Royals First-Half Report Cards: A Kid-Friendly Breakdown

Imagine your favorite baseball team is like a school class. Some kids are doing great, some are struggling, and the teacher (the team manager) has to give out report cards. That’s exactly what we’re doing for the Kansas City Royals this season!

What Were the Royals Hoping For?

The Royals had two good years in a row, so they thought: “Hey, we can be real contenders this year!”
A big part of that plan was hoping young hitters Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone would grow into stars. And good news: those two are starting to look like important players!

Also:

• Bobby Witt Jr. is playing like an MVP (Most Valuable Player — the best of the best).
• Michael Wacha was an All-Star (a special title for top players).

With all that, you’d think the Royals would be winning a lot, right?

Important Point: Even with good players, the Royals are NOT doing well this year!

What Actually Happened?

Instead of contending, it’s been a rough, rough season.

• The Royals have one of the worst records in baseball (tied for the worst at the halfway point).
• Injuries hurt, but they were losing even before players got hurt.
• The team didn’t have enough backup players (“depth”) when stars were missing.
• They’ve got a lot of fixing to do before next spring.

Just like kids show report cards to parents, we’re showing Royals “report cards” to the fans!

How Did the Offense Do?

The offense is the part of the team that tries to score runs (points).
Here’s the simple version:

• They score 4.23 runs per game — a little better than last year (about 5% more).
• Young guys like Caglianone and Jensen helped.
• But overall, they rank 21st out of all teams in runs scored.
• Player Jonathan India got hurt early.
• Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino struggled a lot, which really hurt the team.

Star Students on Offense

• Bobby Witt Jr.

  • Leads the league in fWAR (a score that measures total value — like a gold star for everything).
  • Most stolen bases (30) and lots of hits.
  • Best defender in baseball by one measure.
  • Walking more, striking out less.
  • The Royals are “wasting” his great year because the team is losing.

• Jac Caglianone (Cags)

  • Had a hot June, made the Home Run Derby (a fun contest to hit the most home runs).
  • Hits the ball really hard.
  • Still learning on defense, but looks like a future power hitter.

• Tyler Collins

  • Brought in to get on base; second-best on team at that.
  • A bit shaky in left field, but doing his job.

• Maikel Garcia

  • Numbers down a little from last year, but still good on defense at third base.
  • OPS (a basic hitting score) around average.

• Kyle Isbel

  • Great defender, not much power.
  • Hurt now with foot pain that may last a while.

• Carter Jensen

  • Rookie (first-year player). Solid, with power and patience.
  • Had a silly moment oversleeping, but overall a good start.

• Former first-round pick (unnamed in text)

  • Might be leaving “minor league” status behind.
  • Good at not striking out, but rough on defense at third.

• Michael Massey

  • Bounced back from a bad year.
  • Good defense, some power, but doesn’t get on base enough.
  • Big year because his pay will go up soon.

• Michael A. Taylor / Thomas (called Thomas)

  • Fans were mad early, but his numbers are fine.
  • Best against left-handed pitchers.

• Tolbert

  • Weird year: terrible start, then a few great games.
  • Fast bench player; maybe should play more since season is lost.
• Marte
  • Nice guy, okay bench player, but 37 years old and probably done soon.

Struggling Students on Offense

• Vinnie Pasquantino

  • Was supposed to hit many home runs, but only 2 at home.
  • Hurt back and hand.
  • Walk rate up, but otherwise a dud.
• Salvador Perez (Salvy)
  • Age caught up with him.
  • One of the worst hitters in baseball this year.
  • Needs a strong second half or his final contract year looks bad.

How Did the Pitching Do?

Pitching is when your team tries to stop the other team from scoring.
Everyone thought pitching would be the Royals’ strength. It wasn’t.

• They’ve allowed the 4th-most runs per game.
• Gave up 10+ runs in 10 games (including 22–1 loss!).
• Injuries to Estévez, Bubic, and Ragans showed they didn’t have enough backups.

Good Pitchers

1. Michael Wacha

   • Possibly best free-agent signing ever for Royals.
   • Throws the most innings; gives team a chance to win.
   • Loses games only because teammates don’t score for him.

2. Lynch

   • Used in tough spots; improved and is now most trusted reliever (bullpen pitcher).

3. Kolek

   • Steady, except one bad start.
   • Throws strikes, gets ground balls; fine back-of-rotation guy.

4. Schreiber

   • Getting outs, but may get worse later.
   • Royals might trade him.

5. Bubic

   • Okay until hurt shoulder; likely won’t be traded now.

6. Cameron

   • Better at striking hitters out this year.
   • ERA (earned run average) not great, but underlying numbers okay.

7. Lugo

   • Started fine, then struggled badly lately.

8. Way

   • Called up in emergency; okay but not in big spots.
9. Avila
   • Young, bright future in bullpen.
   • Needs to throw more strikes.

Not-So-Good Pitchers

• Lange – Looked okay, then gave up many runs; walks too many.
• Black – Emergency guy; fine in losses, not someone to rely on.
• Mears – Walked too many; hurt shoulder.
• Cruz – Throws hard but wild; cutter is good.
• Zerpa (replacement-level) – Exactly a “fill-in” player.
• Erceg – Worst strikeout-to-walk rate; most blown saves in baseball.
• Ragans – All-Star in 2024, hurt elbow, surgery; back in 2027.
• Strahm – Was great last year, disaster this year; traded away a good prospect for him.

Summary

The Royals hoped to compete, but the first half was a disaster despite bright spots like Witt, Cags, and Wacha. The offense improved slightly but key veterans failed. Pitching collapsed due to injuries and lack of depth. Lots of work is needed before next year.

FAQ

Q: Why are the Royals so bad if Bobby Witt Jr. is amazing?
A: Bobby is great, but baseball is a team sport. Many other players struggled or got hurt, so the team still loses.

Q: What does “rookie” mean?
A: A rookie is a player in their first full year in the big leagues (like a first-grader in school).

Q: What is a Home Run Derby?
A: A fun event where the best power hitters compete to hit the most home runs.

Q: What does “depth” mean in baseball?
A: Having good backup players ready when stars are hurt or tired.

Q: Will the Royals get better next year?
A: They hope so! They need healthier players and more depth, but it will take work.