this is the final stretch to make their case.
Isaac Collins is one of them. Kansas City traded for him over the offseason expecting a real boost in the outfield, especially after he finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year race with the Brewers and posted a .779 OPS in 130 games.
He brought switch-hitting pop, good baserunning, and strong on-base ability with him, but that version of Collins hasn’t shown up in 2026. He’s batting .230, and his work on the bases hasn’t been nearly as sharp.
July offered a flash of the player the Royals hoped they were getting, as he put up an .853 OPS, but every other month has ended with an OPS below .700. If he wants to stay in Kansas City beyond this season, the final month has to look a lot different.
Noah Cameron has already given the Royals something to build on. The second-year left-hander has turned in a strong season, working to a sub-4.00 ERA across almost 150 innings and putting himself in line for a middle-of-the-rotation role next year.
There’s still a chance to make that hold even more firmly. August was especially encouraging, when he delivered a 1.87 ERA in five starts.
The flip side is that he’s also had two months with an ERA above 5.00, which is exactly why September matters so much. A steadier finish would go a long way toward locking him into the 2027 rotation picture for the full year.
Steven Cruz is in a different kind of battle, but the pressure is real all the same. The Royals have already cycled through multiple arms in the closer role this season without much success.
Lucas Erceg leads the team in save chances, though he was optioned to Triple-A on Aug. 18.
Alex Lange has the second-most save opportunities, but his ERA is sitting near 6.00. Cruz is third on the team, with most of his chances coming over the last two months.
There may not be many saves left to grab, but that only makes each one more important. Carlos Estevez likely won’t have his team option picked up this offseason, Erceg still has to get right before getting another shot in the ninth, and Lange hasn’t made the job his.
If Cruz finishes strong when the Royals hand him the ball, he could enter 2027 with the closing role in his grasp.
In Other News...
Nate Pearson Suddenly Has A Huge Royals Opportunity
Nate Pearsons career has taken plenty of turns since he entered pro baseball as a former first-round pick and one of the Blue Jays top pitching prospects. Injuries and shifting roles have slowed the climb, and after stops in Toronto, Chicago and a brief stint with Houston, he now finds himself with the Royals, who brought him in to help shore up a bullpen hit by injuries.
For Kansas City, the appeal is easy to see. J.J. Picollo pointed to Pearsons big fastball and the slider hes been able to lean on consistently, the kind of combination that can play up in a relief role if the feel is there. The opportunity is suddenly real here, and for a pitcher who has spent years trying to re-establish himself, this might be the kind of opening that changes the direction of his season. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Wasted An Encouraging Night In Another Brutal Loss To Miami
Kansas City did plenty early to make Monday feel like the kind of night that could finally steady a spiraling stretch. The Royals jumped out with a multi-run lead in the first inning against Miami, got power from Carter Jensen and Kyle Stowers, and saw Noah Cameron and Jose Cuas turn in useful work on the mound as they tried to protect an advantage that looked real for much of the game.
Instead, the Marlins chipped away, took advantage of Royals mistakes and kept stacking timely hits until the game tilted their way late in a 9-6 loss. It was an especially frustrating outcome because the Royals had enough encouraging signs to suggest the pieces were there, only to watch Miamis bullpen and a steady offensive push erase the cushion and leave Kansas City searching for a much cleaner finish. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Jensen Is Giving Royals Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Carter Jensen has quickly become one of the more intriguing young bats in the Royals orbit, and his latest showing only added to the buzz. In a loss to the Marlins, the rookie kept the lineup lively, finishing 2-for-4 while continuing to show the kind of pop that has fans paying attention every time he steps into the box.
Jensens night included a leadoff homer that kept setting the tone early, and he later went deep again against Eury Perez. For a Kansas City club still sorting out where the future truly begins, performances like this are exactly why Jensen is starting to look like more than just a nice story from a single game. [Read more 🡒]