The Royals’ offseason homework starts with one blunt lesson from Milwaukee: get more swing-and-miss on the mound.
David Lesky pointed to the Brewers as the model, and the numbers make the case. Milwaukee had 18 pitchers throw at least 20 innings, and 13 of them posted a strikeout rate better than the 2026 league average of 22.1 percent.
Kansas City also used 18 pitchers for at least 20 innings, but only four of them were above that mark. Two of those were Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic.
That’s the gap. It’s not just about limiting walks, either.
Eight of Milwaukee’s 18 pitchers walked more than league average, while the Royals had 10. The difference, as Lesky framed it, is that the Brewers simply hit on pitching and piled up strikeouts.
For Kansas City, the message is plain: the Royals need more strikeouts.
Craig Brown also took a step back to reflect on the World Series, and he saw a familiar blueprint in Milwaukee’s title team. He compared the Brewers to the 2015 Royals, saying both clubs played a version of what he calls Total Baseball - a team that does just about everything right. That included strong starting pitching, a selfless move-the-line lineup, a lockdown bullpen, clutch hits and home runs, plus managers who are “salt of the earth” and refreshingly honest.
Around the league, the offseason machine is already humming. MLB Trade Rumors listed top trade candidates for the winter, with Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Kyle Isbel getting mentions. Bleacher Report also floated a Bobby Witt Jr. trade to Boston, laying out the kind of package it would take: Tolle, an ace-caliber lefty with five years of club control; Abreu, a Gold Glover with 20-homer power and three years of control; Arias, the best prospect in the American League; and Gonzales, who isn’t at Arias’ level but may be Boston’s best pure hitting prospect.
The Brewers celebrated their title with a championship parade on Friday, while Jay Jaffe examined the most dominant postseason runs by World Series winners. The Dodgers remain the odds-on favorite to win it all in 2027, and there’s also a look at why Milwaukee could repeat next year.
Elsewhere, World Series TV ratings held up fairly well for small-market teams, with MLB scheduling possibly playing a role. Fourteen more players hit free agency after options were declined, and David Schoenfield at ESPN and Mike Axisa at CBS Sports both took their turns projecting and ranking the top names on the market.
There’s no shortage of other baseball headlines, either. Only four teams still haven’t won a title, the Astros hired former Cardinals executive Randy Flores as their new GM, and the Arizona Fall League is producing its share of pitchers flashing strong metrics. Jorge Posada said he doesn’t feel welcome by the Yankees, an appeals court revoked a pardon for convicted sex offender Wander Franco, and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark will step down in January.
Back in Kansas City, a separate note on the city’s World Cup impact showed more visitors came than expected, though they spent slightly less than projected.
In Other News...
Royals Prospects Are Giving Fans An Early Reason To Watch Closely
The Arizona Fall League has given Royals fans an early look at several prospects who are trying to turn promising tools into real momentum, and the early returns have offered plenty to track. Angeibel Gomez, Justin Lamkin, Zion Rose, Felix Arronde, Brooks Bryan, Austin Charles, Josh Hansell and Frank Mozzicato have all been part of the mix, each at a different stage of development and each with something to prove as the season winds down.
For Kansas City, this is the kind of update that matters because the organization is still sorting out which young players are ready to climb the next rung and which ones need more time to settle in. Some have flashed production, others have run into the usual bumps that come with the Fall League, and the broader picture is less about any one box score than the way these prospects are handling a tougher level of competition. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Are Betting On One Risky Rotation Gamble Again
The Royals are leaning into a familiar kind of upside with Tony Gonsolin, bringing him back into the fold on a one-year deal in mid-August after he had not pitched in the majors since June 2025. Kansas City has long been willing to bet on talent that comes with some injury history, and Gonsolin fits that profile as well as anyone, with an All-Star nod in 2022 serving as a reminder of what he can look like when healthy.
The move also shows the club is thinking beyond the short term, since the contract included a team option for 2027 at $2.5 million and the Royals chose to exercise it. For a rotation that has spent plenty of time searching for stability, keeping Gonsolin around is a clear sign the organization believes the reward is worth the risk, even if the health questions that have followed him throughout his career are still part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Waste An Offseason Chasing The Wrong Lineup Fix
The Royals are headed into an offseason with obvious work to do, especially in the outfield and on the pitching staff, and that alone figures to keep the front office busy. But one idea floated by former GM Jim Bowden would send Kansas City in a direction that does not line up cleanly with its roster, even if it sounds like the kind of move a club can talk itself into when it wants a quick fix.
Gleyber Torres has been mentioned as a possible target on a two-year, $42 million deal, but the fit looks awkward with Michael Massey already in place at second base and Torres coming off a stretch that does not inspire much confidence. For a team that needs to use its resources carefully, the better path may be to stay focused on the areas where the Royals can actually improve the lineup and rotation without creating a new problem in the process. [Read more 🡒]