The postseason begins today, and the Royals are out of it - but plenty of familiar faces are still in the hunt.
From Philadelphia to San Diego, former Royals are scattered across the bracket, some as key contributors, others in depth roles, and a few in spots that look a lot different from their Kansas City days.
In the Phillies-Braves matchup, Jonathan Bowlan gets the first nod among the old Royals crowd. Kansas City drafted the big right-hander out of college in 2018, and he spent time flashing promise in the minors, including a no-hitter, before getting into 34 games with the Royals last year mostly out of the bullpen.
The Royals then sent him to Philadelphia for Matt Strahm, a move that was supposed to bring in a more dependable veteran arm. Instead, Strahm struggled, while Bowlan found his footing with the Phillies.
He made 59 appearances and struck out 73 in 56.1 innings with a 3.36 ERA.
The Braves also have two former Royals in the mix. Brewer Hicklen worked his way up after big minor league seasons built on power and speed, reached the majors with Kansas City in 2022 at age 26, and later moved on to Philadelphia in 2023 before bouncing around.
This season, he appeared in a career-high 20 games for Atlanta, often as a pinch runner. Mike Yastrzemski, meanwhile, gave the Royals a real lift after arriving at last year’s trade deadline, but he ultimately left for Atlanta on a two-year, $23 million deal.
His age-35 season included some decline, yet he still produced .224/.309/.380 with 12 home runs in 139 games, and he is starting at designated hitter for the Braves this afternoon.
The White Sox also feature a cluster of former Royals as they face the Astros. Andrew Benintendi spent 2021 and 2022 in Kansas City, made his only All-Star team in his final Royals season, and then was traded to the Yankees.
Chicago later gave him a five-year, $75 million deal in 2023, the biggest contract in club history, but things have not gone smoothly. He is hitting .244/.307/.396 and has been worth just 0.5 rWAR total in four seasons.
Randal Grichuk was another short-term Royals piece, brought in as a lefty-masher last year and used in 43 games. He started this season with the Yankees, got released in May, and then caught on with the White Sox, where he took off. In 101 games, he hit .299/.328/.598 with 15 home runs.
Tommy Pham’s Royals stint was brief but memorable. He played 23 games down the stretch in 2024, made the postseason roster, and then hit .455 against the Yankees in the ALDS.
Chicago added the 38-year-old late this year, but the offense has not followed; he is 3-for-30 (.100) in 17 MLB games. David Sandlin is also in that White Sox group after being dealt from Kansas City to Boston in the John Schreiber trade before 2024, then sent from the Red Sox to Chicago before this season.
The 25-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut this year, posted a 5.58 ERA in 40.1 innings, and is expected to work out of the bullpen.
Over in Red Sox-Yankees, Aroldis Chapman is back in the spotlight after a forgettable Royals stint in 2023 that still helped Kansas City land Cole Ragans in a deal that worked out well for the Royals and the Rangers, who won the World Series that year. Chapman has been excellent in Boston, putting up a 1.51 ERA and 67 saves over the last two seasons while earning All-Star honors both years.
Nate Eaton is also with the Red Sox after Kansas City drafted him in the late rounds in 2018 out of the Virginia Military Institute. He was valued for his versatility, speed, and some pop, showed well in 44 games in 2022, then struggled badly the next year.
This season, the 29-year-old appeared in 24 games for Boston and hit .160 as mostly a bench option.
The Yankees have two more former Royals of note. John Schreiber did not allow a run in five postseason appearances for Kansas City in 2024, then led the club with 74 relief appearances in 2025 before being placed on waivers late in the year to clear salary.
He has since been strong for New York, turning in a 1.68 ERA in 11 games. Ryan Yarbrough came to Kansas City in 2023 as a versatile lefty who could cover just about any role, logged a 4.24 ERA in 51 innings, and was later traded to the Dodgers for Derlin Figueroa and Devin Mann.
Now in his second year with the Yankees, he has a 3.69 ERA in 63.1 innings this season.
The Cubs-Padres series is still waiting on official rosters later today, but there are three former Royals who could be part of it. Jason Adam, a Kansas City native, was drafted by the Royals, traded to the Twins in the Josh Willingham deal, then returned to Kansas City and made his MLB debut in 2018.
His career took off later, though, and he became an elite reliever with the Rays in 2022 before earning All-Star honors with San Diego last year. Injuries limited him to 38 games this season, but he still posted a 2.6 ERA.
Freddy Fermin is another familiar name. He was a popular backup catcher and Gold Glove finalist in Kansas City before the Royals sent him to San Diego last summer for Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert. His bat has dipped with the Padres - .203/.274/.315 in 96 games - but he has been strong defensively, especially in pitch framing, pitch-blocking, and throwing.
Samad Taylor rounds out the group. The Royals acquired him in the Whit Merrifield trade, and he gave Kansas City a memorable moment with a walk-off single in his MLB debut in 2023. He joined the Padres this year at age 27 and turned in a strong bench season, hitting .316/.390/.408 with 13 steals in 47 games, mostly in the outfield.
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For Kansas City, it was a loud confirmation that Jensens first full year belonged in a different conversation than most rookies manage. His season line of .239/.323/.467 with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs placed him among the top first-year hitters in the league and near the top of American League catchers, leaving the Royals with a real reason to be encouraged about how quickly his bat translated at this level. [Read more 🡒]