Royals' 2024 a confirmation of internal expectations, growth

KANSAS CITY -- A stunning 30-win improvement that prompted their first postseason berth since 2015 makes the 2024 Royals season a success, no doubt about it.

But don’t tell that to Bobby Witt Jr., whose eyes were red as he stood and took questions from the media last week following the Royals’ loss to the Yankees in the American League Division Series.

And don’t tell that to manager Matt Quatraro, who had little perspective to offer both following the loss and four days later at the Royals’ end-of-season news conference at Kauffman Stadium.

“What I struggle with, to be honest, is what the external expectations were versus what they are in that room,” Quatraro said. “There’s a big divide there. Because regardless of what people thought we should or shouldn’t do last year or this year, the expectations for all of us in that room are that we’re going to win every night.”

It’s safe to say the gap between internal and external expectations will be closer in 2025.

Defining moment: Comeback kings
On June 7, the Royals pulled off a stunning comeback, rallying from down eight runs in the fourth inning to walking off the Mariners in the ninth at Kauffman Stadium.

Witt’s game-tying triple in which he went from home to third in 10.98 seconds will live among his highlight reel for many years.

But this was a team win more than anything, because it’s a good example of how resilient the Royals were in 2024. After a good start to the season, this was a game that solidified the notion that the Royals weren’t going away.

What we learned: The window has opened
After years of rebuilding and stocking prospects and looking toward the future, the Royals are in contention mode. And with that comes more responsibility to put a contending team on the field every night.

The Royals entered 2024 believing they had pieces to build around; the 168 games they played this year showed that those pieces are worth building around. Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez anchor the lineup. Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans anchor the rotation. They have a legitimate closer now in Lucas Erceg and some intriguing relievers to stock around him.

Best development: The rotation
The Royals knew they had to reshape and revamp their pitching staff for 2024. It started with the rotation. By bringing in Lugo and Michael Wacha to fortify the unit with Ragans and Brady Singer, Royals starters posted a 3.55 ERA this year, the second-best mark in baseball.

How they repeat the success seen this year is to be determined. A lot depends on whether Wacha returns. Royals brass has been honest about the fortunate health seen this year -- and how they can’t assume that to be the case in 2025. Acquiring depth on the pitching staff will be important.

Area for improvement: Lineup depth
No team liked facing Witt this year, especially when he could beat opponents with his legs if they put him on base. What made it even more uncomfortable was having Pasquantino (97 RBIs) and Perez (104 RBIs) behind Witt in the lineup.

But before Witt? Opponents liked their chances. Royals leadoff hitters posted a .604 OPS this season and just a .270 on-base percentage.

The Royals have to lengthen their lineup. Finding a leadoff hitter and inserting slug in the middle-to-bottom of the order are both on the priority list this winter.

On the rise: Freddy Fermin
A Royals catcher is an AL Gold Glove finalist, and it’s not Perez.

Fermin, the Royals’ backup catcher, was on the short list announced this week alongside Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Detroit’s Jake Rogers.

Fermin started 72 games behind the plate this year (and played in 91 games) compared to Perez’s 90 games as the Royals’ starting catcher. As Perez, 34, gets older, the Royals have eased his workload some -- and they needed him at first base quite a bit this year, especially in September with Pasquantino’s injury. But Fermin’s reliability as a backstop made that transition much easier. The 29-year-old threw out 14 of 35 attempted base stealers (40%), which was the highest rate among AL catchers this year, and ranked third among qualified catchers (and first in the AL) in Statcast’s catcher’s caught stealing above average metric.

As the Royals continue to see good things from their farm system stocked with catchers, including No. 2 prospect Blake Mitchell and No. 5 prospect Carter Jensen, Fermin might get more and more valuable on the trade market, perhaps in a package that could net the Royals the impactful bat they’re seeking. If not, the Royals will continue to have a reliable backup to Perez in the coming years. There’s quite a bit of value in that, too.

Team MVP: Witt
Witt made a case for American League MVP, and likely would be the frontrunner if not for Aaron Judge’s otherworldly offensive season.

Witt’s 10.4 fWAR was the highest single-season mark in franchise history. He finished the 2024 season as the batting champion (.332) with a 977 OPS, 32 home runs, 45 doubles and 31 stolen bases -- becoming the first shortstop ever to record multiple 30-30 seasons. He played 161 games, 160 of them at shortstop, and was the heart of the Royals’ team on the field and in the clubhouse.

And, thanks to that contract extension he signed last offseason, he’s going to be in Kansas City for a long time.