Michael Wacha hit a milestone Saturday, and the Royals still left with a loss.
Wacha got to the 200-inning mark this season, a number he said has long mattered to him as a starter. “Yeah, getting to that 200 mark is definitely a cool feeling,” Wacha said.
“It’s always been a goal of mine as a starting pitcher to reach that number. And yeah, definitely a cool memory that I’ll have.”
The night itself was a rough one for the right-hander. He allowed six runs, though only two were earned, in Kansas City’s 11-5 loss to the Guardians.
Before the game, manager Matt Quatraro pointed to the grind Wacha has handled all year. “You know, he’s battled some things just like everybody does throughout the course of the year,” Quatraro said.
“And having your body go through the rigors of pitching this many innings. But, he’s never wavered, and he takes a lot of pride in it.
And we’ve seen him continually evolve year after year.”
Quatraro was just as direct afterward about what Wacha means to the club. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever been around,” manager Matt Quatraro said.
“Professional, gives you everything he’s got. I know he was frustrated with the results tonight, but you look up and he’s out there in the seventh. ...
I love the guy. Love everything about him, love the way he competes.”
There was also another notable Royals storyline on the day: Carter Jensen keeps rewriting rookie history. He has now hit 20 home runs while batting leadoff and playing catcher, which is eight more such home runs in a career than anyone else in MLB history.
Quatraro said Jensen’s approach is still pushing forward. “He’s driven.
We talk about it all the time. He works, he’s committed, he wants to be better,” Quatraro said.
“I know he’s had a really good season. I mean, anytime you pass Mike Piazza in something, that’s pretty impressive.
We talk about his growth on the defensive side of the ball as well, but overall, he still wants to be better. He’s not satisfied.”
The day also came with a roundup of the rest of the MLB landscape. The postseason bracket is set, with Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler starting Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Red Sox. Justin Verlander got an emotional sendoff in what was described as his last game, Kirby Yates made his first career start in his final MLB game, and the Mariners said manager Dan Wilson won’t return next year.
Elsewhere, Blake Treinen will miss the postseason, the AL West has been labeled the worst division in baseball history, Francisco Lindor reached a rare milestone as the second switch-hitter with 300 home runs and 200 steals, and Jarren Duran posted the worst 20/20 season in modern baseball history. The Mariners also surprised longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs with a tribute during his last weekend before retirement.
Outside baseball, MLB is talking to the White House about playing a game in a national park, longtime White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper died last week, and the sport marked 10 years since the death of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. Beyond the diamond, scientists detected radio signals coming directly from a planet outside our solar system, and an Indian-Pakistani restaurant in a Houston strip mall was said to make more Uber Eats deliveries than any other restaurant in the world.
In Other News...
Royals May Have Their Catcher Of The Future With One Clear Flaw
Carter Jensens rookie season gave the Royals something they have been hunting for behind the plate: a young catcher with real middle-of-the-order impact. In 2026, he set MLB and franchise records for extra-base hits and leadoff home runs by a catcher, then topped Kansas City with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs, production that changes the way the position looks in the lineup and gives the club a potential long-term fixture.
The question now is whether the offensive breakout can be paired with cleaner work defensively, because Jensens blocking was a clear area for improvement. Luke Mailes role in 18 games offered the Royals a veteran layer of depth, but with limited offense coming from that spot, Kansas City has a familiar offseason balancing act ahead: live with the bat, or keep pushing for more stability behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Are Finally Changing A Setup Fans Blamed All Season
After a season in which the offense never found much rhythm and injuries kept adding to the challenge, the Royals are making a notable change to the way things are run on the hitting side. Alec Zumwalt has reportedly been reassigned within the organization and is expected to stay in a directorial role rather than work as an on-field coach next season, a shift that points to at least some willingness to adjust after months of frustration at the plate.
The move has not been officially confirmed by the club, but it fits the broader sense that Kansas City has been searching for answers all year. For fans who spent the season pointing to the hitting setup as part of the problem, the reassignment is the first real sign that the organization is prepared to rethink a structure that never seemed to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Rookie Carter Jensen Just Earned A Huge New Honor
Carter Jensens rookie season already had the look of a breakthrough, and September turned it into something bigger. The Royals catcher closed the year with a blistering month at the plate, hitting .338/.407/.788 with eight home runs in 20 games and leading all of baseball in several offensive categories, a surge that earned him both American League Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month honors.
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 🡒]