While the Royals fell short of their ultimate goal — and our expectations — they achieved a winning record at 82-80, something they’ve accomplished on just NINE occasions in my lifetime. Even in a league that lifts big-market clubs and tends to squash small-market competition, it’s truly remarkable how downtrodden this franchise was for nearly two decades.
It’s easy to feel frustrated or disappointed after a long season that ends the same as so many before it, with Kansas City watching the postseason from home. I expected this roster to compete for a playoff spot, which it mostly did for five months, even as the odds dwindled heading into September.
Perspective is important. It’s not that Royals fans shouldn’t expect (or demand) regular success in a sport where 40% of clubs make the playoffs — it’s that this is one season in the journey, one data point in the collection. After so many lost seasons outside of the 2013-2017 run, it’s refreshing to watch a competitive team that’s built for consistent contention rather than hoping for a blue moon season.
That’s not much of an intro and I’m probably not telling you anything you don’t already know or feel, but let’s get right to the purpose of today’s post.
After a looooong first season of publishing this newsletter, I’m taking a week to recharge and will be back next week with the first of our offseason series. My plan is to publish “2025 In Review” recaps of individual players once per week, at minimum, while publishing breakdowns of Royals transactions as they happen.
There are much smarter people in our bubble than I am when it comes to free agent targets, trade possibilities, extension candidates, non-tender possibilities, arbitration numbers, etc. As usual, this space will be more reactionary than predictive, leaning on data to figure out where new pieces will fit.
To keep up with Royals baseball over the coming months, along with subscribing to this space, I’d recommend:
Kevin O’Brien’s work at The Royals Reporter and Just Baseball
Joel Penfield’s podcasts/live streams for KCSN
David Lesky’s Inside the Crown
Jack Johnson’s Locked on Royals
The Diamond Chronicles from Jeff Wayman
U.L.’s Toothpick from Darin Watson
Into the Fountains from Craig Brown
Next week will be the first 2025 In Review piece on a specific player, but I’m leaving it up to YOU to determine which players we hit first. Let me know in the comments which players’ performances from 2025 interest you the most with an eye on the future. Cole Ragans’ herky-jerky, injury-riddled campaign? Jonathan India’s massive letdown? Jac Caglianone’s first crack?
If any other topics beyond player performances pique your interest, I’m all ears. Reach out anytime on X or send a chat through Substack — even if a topic doesn’t become a full post, I’m always game for some Royals conversation!
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