With 12 games left in the season, the Royals’ attention is already drifting toward what comes next, and that means a long offseason of roster sorting is about to begin.
Carter Jensen sits at the center of the conversation after tying the Royals rookie home run record and showing up all over the historic rookie leaderboards in extra-base hits, doubles, RBI, walks, and caught-stealing rate. He may not be the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year, but there’s a real argument that he belongs in the catcher Silver Slugger mix.
Bobby Witt Jr. is still chasing a 20-40 season, which keeps his MVP case in play. The discussion also turns to a possible path back to Kansas City for Freddie Fermin, with a quick thought experiment about whether a Padres roster crunch could create an opening.
The bullpen picture gets a deep dive next, with the current group broken into keep, depth, or move-on categories. Steven Cruz and Nate Pearson draw the strongest support as 2027 options because of improved strikeout-minus-walk numbers.
Craig Kimbrel, Alex Lange, Anthony Gose, Jose Cuas, and Easton McGee are all treated as possible non-tender or depth-only arms. Connor Thomas and Nolan Hoffman also earn notice, with both getting praise for throwing strikes and generating ground balls.
Starting pitching is where the urgency really kicks in. Noah Cameron looks like the favorite to open next season as the Opening Day starter, while Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Randy Dobnak, and Daniel Lynch IV are placed in different tiers of trust.
The Royals need multiple starters, and the looming December lockout could squeeze the free-agent market. That leaves the front office facing a winter where it may have to act quickly and pay up.
The farm system gets its share of attention too. Quad Cities and left-hander Kendricho are earning praise, LP Longavin’s strikeout numbers are pushing him toward a future role in Northwest Arkansas, and Carson Roccaforte is building a 30-30 season in Omaha.
In Other News...
Royals Fans Just Got Another Reminder About The Kris Bubic Trade
Kris Bubics path back to the big leagues has been a little longer than anyone in Los Angeles probably hoped, but the Dodgers finally moved him onto the active roster this week after his minor league rehab work. To clear space, they sent right-hander Paul Gervase back to Triple-A Oklahoma City and removed first baseman/outfielder Ryan Ward from the 40-man roster, a reminder that roster churn never really stops for a contender.
For Royals fans, Bubics latest step is another small checkpoint in a trade that still lingers in the background months later. He arrived from Kansas City on Aug. 3 and has logged six minor league games with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, keeping the focus on what his return might eventually mean for Los Angeles and what Kansas City gave up to get the deal done. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Jensen Is Forcing A Royals Rookie History Debate
Carter Jensens emergence has sparked a fresh conversation around what counts as a meaningful rookie season in Royals history, especially when the discussion is focused strictly on first-year production instead of long-term reputation. That framing matters for Kansas City, because it puts Bobby Witt Jr. and a familiar group of debut standouts in the same lane as names like Mike Fiore, Eric Hosmer, Lou Piniella, Mike Avils, Angel Berroa and Bob Hamelin, all of whom made their mark quickly enough to earn a place in the franchises rookie lore.
The debate is not just about raw numbers, either. It is about impact, timing and how much weight to give a player who arrives and immediately changes the conversation around the lineup. Jensens run has added another layer to that old Royals argument, and for a fan base that still remembers those early bursts from past rookies, the question is whether his start belongs in that same historical tier or just nudges it a little closer. [Read more 🡒]
Royals May Have Finally Found A Starter They Can Trust
Daniel Lynch gave the Royals exactly what they have been searching for in the middle of a long season, a start that let Kansas City settle in and play from ahead. He worked five scoreless innings against Houston, allowed only two hits and a walk, and matched the kind of efficiency the club has struggled to get from the rotation, while the offense backed him immediately with John Raves two-run homer and enough late insurance to keep the game in hand.
The 5-2 win then turned into one of those nights the Royals have been hoping to stack more often, with the bullpen taking over and holding the line behind Craig Kimbrel, Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos and Nate Pearson. Lynchs outing did not solve every question about the rotation, but it at least gave Kansas City a reason to think it may have found a starter it can trust to shorten games instead of forcing the relief corps into damage control. [Read more 🡒]